STA platoon were the "Surveillance and Target Acquisition" platoons of 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...

. They were within the Headquarters and Service Company

Headquarters and Service Company

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...

 of U.S. Marine rifle 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...

s, were the home of Marines, working directly for the S-2 (Intelligence), specially trained at close range reconnaissance

Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

 and information gathering for the battalion commander.

Operations

These Marines worked in small teams (as little as two and or three men) employing ground surveillance radar and night observation devices to aid the battalion commander in locating the enemy at the forward edge of the battle area.

STA platoon was also the home of the Marine Scout-Snipers. Marine Scout Sniper

Scout Sniper

Scout Sniper is a secondary MOS designator of U.S. Marine Corps infantrymen and reconnaissance Marines that have successfully graduated from a USMC Scout Sniper School. Scout Snipers provide close reconnaissance and surveillance to the infantry battalion...

s can act on immediate information to reduce the enemy, deny the enemy access to flanks and protected areas, or slow the enemy's ability to maneuver through long-range precision fire.

The STA platoon is still in use at the battalion and 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...

al level they have been in heavy use since the first Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

 up until OIF/OEF, the STA platoon is the "sharp edge of the sword" for the Marine Rifle Battalion.

In popular culture

Anthony Swofford

Anthony Swofford

Anthony Swofford is a writer and former United States Marine known for being the author of the book Jarhead, published in 2003, which is primarily based on his accounts of various situations encountered in the first Gulf War. This memoir was the basis of the 2005 movie of the same name, directed...

's experiences in an STA platoon are recounted in his book, Jarhead

Jarhead (book)

Jarhead is a Gulf War memoir by author Anthony Swofford. After leaving military service, the author went on to college and earned a Masters Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Iowa.- Synopsis :...

, and the 2005 film

Jarhead (film)

Jarhead is a 2005 biographical drama war film based on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford's 1991 Gulf War memoir of the same name, directed by Sam Mendes, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Swofford with co-stars Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, and Chris Cooper. The title comes from the slang term used to refer to...

of the same name.