USMC Research For A Novel - Radio Protocol

[Scott M]

I have posted here previously about the typical T/O&E for a "standard" rifle company. I got many helpful responses and have since set it up exactly as needed while still remaining as realistic as possible.

The unit is based on 3rd Battalion/1st Marines and is part of the USS Makin Island AGR/MEU unit on hand for Fleet Week in San Francisco when my story kicks off. All hell breaks loose and a particular part of the story is told from the point of view of a single company, cut off from higher and charged with a very specific defensive operation.

I've done quite a bit of online research about radio call signs and most of it jives. What I'm missing is radio identifiers at lower than the Company/Platoon commander level. For instance, I know the company commander is (callsign)-6, the XO is (callsign)-5, etc down through the platoon leaders.

Can you confirm that the platoon sgt's are (callsign)(platoon number)-zulu?

Also, does the first sgt within the HQ element have his own identifier? How about the senior corpsman?

The biggest concern, where most of the story takes place, is how the lower ranks identify. For instance, what would the Alpha fire team leader in 1st squad, 2nd platoon refer to himself?

Any help at all would be appreciated.

[FU134R]

First sgts are "8" and company gunnys are "7" if my memory is correct

[josephd]

we identified all of our leaders by Actual(officer/commander), Chief(enlisted), or by your rank to personally identify someone ie..Echo 3, Echo 4, Echo 5, Oscar 1, Oscar 2, etc.....

But to kinda give an example to answer your question a bit better...on the platoon level, my platoon, each of the 4 squads, and each fire team/truck team had their own call signs.

my platoon went by Comanche, so my platoon commander was Comanche Actual and my plt. sgt. was Comanche Chief. My squad/security team was Seminole, squad/security team leader went by Seminole Actual. My fire/truck team was Gator, I was my own fire team leader so I would go by Gator Actual. And then like said above if we had to actually personally identify ourselves it would always be by our rank and last name initial.

I hope this helps you out. I know alot of this stuff that your asking is based on Bn. or Co. SOP and how they want to operate and sound. Especially if they are working directly with other units. The Bn. I deployed worth worked directly with an infantry Bn. and there call signs were similar to ours, they went by Actual, Chief, and such so we could communicate with them easier.