Radio Battalion

The 1st, 2d, and 3d Radio Battalions are United States Marine Corps Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) units whose missions are to provide tactical SIGINT, ground Electronic Warfare (EW), limited cyberspace operations, and Special Intelligence communications tasked by the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) to support MEFs and their subordinate elements. Radio Battalions function primarily as intelligence-gathering and analytic organizations with capabilities connected to and integrated with theater and national SIGINT communities. Radio Battalions are responsible for establishing, operating, and maintaining Intelligence Information Architectures to accomplish this mission.

Structure and Composition Radio Battalions are largely populated by enlisted Marines in the 2600 Occupational Career Code (OCC) Field, but also Headquarters and Support elements drawn from other career fields. Marines in the 2600 OCC Field who may be assigned to Radio Battalions include: Special Communications Signals Collection Operator/Analysts, Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) Intercept Operator/Analysts, Cryptologic Language Analysts, and Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems Engineers. Commissioned Officers assigned to Radio Battalions include Signals Intelligence/Ground Electronic Warfare Officers. Radio Battalions have traditionally consisted of a battalion headquarters, headquarters and service company, and designated operational companies. Operational components may include:

Operational Control and Analysis Center (OCAC): senior SIGINT authority in a Marine Area of Operations, located within the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) CE intelligence operations center OCACs typically include the following positions: OCAC Officer in Charge (OIC), Watch Officer/Watch Chief, Collection Manager, Senior Analyst, SIGINT Geospatial analysts, Digital Network Intelligence analysts, Cryptologic Linguists, SIGINT report writers, and Special Intelligence Communications Operational Command Elements (OCEs): subordinate to the OCAC; provide the Radio Battalion with extended command and control over SIGINT/EW (SIEW) teams and SIGINT operations. OCEs are task-organized based on the scope of their functions SIEW teams: primarily collection assets that perform low level analysis for Indications and Warnings purposes Capabilities include: survey, collection, and exploitation of enemy signal(s), including digital networks; geolocation of enemy units; and dissemination and utilization of intelligence at the lowest tactical echelons E.g. SIGINT Support Teams (SSTs) and Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System (MEWSS) teams Radio Reconnaissance Teams (RRT): specially trained and equipped SIGINT Marines who may support ground reconnaissance and surveillance elements Radio reconnaissance platoons are trained in special insert and extract means and basic reconnaissance capabilities. They are sometimes leveraged to enhance understanding of threat operations prior to the arrival of other SIGINT support unit forces Receive tactical movement direction from the ground reconnaissance commander and technical SIGINT direction from the Radio Battalion commander

All Radio Battalion operations, from the OCAC to individual teams, occur within sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIFs). SCIFs may be static locations, temporary tactical fixtures, or mobile facilities to support and adjust to dynamic forward deployed operations.

Oversight Radio Battalion intelligence collection capabilities fall under the purview of DIRNSA/CHCSS (Director of the National Security Agency/Chief of the Central Security Service), controls the activities of SIGINT organizations down to the smallest tactical teams. The two sections of the United States Code relevant to Radio Battalions are Title 10 and Title 50.

Title 10 furnishes the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) with the authority to "organize, train, and equip" SIGINT Marines and sets forth oversight mechanisms. Title 50 describes intelligence and its sub categories and establishes the DIRNSA as the executive agent of SIGINT for the US Government. The tactical SIGINT capabilities of Radio Battalions are also governed by Executive Order (EO), Department of Defense Directive (DoDD), Department of Defense Instruction (DODI), Department of Defense Regulation, Secretary of the Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST), and Marine Corps Order (MCO). Executive Order (EO) 12333 is a foundational authority, which, very generally and among other things, limits the collection/interception of communications to foreign persons that occur wholly outside the United States as part of NSA's role as a combat support agency. Radio Battalions, therefore, are unable to conduct domestic SIGINT collection operations and instead rely on canned scenarios and scripts to create facsimiles of potential real-world operations.

History

World War II The first iterations of Radio Battalions were Radio Intelligence Platoons activated on 14 June 1943, at Camp Elliott in Linda Vista, California. By 1945, four platoons provided cryptological support to Marine combat divisions during World War II campaigns in the Solomon Islands, Guam, Iwo Jima, Kwajalein, Peleliu, and Okinawa. Radio Intelligence Platoons were active during the occupation of Japan in 1945 and the occupation of North China from October 1945–February 1946 during Operation Beleaguer. In 1945, upon the conclusion of WWII and concomitant post-war occupation, the Radio Intelligence Platoons were deactivated. By fall of 1949, the platoons were re-designated as a company-size reserve unit, the 5th Signal Company, headquartered with the Fifth Marine Corps Reserve District in Washington, D. C.

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