The Decision

By Staff, Infantry Officer Course

Situation

You are the company commander of Company I, 3d Battalion, 2d Marines. You are a foot-mobile company at table-of-organization strength and equipped with AT4s. You are tasked with establishing a blocking position in the vicinity of the high ground around St. Patrick’s Church. This blocking position is intended to protect the vulnerable line of communications (LOC) of the regiment located in the vicinity of Stuartsburg to your east. As you near the church, you come across a platoon commander from Company L. This platoon commander tells you that the battalion commander has ordered his company to establish a defensive position along this same high ground and that his company commander has gone to the battalion command post in order to get further guidance.

At that moment, a member from the battalion’s STA [surveillance and target acquisition] platoon has arrived on your position. He reports that communications with the battalion are lost and that his team has sighted at least a reinforced platoon of enemy tanks located in an assembly area in the vicinity of Howardsville about 6 kilometers to the west. You attempt to establish communications with the battalion. It appears that the enemy is making a coordinated attack on the regimental LOC. The last words you hear from your battalion commander are, “Take actions to repulse the enemy!”

Requirement

In a time limit of 10 minutes, prepare the frag orders you would pass to your subordinates. What action would you take regarding the platoon from Company L? Prepare a brief sketch map of your plan and a brief explanation of your actions. Submit your solution to Marine Corps Gazette, TDG #94-2, P. O. Box 1775, Quantico, VA 22134.

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