Headquarters and Service Company
Encyclopedia
A Headquarters and Service Company is a company
sized military unit, found at the battalion
level and higher in the United States Marine Corps
. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as H&S. While a regular line company is formed of three or four platoon
s, H&S is made up of the headquarters staff and headquarters support personnel of a battalion
, regiment
, division
, or corps
. As these personnel do not fall inside one of the regular line companies of the battalion, brigade, or division, the H&S Unit is the unit to which they are administratively assigned. The typical personnel strength of an average H&S Company for a Marine infantry battalion is 270 personnel.
Inside a battalion H&S, the headquarters staff will usually include the following key officers and primary staff officers:
Depending on the unit, extra support officers will round out the staff, including one or two Navy Medical Corps
officer(s), a United States Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division officer, and a Navy Chaplain Corps officer (often collectively referred to as the "special staff"), as well as essential non-commissioned officer
s and enlisted support personnel in the occupational specialities of the staff sections (S1 through S4 and the S6), and a battalion sergeant major
, who is principal advisor to the battalion commander on matters regarding enlisted personnel. Additionally, H&S will contain further personnel assigned to support and sustain the mission of the battalion headquarters, including maintenance and motor transport, field mess, and supply.
H&S itself will be commanded by a company commander
(usually a captain) who is supported by a company executive officer (usually a first lieutenant
) and a company first sergeant
. All personnel in H&S fall under the administrative command of the H&S company commander, but in practice, the primary and special staff officers report directly to the battalion commander, and while the battalion commander is administratively assigned to H&S, he or she is the H&S company commander's higher commander and thus the H&S company commander operationally answers directly to the battalion commander. The mission of the H&S company commander is to run the administrative and Marine training aspects of H&S, and to support the battalion primary staff by facilitating the environment in which they operate and in turn support the battalion commander in commanding the battalion.
At the regimental and division
level, H&S is similarly constituted of the regimental or division commander, his or her staff, and the support elements, but the ranks of the staff and support personnel are typically greater to reflect the greater level of responsibility at higher echelon units. However, the company commander of a regimental H&S is usually still a captain. A division H&S is usually a battalion in itself and is commanded by a lieutenant colonel.
In keeping with the long standing practice of referring to company sized artillery
units as "batteries
" the headquarters company element of an artillery battalion or higher is referred as a Headquarters and Service Battery. Additionally, some high level headquarters elements for special units are not company sized and are referred to as "detachments;" as a result, these units are formally referred to as Headquarters and Service Detachments.
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
sized military unit, found at the battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
level and higher in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as H&S. While a regular line company is formed of three or four platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
s, H&S is made up of the headquarters staff and headquarters support personnel of a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
, division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
, or corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
. As these personnel do not fall inside one of the regular line companies of the battalion, brigade, or division, the H&S Unit is the unit to which they are administratively assigned. The typical personnel strength of an average H&S Company for a Marine infantry battalion is 270 personnel.
Inside a battalion H&S, the headquarters staff will usually include the following key officers and primary staff officers:
|
Depending on the unit, extra support officers will round out the staff, including one or two Navy Medical Corps
Navy Medical Corps
The Medical Corps of the United States Navy is a staff corps consisting of military physicians in a variety of specialties. It is the senior corps among all staff corps, second in precedence only to line officers...
officer(s), a United States Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division officer, and a Navy Chaplain Corps officer (often collectively referred to as the "special staff"), as well as essential non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s and enlisted support personnel in the occupational specialities of the staff sections (S1 through S4 and the S6), and a battalion sergeant major
Sergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
, who is principal advisor to the battalion commander on matters regarding enlisted personnel. Additionally, H&S will contain further personnel assigned to support and sustain the mission of the battalion headquarters, including maintenance and motor transport, field mess, and supply.
H&S itself will be commanded by a company commander
Company Commander
A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 350 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons....
(usually a captain) who is supported by a company executive officer (usually a first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
) and a company first sergeant
First Sergeant
First sergeant is the name of a military rank used in many countries, typically a senior non-commissioned officer.-Singapore:First Sergeant is a Specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff...
. All personnel in H&S fall under the administrative command of the H&S company commander, but in practice, the primary and special staff officers report directly to the battalion commander, and while the battalion commander is administratively assigned to H&S, he or she is the H&S company commander's higher commander and thus the H&S company commander operationally answers directly to the battalion commander. The mission of the H&S company commander is to run the administrative and Marine training aspects of H&S, and to support the battalion primary staff by facilitating the environment in which they operate and in turn support the battalion commander in commanding the battalion.
At the regimental and division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
level, H&S is similarly constituted of the regimental or division commander, his or her staff, and the support elements, but the ranks of the staff and support personnel are typically greater to reflect the greater level of responsibility at higher echelon units. However, the company commander of a regimental H&S is usually still a captain. A division H&S is usually a battalion in itself and is commanded by a lieutenant colonel.
In keeping with the long standing practice of referring to company sized artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
units as "batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
" the headquarters company element of an artillery battalion or higher is referred as a Headquarters and Service Battery. Additionally, some high level headquarters elements for special units are not company sized and are referred to as "detachments;" as a result, these units are formally referred to as Headquarters and Service Detachments.
See also
- Units, Formations, & Commands
- Staff Officer
- Headquarters and Headquarters CompanyHeadquarters and Headquarters CompanyIn United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...