The US Marine Corps ANGLICO (USMC ANGLICO) offer fire support and act as air/naval gunfire liaison companies of the United States Marine Corps. Their official name is Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO).
In combination with Navy personnel, they coordinate air, naval gunfire, artillery and other support of Marines as well as other US forces and allied units. As we already mentioned they are among the most trained and most eligible US special operations units.
The USMC ANGLICO differ in the fact they are trained to support forces outside the US Marine Corps. Accordingly, they are divided into four different areas, corresponding to the various levels of a foreign force’s organization.
USMC ANGLICO Organization
Division Cell
This group operates as the senior US Marine Corps fire liaison between the marine Air-Ground Task Force and the supported division headquarters. The equipment of this team highlight the planning and communication they’ll be involved with from the assigned headquarters. However, it would never be described as a desk job. While visiting smaller teams in Afghanistan, this company engaged in repeated close quarter combat with the enemy.
Brigade Platoon
The Brigade Platoon is protecting a brigade of friendly force and their equipment is mainly geared towards command post operations vice tactical combat.
Supporting Arms Liaison Battalion (SALT)
Also known as SALT, this battalion is trained to offer extensive fire support coordination for a supported battalion. This team is usually comprised of no more than ten Marines and Sailors. However, their training and experience often finds them involved in non-fire operations of the battalion being supported.
Firepower Control Team (FCT)
This team is the basic unit of USMC ANGLICO operations. Generally, there are two Firepower Control Teams (FCT) – though the number sometimes increases based on the number of team leaders available. The FCT Team is trained to take part in ground combat alongside a supported unit. The FCT will request, as well as control, air and fire support assets on behalf of the supported unit. Their duty often involves patrol, raids, and defensive operations.
Training of USMC ANGLICO
The Marines assigned to USMC ANGLICO must be proficient in a number of specialized military skills. They receive training in MOS (fire support), and some are required to complete airborne training and jump qualifications. They are also cross-trained with a number of US and Allied units around the world. The motto for this US Marine Corps special operations force – “Lightning from the sky, thunder from the sea”. This motto is proven many times during years, from USMC ANGLICO foundation, until today.
And still like many years ago, they are offering their services to their country…
I was a member of Colonel Timothy Geraghty’s Forward Air Control team in 1969. We demonstrated FAC live fire in Sardinia for Hellenic and Turk forces. You should have seen them cheer when we brought a Phantom through a valley, bank a mountain and torch a beach!
Operation Steel Tiger (Vietnam) declassified. 1st ANGLICO’s electronic shop at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay tested the units that were being deployed to the Ho Chi Minh Trail. I was asked to accompany the two civilians, civilian clothes authorized, going to SE Asia with the units in January 1966. For this work I was awarded a letter of commendation from the Commander US Forces Pac. For outstanding technical support. I later was the NCOIC of the electronics shop for Subunit 1, 1st ALGLICO, MAC, Viet. Left Vietnam in August 1967.
I was in 73-75, 0844 MOS (FDC) in a 105 battery A Battery, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines 2nd Mar Div.
I was a part of the ANGLICO team in 1974 on a Med Cruise WHEN, in fact, the Marines had formally disbanded ANGLICO right at the end of Vietnam.
But the summer of 74 was surprisingly interesting. Nixon was going down, it was right after Vietnam when our forces were…not at their best and figuring out what they wanted to be in the future and Kissinger was essentially in charge of foreign relations.
I have researched this extensively with open source so can’t dig any deeper. But anyway, MAU 34 and BLT 1/8 was onsite when the Turks invaded Cyprus. My XO had been assigned as the “Naval Gunfire Liaison Team” (what we were designated) leader before we embarked. There was a Navy Ensign “Naval gunfire officer” also as his XO. They picked out like 14 of us including mostly comm and FO’s (I was cross trained) and my XO picked me and our Comm Sgt to go with him. I know why he picked the Comm Sgt, but not me. We had a few Vietnam Vets and a doc.
The Turks invaded, it got complicated and Kissinger played a game of chicken with the Turks is what I figured out and for three days, it was a very hot situation where our BLT was lined up feet to backpacks on the hanger deck, CH 46’s on the flight deck and our liaison team ready to go. Two times we got up and lined up to get on the CH 46. Then we got on and went…and landed thunks in the fuselage, Pffft’s by our ears that then stopped once in place.
So, after reading and researching, what I got is that the game of chicken Kissinger played was using us as his checkmate to the turks using that metaphor. Essentially he said, you go any further and you are going to get so many five inch 38’s on your head you won’t be able to identify your troops as formerly human. I figured we’d last about 30 minutes. But the Turks backed down even suspended their invasion for two weeks and we left.
Not in the history books, no medals and only one acknowledgement I ever found from the Commanding Admiral of the sixth fleet commending the liaison team in a communique to our BLT commanding officer. OK, that’s the extent of my combat experience. It was enough. There is a video out there that I figure was the triggering even when the Turks started firing at the Brits on their base as they threatened to go through to cut off the Greeks. I’m pretty sure that was when we actually were sent.
Bottom line: I got promoted meritoriously to both Corporal and Sgt within a few months back at LeJeune… AND, within six months, they re-established ANGLICO as formal units from what I have been able to glean from history books although most don’t mention the less than a year of formal disbanding. We were essentially an ad hoc unit for that summer.