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Title: Scalable MAGTF

Action: Graphic shows characteristics and capabilities of each type of MAGTF as summarized below:

Types of MAGTFs:

Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF):

Used in Major Theater War. Troops number twenty to ninety thousand.

Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB):

Used in smaller-scale contingencies (crisis response). Troops number three to twenty thousand.

Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable (MEU[SOC]):

Used to promote peace and stability, presence and engagement. Troops number fifteen hundred to three thousand.

Special Purpose MAGTF:

Used for disaster relief/humanitarian assistance. Special purpose operations, size varies.

Voice: MAGTFs range in size from the Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU, to the Marine Expeditionary Force, called a MEF. Most MEUs can conduct special operations type missions and these are called MEUSOCs. MAGTFs are tailored for their mission. Occasionally one is formed for a special mission and is appropriately called a Special Purpose MAGTF. While it can be any size it tends to be smaller than a MEU and generally performs disaster relief and humanitarian assistance missions. The MAGTF mission ranges from promoting peace and stability to participation in major theater war, thus covering the full spectrum of conflict. It is the MEU that forward-deploys on the Navy’s 3 to 4 ship Amphibious Ready Groups or ARGs. A MEU can act as the advance echelon of a Marine Expeditionary Brigade, or MEB, should a crisis develop into a smaller scale contingency. Likewise the MEB acts as the advance echelon of a MEF should major theater war erupt.

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