5th Marine Regiment Command Desk

5TH MARINE REGIMENT COMMAND DECK

The 5th Marine Regiment is comprised of a Command Deck, Headquarters Company and 4 Battalions which might, at any one given time, constitute 4,000-5,000 Marines. Until such time as any one of the 5th Marines 4 Battalions, Command and/or the Headquarters Company are deployed, each are located at Camp Pendleton. 

When the 5th Marine Command and Headquarters Company are deployed in a Combat Zone, as they may be in Southern Afghanistan in Mid-2011, they are then referred to as Regimental Combat Team Five or RCT-5. The CO retains Command over each of  his four Regimental Battalions while he is deployed. An In-Country Tour for RCT-5 is normally 12 months or more. For the Units under that Command structure, their Tour is normally 7 months. These combat elements may come from  other Regular or Reserve Units here in the States or elsewhere, and the CO may, during his Tour not Command any one of his 4 Battalions while In-Country.

The 4 Battalions which comprise the 5th MAR are the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5), 2/5, 3/5, and 2/4. All, including the Command are located at Camp Pendleton in Area 62 or Camp Mateo. This compound is located just inside the Christianitos Gate.