STA platoons are the "Surveillance and Target Acquisition"

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

s of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. They are assigned to the

Headquarters and Service Company A headquarters and service company is a company-sized military unit, found at the battalion and regimental level in the U.S. Marine Corps. The U.S. Army equivalent unit is the headquarters and headquarters company. In identifying a specific hea ...

of a U.S. Marine rifle

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

and are the home of Marines working directly for the S-2 (Intelligence) that are specially trained at close range

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

and information gathering for the battalion commander.

Operations

These Marines work in small teams (as few as two or three men) employing ground surveillance radar and night observation devices to aid the battalion commander in locating the enemy at the forward edge of the battle area. STA platoon is also the home of the Marine Scout-Snipers. Marine Scout Snipers can act on immediate information to reduce the enemy, deny the enemy access to flanks and protected areas, or slow the enemy's ability to maneuver through long-range precision fire. The STA platoon is in use at the battalion and

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

al level. They have seen heavy use since the first

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

up until OIF/ OEF. The STA platoon is the "sharp edge of the sword" for the Marine Rifle Battalion.

In popular culture

* Anthony Swofford's experiences in an STA platoon are recounted in his 2003 book, '' Jarhead,'' and the

2005 film 2005 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, notable deaths and film debuts. Evaluation of the year Renowned American film critic a ...

of the same name.

References

{{US Marine Corps navbox Inactive units of the United States Marine Corps ja:観測及び目標要求小隊

Operations

In popular culture

See also

References