Marines

Fleet Marine Force: Compliment to Navy Department General Order No. 241

 

Title: Fleet Marine Force: Compliment to Navy Department General Order No. 241

Category: Marine Corps Order No. 66

Author/Presenter: Major General John H. Russell, Jr., USMC Commandant of the Marine Corps

Date: 8 December 1933


Fleet Marine Force.—1. The Fleet Marine Force, established by authority of Navy Department General Order No. 241, will replace the East Coast and West Coast Expeditionary Forces.

2. The following regulations, supplementary to those contained in General Order No. 241, will govern the administration and control of the Fleet Marine Force:

(a) The Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, and the force staff, will be stationed normally at Quantico. He is responsible for the training of all units of the force that are under his command; the preparation of operating plans for the employment of the Fleet Marine Force, and for the equipment and general efficiency of the force as a whole.

(b) The Major General Commandant will announce from time to time the units that compose the Fleet Marine Force, and their stations. The units stationed at Quantico and San Diego will have their personnel stabilized insofar as is practicable and such stabilized units will be under the command of the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force. The stabilized units will be available to the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, at all times for such training and exercises in the locality of their respective stations as he may direct. Plans for the employment of these units that involve a movement from their station will be submitted to the Major General Commandant for appropriate action.

(c) An officer of appropriate rank will be ordered by the Major General Commandant to command such stabilized units at San Diego as may be designated by the Major General Commandant. This officer, under the direction of the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, will be in charge of matters pertaining to the interests of the Fleet Marine Force on the West Coast.

(d) Except on matters connected with the post at which serving, correspondence shall be conducted directly between the Major General Commandant and the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, and similarly between the latter and the Commanding Officer of those stabilized units of the Fleet Marine Force stationed on the West Coast.

(e) The remainder of the Fleet Marine Force will consist of units to be supplied in an emergency from the various posts and stations of the Marine Corps. Those units will be given the maximum amount of training in their particular specialty as is consistent with the proper performance of their regular duties, and, periodically, will be ordered by the Major General Commandant to report to the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, for such exercises and inspections as he may direct. Plans for the use and training of this part of the Fleet Marine Force will be submitted by the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, to the Major General Commandant for consideration and appropriate action.

(f) The commanding officers of the posts and stations at which stabilized elements of the Fleet Marine Force are stationed will provide ample and appropriate facilities for such training and exercises of the units as the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force may desire.

(g) All commanding officers, when deciding questions affecting the training of this force, will keep in mind the importance of an efficient Fleet Marine Force to the Navy and the Marine Corps and the responsibility of the Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, both to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet, and the Major General Commandant, as fixed in these regulations.

By order of the Major General Commandant:

JOHN H. RUSSELL,
Major General, U.S. Marine Corps