Structure of an Imperial Marines regiment
An Imperial Marines regiment is a permanent unit with a nominal strength of 84 officers and 1,636 other ranks. Like a Napoléonic corps d’armée or a WWII division, an Imperial Marines regiment is a self-contained unit with its own supporting troops included, fully capable of independent operations. A marines officer or marine is assigned to a particular regiment when he or she completes training. Transfers are possible, but a marine expects to remain a member of the same regiment until he retires, unless promoted out of the top of the regimental structure. If an officer, NCO, or marine is seconded to divisional or general staff work he retains his regimental identity, wearing the staff or school badge on his regimental recognition patch.
The regiments are identified by number, but each has a nickname, a tactical recognition patch, and a collection of battle honours, anniversaries, trophies, regimental march tunes, customs, and traditions that makes it unique and glorious to its members.
Table of unit structures
This table shows the nominal strength of each unit, supposing three platoons to a company, three companies to a battalion etc., and no regimental support troops attached. In practice there are often two or four rather than three sub-units, and specialists from the regimental support companies are often attached to battalions, companies, and platoons.
| unit | leader | consists of | other ranks |
officers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| team | lance-corporal (asst sect. leader) or corporal (section leader) |
team leader scout gunner grenadier |
4 | 0 |
| section | corporal | • 2 teams | 8 | 0 |
| platoon | ensign, sublieutenant or lieutenant |
officer commanding platoon sergeant medic orderly • support team • 3 sections |
31 | 1 |
| company | lieutenant-major | officer commanding deputy commander colour sergeant quartermaster sergeant 2 orderlies • HQ section - signals team - supply team • 3 platoons |
105 | 5 |
| battalion | major | officer commanding deputy commander sergeant-major 2 orderlies • HQ platoon - battalion aid (medical) team - fire support section - signals section - supply section • 3 companies |
348 | 18 |
| regiment | colonel | commanding officer deputy CO chief of staff deputy chief-of-staff aide to the CO regimental sergeant-major staff sergeant-major 5 orderlies • HQ coy. - admin platoon - provost platoon - signals platoon - supply platoon • engineering coy. • hospital coy. • reconnaissance coy. • recovery coy. • 3 battalions |
1,636 | 84 |
