The MACO Battalion (MBN) is similar in composition to the multipurpose, flexible warfighting organization that is the MGRP. The MBN is normally identified for and has the capability to form the nucleus of a SOTF within a CJSOTF. The MBN will have a more direct role in the mission command, support, and sustainment of its own organic or attached MODAs and MODBs.
Mission
The MBN of the MGRP plans, conducts, and supports special operations activities in any operational environment—permissive, uncertain, or hostile.
Organization
MBN consist of an HHD, four MACO companies, a battalion support company, and, when deployed, an attached forward support company.
Function
The battalion is directly responsible for isolating, deploying, controlling, sustaining, recovering, and reconstituting its assigned or attached MODBs and MODAs. When deployed, it has the capability to form a SOTF that is task organized to mirror the group functionalities.
Characteristics
The MBN has many of the same characteristics as the MGRP. The MBN is capable of—
· Being rapidly deployed.
· Maintaining Planetary and Deep Space communications.
· Conducting early-entry operations, including infiltration into an operational area by airborne, air assault, or amphibious operations.
· Conducting operations in varying terrain, such as woodland, jungle, mountain, or desert environments. The MBN must rely on the MGRP for support in areas such as aerial delivery, electronic maintenance, multimedia, technical and information support, combat tracking, advanced skills training, and chemical reconnaissance.
Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment
The battalion HHD mission commands the battalion and attachments. When deployed, it commands and controls the activities of a SOTF. It also trains and prepares subordinate units for deployment, and it directs, supports, and sustains the activities of deployed units.
Battalion Support Company
The battalion support company consists of a company headquarters and two detachments (signal and Starfleet Intelligence) and provides routine administrative and logistics support to the battalion headquarters detachment, the support company’s organic elements, and the battalion’s MACO companies. The battalion support company commander commands all personnel and elements assigned or attached to the company. When the battalion establishes a SOTF, the battalion support company commander normally serves as the support center director. The support center director’s duties require direct interface with the group support battalion or battalion and Starfleet Service component command logistics support elements. In coordination with the operations staff officer and headquarters commandant, the battalion support company commander prepares the base defense plan and supervises the activities of the base defense operations cell. When all MODBs are committed to other missions, the support center director provides support to all the uncommitted MODAs and attached special operations teams A (SOT-As) at the SOTF, and supervises their pre-mission training activities in coordination with the operations center.
Battalion Signal Detachment
The battalion signal detachment has two primary functions. It installs, operates, and maintains secure external communications with higher or adjacent SOF and conventional headquarters and its deployed MODBs and MODAs. It also installs, operates, and maintains internal battalion communications. This base communications support includes message center services, internal telephone communications, information management operations, and electronic maintenance. The detachment has no organic multimedia or communications security section; however, the signal detachment normally maintains its own communications security subaccount.
When the MBN deploys and establishes a SOTF, the signal detachment commander serves as the signal center systems control officer and assistant signal center director. When the signal detachment is formally detached from the support company, the detachment commander exercises normal company-level command. The signal detachment, however, depends on the support company for administrative and logistics support.
Battalion Starfleet Special Operations Intelligence Detachment
The Starfleet intelligence detachment provides intelligence support to MBN or below operations based on mission requirements. The detachment consists of the following intelligence disciplines: signals intelligence, human intelligence, imagery intelligence, counterintelligence, and all source intelligence analysts.
When in direct support to SOTF operations, the all-source analysts will be detached to the intelligence staff section. Additionally, human intelligence and counterintelligence assets will be detached under direction of the SOTF commander to ensure protection from espionage, as well as to augment source operations infrastructure.
The tactical control and analysis element/special operations team B (SOT-B) section provides signals intelligence support to the SOTF, and serves as the primary conduit for signals intelligence reporting to elements above the SOTF. The tactical control and analysis element/SOT-B terminates signals intelligence reporting from the SOT-As and provides 24-hour operation. The tactical control and analysis element/SOT-B also provides a diverse language pool to support MACO operations and provides signals intelligence support to deployed MAOBs acting independently or as a special operations command and control element (SOCCE).
SOT-As are low-level signals intelligence collection teams that intercept and report operational and technical information derived from tactical threat communications through prescribed communications paths. The mission of a SOT-A is to conduct signals intelligence and electronic warfare in support of cyber/electromagnetic activities, unilaterally or in conjunction with other SOF elements to support existing and emerging SOF missions.
SOT-As perform a number of different mission and collateral activities in support of larger special operations. The primary roles of SOT-As include—
· Electronic reconnaissance.
· Protection.
· Signals research and target development.
Collateral activities include—
· Support to personnel recovery.
Support to other special operations.
Forward Support Company
The forward support company performs unit-level supply, service, distribution, and maintenance functions for the entire MBN and its attached elements. When the battalion establishes a SOTF, the forward support company commander coordinates and supervises support center logistics activities and works for the battalion support company commander under the staff supervision of the battalion logistics staff officer. The forward support company does not have any organic truck drivers in its supply and transportation section.