United States Marine Corps
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United States Marine Corps seal |
The
United States Marine Corps (
USMC) is a branch of the
U.S. military, responsible for providing
power projection from the sea
, utilizing the mobility of the
U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to crises around the globe. Along with the U.S. Navy, it falls under the
United States Department of the Navy.
The Marine Corps was originally organized as the
Continental Marines in 1775 to conduct ship-to-ship fighting, provide shipboard security and assist in landing forces. Its mission would evolve with changing military doctrine and American foreign policy. Owing to the availability of Marine forces at sea, the Marine Corps has served in every conflict in U.S. history. It attained prominence when its theories and practice of
amphibious warfare proved prescient, and ultimately formed a cornerstone of the Pacific campaign of
WWII. By the early 20th century, the Marine Corps would become the dominant theorist and practitioner of amphibious warfare. Its ability to rapidly respond to regional crises has and continues to make it an important tool for American foreign policy.
The Marine Corps is smaller than the
U.S. Army,
U.S. Navy, and
U.S. Air Force, with 180,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2005. Only the
U.S. Coast Guard is a smaller military service than the Marines. The Marine Corps is nonetheless larger than the armed forces of many major nations; for example, it is larger than the
British Army or all of the
Canadian Forces put together.
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Flag of the U.S. Marine Corps |
The Marine Corps serves as an amphibious force in readiness. Today, it has three primary areas of responsibility, as outlined in
', originally introduced under the National Security Act of 1947:
*The seizure or defense of advanced naval bases and other land operations to support naval campaigns
*The development of tactics, technique, and equipment used by amphibious landing forces
*"such other duties as the President may direct."'''The quoted clause, while seemingly a consequence of the President's position as
Commander in Chief, is a codification of the expeditionary duties of the Marine Corps. It derives from similar language in the Congressional Acts "For the Better Organization of the Marine Corps" of 1834, and "Establishing and Organizing a Marine Corps" of 1798. In 1951, the
House of Representatives Armed Services Committee called the clause "one of the most important statutory–and traditional–functions of the Marine Corps".
It noted that the Corps has more often than not performed actions of a non-naval nature, including its roles in the
War of 1812,
WWI and the
Korean War, its famous actions at
Tripoli and
Chapultepec, and their numerous counterinsurgency and and occupational duties in
Central America and
East Asia. These actions are not accurately described as support of naval campaigns nor as amphibious warfare. Their common thread is that they are of an expeditionary nature - using the mobility of the Navy to provide timely intervention in foreign affairs on behalf of American interests.
In addition to its primary duties, the Marine Corps has additional missions in support of the White House and State Department. The Marine Band has been called "the President's Own" due to its role of providing music for state functions at the White House. In addition, Marines guard presidential retreats, including
Camp David, and the Marine unit
HMX-1 provides helicopter service to the President. By authority of the 1946 Foreign Service act, Marines of the
Marine Corps Security Guard provide security for American embassies, legations, and consulates at over 110
State Department posts overseas.
Historical Mission
At its founding, the Marine Corps was composed of infantry serving aboard naval vessels, responsible for the security of the ship and its officers by conducting offensive and defensive combat during boarding actions and maintaining order aboard ship. Additionally, they were responsible for manning raiding parties. Since then, the Corps' role has expanded significantly. As the importance of its original naval mission declined with changing naval warfare doctrine and the professionalization of the Naval service, the Corps adapted by placing an emphasis on what were formerly secondary missions on shore. Their use in raids was codified in the Advanced Base doctrine in the early 20th century, outlining the use of Marines in the seizure of bases and other duties on land to support naval campaigns. Marines would also develop tactics and techniques of
amphibious assault on defended coastlines in time for use in
WWII. Its original mission of providing shipboard security finally ended in the 1990's, when the last Marine security detachments were withdrawn from
U.S. Navy ships.
Capabilities
While the Marine Corps does not contain any unique combat capabilities, as a force it has the unmatched ability to rapidly deploy a combined-arms task force anywhere in the world in a matter of days. The basic structure for all deployed units is a
Marine Air-Ground Task Force(MAGTF) that integrates a ground combat component, an air component, and a combat service support component under a common command element. While the creation of joint commands under the
Goldwater-Nichols Act has improved interservice coordination between the larger services, the Marine Corps' ability to permanently maintain integrated multi-element task forces under a single command provides a smoother implementation of combined warfare principles.
The close integration of different Marine units stems from a organizational culture centered around the infantry. Every other Marine capability exists to support the infantry. Unlike most militaries, the Corps has been immune from visionaries proclaiming the ability of new weapons to win wars independently. For example, Marine Aviation has always been focused on
close air support, and remained largely uninfluenced by airpower theorists who proclaimed that
strategic bombing could singlehandedly win wars.
This focus on the infantry is matched with the notion that "every Marine is a rifleman", emphasizing the infantry combat abilities of every Marine. All enlisted Marines receive training first and foremost as a
rifleman; all officers receive training as infantry platoon commanders.
[ Milks, Keith A. "Ensuring 'Every Marine a Rifleman' is more than just a catch-phrase", 22 MEU, USMC, May 8, 2003.] The value of this culture has been demonstrated many times throughout history. At
Wake Island, when all the Marine aircraft were shot down, their pilots continued the fight as riflemen, leading supply clerks and cooks in a final defensive effort. More recently, in
Operation Iraqi Freedom, where support convoys were regularly ambushed, Marine support personnel were able to defend themselves; in one instance, a Marine
JAG(lawyer) led a counterattack when his convoy was ambushed.
The amphibious assault techniques developed for
WWII have evolved with the addition of
air assault and
maneuver warfare doctrine into the "Operational Maneuver from the Sea" doctrine of power projection from the seas. Marines are credited with the development of
helicopter insertion doctrine, and were the earliest in the American military to adopt
maneuver warfare principles, which emphasize low-level initiative and flexible execution. As a result, a large degree of initiative and autonomy is expected of junior Marines, particularly the
NCOs (
Corporals and
Sergeants) as compared to many other military organizations. The Marine Corps pushes authority and responsibility downward to a greater degree than the other services. Flexibility of execution is implemented via an emphasis on "commander's intent" as a guiding principle for orders - specifying the endstate but leaving open the method of execution.
The Marine Corps relies upon the Navy for sealift to provide its rapid deployment capabilities. In addition to basing a third of the Fleet Marine Force in
Japan,
Marine Expeditionary Unit(MEU)'s, a smaller MAGTF, are typically stationed at sea. This allows them the ability to function as "America's
9-1-1 Force", earning them the moniker "first to fight". Though the U.S. Army now maintains light infantry units capable of rapid worldwide deployment, they cannot match the combined-arms integration of a MAGTF, nor the logistical train that the Navy provides. For this reason, the Marine Corps is often assigned to non-combat missions such as the evacuation of Americans from unstable countries, and humanitarian relief of natural disasters. In larger conflicts, the Marines act as a stopgap, to get into and hold an area until larger units can be mobilized. It performed this role in in
WWI, the
Korean War, and
Operation Desert Storm, where Marines were the first significant combat units deployed from the United States and held the line until the country could mobilize for war.
Origins
The history of American Marines traces back to
Gooch's Marines, the 61st Foot, raised in the American colonies for the
War of Jenkins Ear in 1739. This was an American regiment of the British Army that served alongside
British Marines. Other Marines were raised for the various state navies shortly before the
Revolutionary War.
The United States Marine Corps traces its institutional roots to the
Continental Marines of the
American Revolutionary War, formed by a resolution of the
Continental Congress on
November 10,
1775. This date is celebrated as the birthday of the Marine Corps. At the end of the Revolution in 1783, both the Continental Navy and Marines were disbanded. Though individual Marines were enlisted for the few American naval vessels, the organization would not be re-created until 1798, when in preparation for the Naval War with
France, Congress created the
United States Navy and Marine Corps.
The Marines' most famous action of this period occurred in the
First Barbary War (1801–1805) when
William Eaton and First Lieutenant
Presley O'Bannon led a group of eight Marines and 300
Arab and
European mercenaries in an attempt to capture
Tripoli. Though they only made it as far as
Derna, Tripoli has been immortalized in the
Marines Hymn and the
Mameluke sword carried by Marine officers.
In the
War of 1812, Marine ship detachments took part in the great frigate duels of the war, the first American victories of the war. Their most significant contributions came at the
Battle of Bladensburg and the
defense of New Orleans. At Bladensburg, they held the line after the Army and militia retreated, and although eventually overrun, inflicted heavy casualties on the British and delayed their march to Washington. At New Orleans, the Marines held the center of Gen.
Andrew Jackson's defensive line. By the end of the war Marines acquired a reputation as marksmen, especially in ship to ship actions.
After the war, the Marine Corps fell into an ill state. The third and fourth commandants were court-martialed. However, the appointment of
Archibald Henderson as its fifth commandant in 1820 breathed new life into the Corps. He would go on to be the longest-serving commandant, commonly referred to as the "Grand old man of the Marine Corps". Under his tenure, the Marine Corps took on a number of expeditionary duties in the
Caribbean, the
Gulf of Mexico,
Key West,
West Africa, the
Falkland Islands, and
Sumatra. Commandant Henderson is also credited with thwarting attempts by
President Andrew Jackson to combine the Marine Corps with the
Army. Instead,
Congress passed the
Act for the Better Organization of the Marine Corps in
1834, stipulating that the Corps was part of the
Department of the Navy, as a sister service to the
U.S. Navy. This would be the first of many times that Congress came to the aid of the Marines.
When the
Seminole Wars (1835) broke out, Commandant Henderson volunteered the Marines for service, leading 2 battalions to war - half the strength of the Marine Corps. A decade later, in the
Mexican-American War (1846–1848), the Marines made their famed
assault on Chapultepec Palace, which overlooked
Mexico City. The Marines were placed on guard duty at the Mexican Presidential Palace, "The Halls of Montezuma". In the 1850's, the Marines would further see service in Panama, and in Asia, escorting
Matthew Perry's
East India Squadron on its historic trip to the East.
Despite their stellar service in foreign engagements, the Marine Corps played a minor role during the
Civil War (1861–1865); their most important task was blockade duty. The battalion of recruits formed for the
First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) performed poorly, running away like the rest of the Union forces. On the opposite side of the lines, the Confederate Congress authorized a marine corps of 10 companies, which played little role in the war.
Formative Years
The remainder of the 19th century would be a period of declining strength and introspection about the mission of the Marine Corps. The Navy's transition from sail to steam put into question the need for Marines on naval ships. Meanwhile, the Marines would serve as a convenient resource for interventions and landings to protect American lives and property in foreign countries. Altogether, the Marines were involved in over 28 separate interventions in the 30 years from the end of the civil war to the end of the 19th century, including China, Formosa, Japan, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Mexico, Korea, Panama, Hawaii, Egypt, Haiti, Samoa, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. They would also be called upon to stem political and labor unrest within the United States. Sometime during this period, war correspondent
Richard Harding Davis coined the phrase "The Marines have landed and have the situation well in hand".
Under Commandant
Jacob Zeilin's term, Marine customs and traditions took shape. The Corps adopted the Marine Corps emblem in essentially its modern form on 19 November 1868, borrowing the globe from the Royal Marines, but introducing the fouled anchor and an American bald eagle. In 1869, the Corps adopted a blue-black evening jacket and trousers encrusted with gold braid, that survives today as officer's mess dress. It was also during this time that "The Marines' Hymn" was first heard. Around 1883, the Marines adopted their current motto "
Semper Fidelis".
During the
Spanish-American War (1898), Marines would lead U.S. forces ashore in the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, demonstrating their readiness for deployment. At
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, Marines seized an
advanced naval base that remains in use to this day. Between 1899 and 1916, the Marine Corps continued its record of participation in foreign expeditions, including the
Philippine Insurrection, the
Boxer Rebellion(1899-1901), Panama, the Cuban Pacifications, Veracruz, Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Nicaragua. In 1900's and 1910's, the seizure of advance naval bases entered Marine Corps doctrine, with the formation of the Marine Corps Advanced Base School and the Advance Base Force, the prototype of the Fleet Marine Force.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century, before and after
World War I, the Marines saw action in other places throughout the Caribbean such as
Haiti and
Nicaragua. These actions became known as "
The Banana Wars", and the experiences gained in counter-insurgency and guerrilla operations during this period were consolidated into the
Small Wars Manual.
World War I
In
World War I, battle-tested, veteran Marines served a central role in the U.S. entry into the conflict. Unlike the U.S. and British armies, the Marine Corps had a deep pool of officers and NCO's with battle experience, and experienced a relatively smaller expansion. It is here that Marines fought their celebrated battle at
Belleau Wood, then the largest in the history of the Corps. There, the Marines' reputation in modern history was created. Rallying under the battle cries of "Retreat? Hell, we just got here!" (Captain
Lloyd Williams) and "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" (GySgt.
Dan Daly), the Marines drove German forces from the area. While its previous expeditionary experience had not earned it much acclaim in the Western world, the Marines' fierceness and toughness earned them the respect of the Germans, who rated them of storm-trooper quality. Though Marines and American media reported that Germans had nicked named them "Teufelhunden" or "Devil Dogs", there is no evidence of this in German records. Nevertheless, the name stuck.
[The devil dog legend ]The Marine Corps had entered the war with 511 officers and 13,214 enlisted personnel and, by
November 11,
1918, had reached a strength of 2,400 officers and 70,000 men.
[History of Marine Corps Aviation - World War One, AcePilots.com.]Between the wars, the Marine Corps was headed by Commandant
John A. Lejeune, another well-beloved commandant. Under his leadership, the Marine Corps presciently studied and developed amphibious techniques that would be of great use in
WWII. Many officers, including LtCol
Earl Hancock "Pete Ellis foresaw a pacific war with Japan and took preparations for such a conflict. While stationed in China, then LtCol.
Victor H. Krulak observed Japanese amphibious techniques in 1937. Through 1941, as the prospect of war grew, the Marine Corps pushed urgently for joint amphibious exercises, and acquired amphibious equipment such as the
Higgins boat which would prove of great use in the upcoming conflict.
World War II
In
World War II, the Marines played a central role in the
Pacific War; the Corps expanded from two
brigades to two
corps with six divisions, and five air wings with 132 squadrons. In addition, 20 Defense Battalions were also set up, as well as a Parachute Battalion.
[Marines in World War II Commemorative Series, Marine Corps Historical Center.] . The battles of
Guadalcanal,
Tarawa,
Saipan,
Iwo Jima, and
Okinawa saw fierce fighting between U.S. Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army.
During the battle of Iwo Jima, photographer
Joe Rosenthal took the famous photo
Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima of five Marines and one Navy
corpsman raising the American flag on
Mt. Suribachi.
Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, who had come ashore earlier that day to observe the progress of the troops, said of the flag raising on Iwo Jima, "...the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years." The acts of the Marines during the war added to their already significant popular reputation, and the
USMC War Memorial in
Arlington, Virginia was dedicated in 1954.
By the war's end, the Corps had grown to include six divisions, five air wings and supporting troops totaling about 485,000 Marines. Nearly 87,000 Marines were killed or wounded during WWII and 82 received the
Medal of Honor.
[ Marine Corps History, GlobalSecurity.org.]Despite Secretary Forrestal's prediction, the Corps faced an immediate institutional crisis following the war. Army brass pushing for a strengthened and reorganized defense establishment also attempted to fold the Marine mission and assets into the Navy and Army. Drawing on hastily assembled Congressional support, the Marine Corps rebuffed such efforts to legislatively dismantle the Corps, resulting in statutory protection of the Marine Corps in the
National Security Act of 1947.
Shortly after, in 1952, the Douglas-Manfield Bill afforded the Commandant an equal voice with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on matters relating to the Marines, and established the structure of three divisions and air wings that remains today. This allowed the Corps to permanently maintain a division and air wing in the Far East and participate in various small wars in Southeast Asia - in the Tachen Islands, Taiwan, Laos, Thailand, and South Vietnam.
In Korea
The
Korean War (1950 - 1953) saw the hastily formed
Provisional Marine Brigade holding the line at the
Pusan Perimeter. To execute a flanking maneuver, General
Douglas McArthur called on Marine air and ground forces to make an amphibious landing at the
Inchon. The successful landing resulted in the collapse of North Korean lines and the pursuit of North Korean forces north near the
Yalu River until the entrance of the
People's Republic of China into the war. Chinese troops surrounded, surprised and overwhelmed the overextended and outnumbered American forces. However, unlike the Eighth Army, which retreated in disarray, the 1st Marine Division regrouped and inflicted heavy casualties during their fighting withdrawal to the coast. Now known as the
Battle of Chosin Reservoir, it entered Marine lore as an example of the toughness and resolve of the Marine. Marines would continue a battle of attrition around the 38th Parallel until the 1953 armistice.
The Korean War saw the Marine Corps expand from 75,000 regulars to a force, by the end of the conflict in 1953, of 261,000 Marines, most of whom were Reservists. 30,544 Marines were killed or wounded during the war and 42 were awarded the
Medal of Honor.
[ USMC Fast Facts, History Division, United States Marine Corps. ].
Vietnam War
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Evacuation of Saigon. |
The Marines also played an important role in the
Vietnam War at battles such as
Da Nang,
Hué City, and
Khe Sanh. The Marines operated in the northern I Corps regions of South Vietnam and fought both a constant guerilla war against the
NLF and an off and on conventional war against
NVA regulars. Marines also conducted the less well-known
Combined Action Program that implemented unconventional techniques for counterinsurgency warfare. The Marine presence was withdrawn in 1971, but returned briefly in 1975 to evacuate
Saigon and attempt to rescue the crew of the
Mayagüez.
Returning from Vietnam, the Marine Corps hit one of the lowest points in its history with high rates of courts-martial, non-judicial punishments, unauthorized absences, and outright desertions.The re-making of the Marine Corps began in the late 1970s when policies for discharging inadequate Marines were relaxed leading to the removal of the worst performing ones. Once the quality of new recruits started to improve, the Marines began reforming their NCO corps, an absolutely vital element in the functioning of the Marine Corps.
After Vietnam, Marines resumed their expeditionary role, participating in
Operation Urgent Fury and
Operation Just Cause. On
October 23,
1983, a Marine barracks in
Lebanon was
bombed, causing the highest peacetime losses to the Corps in its history (220 Marines of the
24th MAU were killed) and leading to the American withdrawal from Lebanon. Marines were also responsible for liberating
Kuwait during the
Persian Gulf War (1990–1991).
U.S. Marines participated in combat operations in
Somalia (1992–1995) during Operations
Restore Hope [ "The preannounced landing of U.S. Marines was witnessed by millions of U.S. primetime television viewers", United States Naval Aviation, 1910-1995, U.S. Navy publication. (PDF file, see 1992, December 9, p. 16) ], Restore Hope II, and
United Shield to provide humanitarian relief.
Global War on Terror
Marines of the
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and
26th Marine Expeditionary Unit were the first conventional forces into
Afghanistan in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom in November of 2001. Since then Marine battalions and squadrons have been rotating through, engaging leftover
Taliban and
Al Queda forces and helping to rebuild the war torn country.
Most recently, the Marines have served prominently in
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I MEF along with the Army's
3rd Infantry Division spearheaded the
2003 invasion of Iraq. During the occupation of Iraq, Marines spearheaded both assaults on the city of
Fallujah in
April and
November 2004.
The Marine Corps has a widely held reputation as a fierce and effective fighting force and the Marines take pride in their
gung-ho attitude. They are indoctrinated with a strong belief in their
chain of command and the importance of
esprit de corps, a spirit of enthusiasm and pride in themselves and the Corps. The Marine Corps is popularly seen as possessing a degree of fame and infamy among the enemies they fight, and examples of this effect are readily seized upon and publicized by the Corps and its supporters.
In World War I the Marine Corps distinguished itself on the battlefields of France as the 4th Marine Brigade earned the title of "Devil Dogs" for heroic action at Belleau Wood, Soissons, St. Michiel, Blanc Mont, and in the final Meuse-Argonne offensive (1918).
During the
1991 Gulf War, after Iraqi forces had already been bloodied by the Corps in the first ground engagement of the war at
Khafji, U.S. Army General
Norman Schwarzkopf used a public demonstration of a Marine landing on Kuwait and the Iraqi port of
Umm Qasr to pin down Iraqi units, while the Army then executed a sweep from the West. In December
1992, the preannounced landing of U.S. Marines on the beaches of
Mogadishu was watched on American broadcasting stations on
U.S. primetime.
Most recently, Iraqis in the
Persian Gulf War and
2003 invasion of Iraq were said to have taken special note of Marine Cobra helicopters and the distinctive look of the Marine combat uniform
[ Rogers, Rick. "Safety's in Fashion:Marines may go back to Iraq in high-visibilty uniforms as psychological move toward reducing attacks", Sign on San Diego.com, January 3, 2004. ] [Allison, John. "Force Protection During Urban Operations" ]. The Marines have taken steps to build on this psychological advantage by, for instance, developing a new utility uniform that makes Marines easier to distinguish from other U.S. servicemen. See the
Web site of the Permanent Marine Corps Uniform Board (PMCUB) for illustrations of the various Marine uniforms.
During its post-
World War II history, the Marine Corps' reputation has been damaged several times. The first major event was the
Ribbon Creek Incident on
April 8,
1956, when the junior
Drill Instructor,
Staff Sergeant Matthew McKeon, led his assigned
platoon into a tidal stream on
Parris Island in the purpose of disciplining his platoon, while violating several basic Marine and training regulations. Six recruits died. SSgt McKeon was court-martialed, and, with significant media coverage, an extensive
Congressional investigation took place.
In recent years, following incidents of hazing in various Marine Corps units, such as
2nd ANGLICO and the
Silent Drill Platoon, incidents involving civilians in
Status of Forces Agreement countries or residing near Marine Corps installations and other public relations issues that could cast the Corps into disrepute, increasingly further-reaching measures have been taken to prevent such incidents and protect the public image of the Marine Corps. Standing orders prohibit hazing and initiation rituals of any kind, at least officially. Marines on
Okinawa and at other posts are regularly subject to restrictions and
curfews, particularly following incidents between Marines and civilians. Marines are regularly admonished from the time that they are recruits in
boot camp that their conduct, even while on liberty, leave, or after they are discharged, can and will reflect upon the Corps. Marines today are also discouraged from publicly disparaging other branches of service. These and other measures reflect a realization that the Marine Corps is generally more visible and higher profile than the other branches of service in all that it does, and that it relies upon the goodwill of the American people and Congress to a much greater degree for its survival.
In Iraq, US marines have been implicated in various incidents of misconduct. Twelve members of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division are implicated in the
Haditha killings [NBC News: Miklaszewski, Jim and Mike Viqueira. Lawmaker: Marines killed Iraqis 'in cold blood'. Accessed July 17, 2006: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12838343] [Bowman, Tom. Pentagon Investigates Alleged Massacre in Iraq, All Things Considered, National Public Radio Accessed July 30, 2006 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5418814] of 24 civilians, including women and children, and more are implicated in a subsequent alleged cover-up. Seven marines have been implicated in the
Hamadiya incident.
[ a b Perry, Tony, "Murder Charges Likely for Marines in Iraq Death", Los Angeles Times, 2006-06-02. Retrieved on 2006-06-30. ] [ White, Josh; Sonya Geis, "8 Troops Charged In Death Of Iraqi", The Washington Post, 2006-06-22. Retrieved on 2006-06-30.] [ Sterrett, David; Mark Walker, "Attorney: Suspects threatened with death penalty", North County Times, 2006-06-07. Retrieved on 2006-06-30. ][ "US troops get murder charges in killing civilian", Reuters, 2006-06-21. Retrieved on 2006-06-30.] A group of American security guards in Iraq have alleged they were beaten, stripped and threatened with a snarling dog by US marines when they were detained after an alleged shooting incident outside Falluja in June 2005.
[ Jamie Wilson, The Guardian newspaper,Thursday June 9, 2005 http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1502474,00.html]Marine Forces in Unified Commands
Following the 1991 Gulf War, it was decided that Marine Corps components of the regional unified combatant commands should be established. These are effectively an additional responsibility for the
Fleet Marine Force/
Marine Expeditionary Force commander.There are now Marine Forces Europe, Marine Forces Central Command, and possibly others.
Air-ground task forces
Today, the basic framework for deployable Marine units is the
Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), a flexible structure that can vary in size. A MAGTF is comprised of four elements: the command element (CE), the ground combat element (GCE), the air combat element (ACE) and the combat service support element (CSSE). A MAGTF can operate independently or as part of a larger coalition.
The MAGTF structure reflects a strong tradition in the Corps towards self-sufficiency and a commitment to
combined arms, both essential assets to an expeditionary force often called upon to act independently in discrete, time-sensitive situations. The history of the Marine Corps as well has led to a wariness towards relying too much on its sister services, and towards joint operations in general.
A MAGTF varies in size from the smallest, a
Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), based around a reinforced infantry
battalion and a composite
squadron, up to the largest, a
Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), which ties together a
Division, an
Air Wing, and a
Logistics Group under a MEF Headquarters Group.
There are usually three MEUs assigned to each of the U.S. Navy
Atlantic and
Pacific Fleets, with another MEU based on
Okinawa. While one MEU is on deployment, one MEU is training to deploy and one is standing down, resting its Marines, and refitting. Each MEU is rated as capable of performing special operations.
The three Marine Expeditionary Forces are:
*
1st Marine Expeditionary Force located at
Camp Pendleton,
California*
2nd Marine Expeditionary Force located at
Camp Lejuene,
North Carolina*
3rd Marine Expeditionary Force located at
Camp Courtney,
Okinawa,
JapanGround Combat Elements
The basic organization of Marine Corps infantry units follows the "rule of threes", which places three subordinates under a commander, not counting support elements
[[navsci.berkeley.edu/ns1/PPT/Mission%20USN%20USMC.ppt]]. The organization and weapons are from the Marine Corps
Table of Organization and Equipment standard. Note that these are principles, but according to manpower and mission needs units can deviate from the TOE (e.g. with 4 subordinate units instead of 3, or a commander who is a rank above or below the rank specified). Supporting units will have their own organization and equipment, but generally also follow the "rule of threes"
*A
fire team is the basic element of the GCE. It consists of four Marines: three riflemen and a team leader, typically a
Lance Corporal.
*A
squad is made up of three fire teams, lead by a
Corporal or
Sergeant as squad leader.
*A
rifle platoon consists of three squads, a Navy Corpsman, a Platoon Sergeant, and a Platoon Commander. A weapons platoon will substitute for the squads a 60mm mortar section, an assault section, and a medium machine gun (
M240G) section. It is led by a 2nd or 1st
Lieutenant.
*A
rifle company consists of three rifle platoons, a weapons platoon, and support staff. A weapons company will substitute for the rifle platoons an 81 mm mortar platoon, an anti-armor platoon, and a heavy machine gun platoon. There is also a headquarters and support company, consisting of a headquarters platoon, a communications platoon, a service platoon, and the Battalion Aid Station. It is lead by a
Captain.
*A
battalion consists of three companies, commanded by a
Lieutenant Colonel.
*A
regiment consists of three battalions, lead by a
Colonel*A
division comprises of three regiments commanded by a
Major General.A
brigade, commanded by a brigadier general, is less common in the Marine Corps, but is typically made up of one or more regiments.
Battalions and larger units have a Sergeant Major, and an Executive Officer as second in command, plus officers and others for: Administration (S-1), Intelligence (S-2), Operations (S-3), Logistics (S-4),
Civil Affairs (wartime only) (S-5), and Communications (S-6). Units of battalion size or larger may be reinforced by the addition of supporting
tank or
artillery units, as in the Battalion Landing Teams comprising the GCEs of
Marine Expeditionary Units.
The four Marine divisions are:
*
1st Marine Division at
Camp Pendleton,
California*
2nd Marine Division at
Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina*
3rd Marine Division at
Camp Courtney in
Okinawa,
Japan*
4th Marine Division, a reserve unit headquartered in
New Orleans,
Louisiana, with units scattered throughout the United States.
In
World War II, two more Marine Divisions were formed: the
Fifth and
Sixth, which fought in the
Pacific War. These divisions were disbanded after the end of the war.
Air Combat Elements
The mission of Marine Corps aviation is to provide the MAGTF commander with an Aviation Combat Element (ACE) capable of conducting air operations in support of the seizure and defense of advanced Naval bases, and conducting such land operations as may be directed by the Joint Force commander.
The ACE supports the MAGTF by providing the six functions of Marine aviation:
assault support,
anti-air warfare,
offensive air support,
electronic warfare,
control of aircraft and missiles, and
aerial reconnaissance.
Aviation units are organized into:
*
Squadrons of 6-15 aircraft in 7-8 sections, lead by a
Lieutenant Colonel*
Groups of 4-6 squadrons, lead by a
Colonel*
Wings of 3 or more groups, lead by a
Major GeneralThe four Marine aircraft wings are:
*
1st Marine Aircraft Wing at
Marine Corps Air Station Futenma,
Okinawa, Japan
*
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina
*
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California
*
4th Marine Aircraft Wing, a reserve unit, headquartered in
New Orleans, Louisiana, with units scattered throughout the United States
Combat Service Support Element
The four Marine logistics groups are:
*
1st Marine Logistics Group at
Camp Pendleton,
California*
2nd Marine Logistics Group at
Camp Lejeune,
North Carolina*
3rd Marine Logistics Group at
Camp Kinser,
Okinawa,
Japan*
4th Marine Logistics Group, a reserve unit, headquartered in
New Orleans, Louisiana, with units scattered throughout the United States.
Special Warfare
Although the notion of a Marine special warfare contribution to the
U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCom) was considered as early as the founding of USSOCom in the 1980's, it was resisted by the Marine Corps. Then Commandant
Paul X. Kelley expressed the popular belief that Marines should support Marines, and that the Corps should not fund a special warfare capability that would not support Marine operations.
However, resistance from within the Marine Corps dissipated when Marine leaders watched the Corp's "crown jewels" - the 15th and 26th MEU (Special Operations Capable) (MEU(SOC)s) sit on the sidelines during the early stages of
Operation Enduring Freedom while other special warfare units lead the way.
After a three-year development period, the Marine Corps in 2006 agreed to supply a 2,700 - strong unit,
Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), which would answer directly to USSOCOM.
Commandants
|
Gen Michael W. Hagee, 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps |
The
Commandant of the Marine Corps is the highest-ranking officer of the Marine Corps, though may not be the senior officer in time and grade. He is the symbolic and functional head of the Corps, and holds a position of very high esteem among Marines. The commandant is responsible for keeping the Marine Corps in fighting condition and does not serve as a direct battlefield commander. The commandant is a member of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, and reports to the
Secretary of the Navy.
The current and 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps is General
Michael W. Hagee, who assumed the command in January of 2003. As of October 2005, Marine Generals
Peter Pace (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and
James L. Jones (Commander of the United States European Command;
NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; and a former commandant of the Marine Corps) are senior in time and grade to the commandant.
President Bush has nominated LtGen. James T. Conway to succeed Hagee as the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Conway is currently the JCS Director of Operations (J-3).[
1] [
2]
Rank structure
Marine ranks in descending order, with tables indicating abbreviations in the style used by the Marine Corps, pay grades, and rank insignia:
Commissioned Officers
Commissioned Officers are distinguished from other officers by their
commission, which is the formal written authority, issued in the name of the
President of the United States, that confers the rank and authority of a Marine Officer. Commissioned officers carry the "special trust and confidence" of the President of the United States.
Warrant Officers
Warrant Officers provide leadership and skills in specialized fields and skills. Unlike most other militaries, the American military confers commissions on its Warrant Officers, though they are generally not responsible for leadership outside of their specialty. Warrant officers come primarily from the senior Non-Commissioned Officer ranks.
A Chief Warrant Officer, CWO2-CWO5, serving in the MOS 0306 "Infantry Weapons Officer" carries a special title, "Marine Gunner" (not a rank). A Marine Gunner replaces the Chief Warrant Officer insignia on the LEFT collar with a bursting bomb insignia. Other warrant officers are sometimes informally also referred to as "Gunner" but this usage is not correct.
| Warrant Officer Rank Structure of the United States Marine Corps | | Chief Warrant Officer-5 (CWO-5) | Chief Warrant Officer-4 (CWO-4) | Chief Warrant Officer-3 (CWO-3) | Chief Warrant Officer-2 (CWO-2)!Warrant Officer (WO-1) |
|---|
| W-5 | W-4 | W-3 | W-2!W-1 |
|---|
| | | | |
Enlisted
Enlisted Marines with paygrades of E-4 and E-5 are considered
non-commissioned officers (NCOs) while those at E-6 and higher are considered Staff Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs). The E-8 and E-9 levels each have two ranks per pay grade, each with different responsibilities. Gunnery Sergeants (E-7) indicate on their annual evaluations, called "fitness reports", or "fitreps" for short, their preferred promotional track: Master Sergeant or First Sergeant. The First Sergeant and Sergeant Major ranks are command-oriented, with Marines of these ranks serving as the senior enlisted Marines in a unit, charged to assist the commanding officer in matter of discipline, administration and the morale and welfare of the unit. Master Sergeants and Master Gunnery Sergeants provide technical leadership as occupational specialists in their specific MOS. First Sergeants typically serve as the senior enlisted Marine in a company, battery or other unit at similar echelon, while Sergeants Major serve the same role in battalions, squadrons or larger units.
The
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is a rank conferred on the the senior enlisted Marine of the entire Marine Corps, personally selected by the
Commandant of the Marine Corps.
| Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Rank Structure of the United States Marine Corps | | Sergeant (Sgt) | Corporal (Cpl) |
|---|
| E-5 | E-4 |
|---|
| |
Forms of Address
Marines address all enlisted personnel by rank, and all Commissioned officers with "sir" or "ma'am". Warrant Officers, regardless of rank, are addressed as "Warrant Officer" or "Gunner", although this usage is improper unless the Warrant Officer holds the Military Occupational Specialty of Infantry Weapons Officer (MOS 0306). However, during recruit training, recruits are indoctrinated to address all superiors as "sir". Unlike the Army, ranks containing "Sergeant" are always addressed by their full rank and never shortened to simply "Sergeant"
Informally, some enlisted ranks have commonly used nicknames, though they are not official and technically improper. For instance, a Master Sergeant is commonly called "Top," and a Master Gunnery Sergeant is "Master Guns." A First Sergeant is always referred to by his/her proper rank. A Gunnery Sergeant is typically called "Gunny," and (much less often) "Guns." Likewise, Lance Corporals are often referred to (derisively) as "Lance Coolies", "Lance Coconuts", "Lance Criminals" or some other derivative. They are not usually called by rank due to their status as "non-NCOs", or "non-rates." The rank of Sergeant is never referred to as "Sarge."
Initial training
Every year, approximately 1600 new Marine officers are commissioned, and 38,000 recruits accepted and trained.
Commissioned officers are commissioned mainly through one of three sources:
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC),
Officer Candidate School (OCS) – including the
Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) and
Officer Candidates Class(OCC) – or the
United States Naval Academy (USNA). Following commissioning, all officers, regardless of accession route or further training requirements, attend
The Basic School at
Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, learning to command a rifle platoon. The Basic School, for second lieutenants and warrant officers learning the art of infantry and combined arms warfare, is an example of the Corps' approach to furthering the concept that
"Every Marine is a rifleman." Enlisted Marines attend
boot camp, at either
Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego or
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, just outside Beaufort, South Carolina. Women only attend the Parris Island depot, in the Fourth Recruit Training Battalion, while males who train at Parris Island comprise the First through Third Battalions. The Mississippi River serves as the dividing line which delineates who will be trained where (with some minor exceptions), based on what recruiting district the enlistee was recruited from. Marine recruit training is the longest among the American services;it is 13 weeks long, as compared to the Army's 8 to 9 weeks.
Enlisted Marines then attend
School of Infantry training at
Camp Lejeune or
Camp Pendleton, generally based upon where the Marine received their recruit training. Infantry Marines begin their
Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training immediately with the Infantry Training Battalion (ITB), while all other Marines train with the Marine Combat Training (MCT) Battalion before continuing on to their MOS schools.
In 1997, the Marine Corps changed how it structured the training of female recruits. Prior to the change, female recruits trained at
Parris Island two weeks longer than their male counterparts, but did not train in the MCT program. Afterwards, their training at Parris Island was consistent with male training and Camp Lejeune expanded MCT to encompass female Marines.
Uniforms serve to distinguish Marines from members of other services and Militaries. Marines have the most stable and hence most recognizable uniforms in the American military; the Blue Dress dates back to the early 19th century
and the service uniform to the early 20th century. Marines have three main uniforms: Dress, Service, and Utility.
Dress Uniform
The Marine Corps
Dress uniform is the most elaborate of the
United States armed forces, worn for formal or ceremonial occasions. There are three different forms of the Dress uniform. The most common is the
Blue Dress Uniform. There is also a "Blue-White" Dress for summer, and Evening Dress for formal (white tie) occasions.
|
Enlisted Blue Dress Uniform. From left to right: "B","B","A","D","C" |
The most common dress uniform is the
Blue Dress uniform, often seen in recruiting advertisements. It is often called "Dress Blues" or simply "Blues". It is equivalent in composition and use to
black tie, worn at ceremonial events. The various designations are listed in descending order of formality:
*
Blue Dress "A" has a long-sleeved midnight blue coat with a standing collar, white barracks cover, plain white shirt, sky blue trousers with white web belt or suspenders, white gloves, and black shoes and socks. Large medals are worn on the left chest; ribbons on the right. Marksmanship badges are not worn. Females wear pumps in place of shoes, and may wear a skirt in place of slacks. For males, the dress coat is cut to be formfitting.
*
Blue Dress "B" is the same as "A", but ribbons are moved to the left chest, and medals are replaced with miniature ribbons. Marksmanship badges may be worn.
*
Blue Dress "C" is same as "B" but without the outer blue coat and white gloves. A khaki long sleeve shirt and tie are worn instead. Ribbons and badges are normally worn on the shirt.
*
Blue Dress "D" is same as "C", but with a short sleeve khaki shirt and no tie. The
Mameluke Sword (for officers) or NCO's sword may be worn as prescribed. NCO's, SNCO's, and Officers wear a
blood stripe on their trousers.
Service Uniform
|
Officer Service Uniform. From left to right: "C", Service with all-weather coat, "A", "A", Service with sweater |
The
service uniform is the typical uniform for day to day wear in an office setting and is the most commonly worn. Consisting of olive green and khaki colors, it is commonly referred to as
"greens". It is roughly equivalent in function and composition to a
business suit.The Service uniforms are designated:
*
Service "A" is the base uniform. It consists of a green coat, green trousers with khaki web belt, khaki longsleeve shirt, khaki tie, tie clasp, and black shoes. The coat is cut to be semi-form fitting, with ribbons worn on the left chest of the coat. Females wear a green necktab in place of the tie, pumps instead of shoes, and have the option of wearing a skirt instead of slacks. It is appropriate to remove the jacket while indoors.
*
Service "B" is identical to the "A" except the coat is removed. Ribbons may be worn on the shirt.
*
Service "C" is identical to "B" except with a shortsleeve shirt and no tie.
Marine may wear a soft garrison cap (sometimes nicknamed "piss cutter"), or a hard framed hat, which differs in design between females and males. There is also the option of wearing a crewneck sweater with the "B" and "C" uniforms.
Utility Uniform
The utility uniform is intended for wear in the field or for working parties, can consists of camouflage blouse and trousers, tan suede boots, and green undershirt. It is rendered in
MARPAT digital camouflage that breaks up the wearer's shape, and also serves to distinguish Marine uniforms from those of other services. Previously, Marines wore the same utility uniforms as the Army. There are two approved varieties of MARPAT, woodland (green/brown/black) and desert (tan/brown/grey).
The approved headwear for this uniform is the utility cover, an eight-pointed brimmed hat that is worn "blocked", that is, creased and peaked. In the field, a
boonie cover is also authorized. The trouser legs are "bloused", that is, the cuffs are rolled inside and tightened over their boots with a spring or elastic band known as a boot band or blousing garter. Since the introduction of the
Marine Corps Martial Arts Program(MCMAP), Marines have the option of substituting a color-coded rigger's belt for their web belt, indicating their level of proficiency in MCMAP.
In garrison, the sleeves of the blouse are tightly folded up to the bicep, exposing the lighter inside layer, and forming a neat cuff to present a crisper appearance to the otherwise formless uniform. In the past, when Marines wore the same utilities as the Army and Air Force, this served to distinguish them from the others, who folded the sleeves with the camo facing out.
Unlike the Dress and Service uniforms, utilities are not permitted for wear on liberty (while off-duty). Though exceptions are made for essential commuting tasks, e.g. picking up children from daycare or purchasing gas, the wear of utilities in public is frowned upon.
Specialty Uniforms
There are a number of additional specialty uniforms:
* A plain scarlet uniform worn with blue (winter) or white (summer) trousers for the
United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps ("The Commandant's Own")
* A decorative blue standing collar tunic worn with blue (winter) or white (summer) trousers for the
Marine Band ("The President's Own"), with a very decorative scarlet tunic with gold shoulder knots authroized for the Director and Assistant Director.
* A Physical Training (PT) uniform, consisting of olive green shirt and shorts. Commanders have the discretion of substituting shirts with unit markings. There is also an optional cold weather uniform of green sweatshirt and sweatpants.
* Flight uniforms for pilots and work crews.
Comparison with the Army
Marines are often confused with
U.S. Army soldiers. This was more prevalent when both services wore the same utilities, but with the introduction of digital camouflage (MARPAT for the Marines, ACU for the Army), this is no longer a point of confusion. However, there are several significant differences:
*In garrison, the Marine utility cover is an 8-pointed creased and peaked cover, the army field cover is floppy and resembles the old-style
Pittsburgh Pirates "kepi" hat. As well, soldiers wear black berets, something Marines do not. Unlike the Army, Marines do not wear rank insignia on the cover, instead there is an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor in the middle of the cap.
*While in the field, Marines also wear a "boonie" cover, that matches the camouflage utilities they are wearing.
*Marines now wear predominantly dark green or tan camouflage, while the Army
ACU is a light green/gray uniform intended for all climates.
*The Marine service uniform is an olive green coat with khaki shirt and tie, the Army uniform now being a modified version of the old "Dress Blue" uniform.
*The Marine service uniform contains fewer decorations - only ribbons, marksmanship badges, and breast insignia (e.g. scuba bubble or aviator wings). The Army service uniform contains, in addition, arm patches denoting current and prior unit, and certification badges like the Airborne Tab or Combat Infantryman Badge.
The Marine motto "
Semper Fidelis" means "Always faithful" in Latin. This motto often appears in the shortened form "Semper Fi" It is also the name of the official march of the Corps, composed by
John Phillip Sousa. Another
motto commonly used in recruiting is
The Few. The Proud. The Marines.Colors and insignia
The colors of the Marine Corps are scarlet and gold. They appear on the
flag of the United States Marine Corps, along with the Marine Corps emblem: the eagle, globe, and anchor, with the eagle representing service to the country, the globe representing worldwide service, and the anchor representing naval traditions. The emblem, adopted in its present form in 1868, derives partially from ornaments worn by the Continental Marines and the
British Royal Marines, and is usually topped with a ribbon reading "Semper Fidelis". It is interesting to note that the eagle on the original design for the Marine Corps insignia was not a
bald eagle, but a
crested eagle. It was selected because while bald eagles are found only in
North America crested eagles are found (like Marines) through out the world. The current Marine seal consists of the Marine Corps emblem in bronze but with a bald eagle instead of the crested eagle. The eagle is standing on the western hemisphere and is a holding a scroll with the Marine Corps motto, Semper Fidelis, on it. It is inscribed with gold letters, "Department of the Navy, United States Marine Corps.
 |
A rendition of the emblem on the flag of the U.S. Marine Corps |
Swords
Two styles of swords are worn by Marines. The Marine Corps officer sword is a
Mameluke sword, similar to the Persian
shamshir presented to Lt.
Presley O'Bannon after the
Battle of Derna during the
First Barbary War. After its adoption in 1825 and initial distribution in 1826, Mameluke swords have been worn by Marine officers ever since, except during the period 1859-1875, when they were required to wear the Army's Model 1850 foot officers' sword.
Since 1859, Noncommissioned officers have worn a different style of sword, similar to the U.S. Army's foot officers' sword of the Civil War, making Marine NCOs along with U.S. Cavalry NCOs the only enlisted service members in the U.S. Armed Forces authorized to carry a sword.
Nicknames
|
A recruiting poster makes use of the "Teufelhunden" nickname |
Marines have several generic
nicknames, mildly derogatory when used by outsiders but complimentary when used by Marines themselves. They include "jarhead" (it was said their hats on their uniform made them look like mason jars, or that the regulation "high and tight" haircut gave the appearance of a jar-lid), "gyrene" (perhaps a combination of "
G.I." and "Marine"), "leatherneck", referring to the leather collar that was a part of the Marine uniform during the Revolutionary War period, and "Devil Dog" (German: "Teufelshunde", often misspelled "Teufel Hunden" on posters and in print) after the
Battle of Belleau Wood.
This nicknaming extends to the Corps itself. The acronym 'USMC' is regularly reworked into "Uncle Sam's Misguided Children," or sometimes the "University of Science, Music, and Culture." Similarly, the word "Marines" is jokingly said to be an acronym for "My Ass Rides In Navy Equipment, Sir!" Even Marines themselves have semi-derogatory nicknames for their Corps, with Marines during the Vietnam era labeling it "The Crotch" and Cold War era Marines preferring "The Suck."
In the 1991
Gulf War,
Iraqi soldiers nicknamed the Marines "Angels of Death."
Haitians called Marines participating in relief operations "whitesleeves" because of the way they roll up the sleeves of their
utility uniform, colloquially called "cammies." In
Somalia, they were referred to as "The Devils in black boots," due to their rapid deployment preventing them from acquiring desert boots.
Motivation Cry
A spirited cry, "
Ooh-rah!", is common among Marines, being similar in function and purpose to the Army's "Hooah" cry. "Ooh-rah!" is usually either a reply in the affirmative to a question, an acknowledgment of an order, an expression of enthusiasm (real or false), or a greeting. Usage of the term appears to have begun sometime in the latter half of the 20th century, and there is little agreement or authoritative documentation on where, or why, the practice originated. A large number of apocryphal
stories have arisen regarding the origin of the term, including imitations of
submarine alarm klaxons,
air raid sirens and modifications by english speakers of the word "kill" in languages such as
Turkish and
Russian. Another common theory is that "Oorah!" is based off the British cheer "Hurrah!".
Former Marines
Marines and those familiar with Marine Corps tradition will often object to the use of the term "ex-Marine," Marines are inculcated with the Marine
ethos "Once a Marine, always a Marine." It is sometimes said that the only ex-Marines were
Lee Harvey Oswald and
Charles Joseph Whitman.
Former Marine refers to an individual that completed their service and has received an
honorable or
general discharge from the service. Marines who have retired are commonly called "retired Marines", "Sir/Ma'am" - out of respect, "Marine" - which they still are, or according to the "Commandant's White letters" from Commandant General Gray until present - by their earned rank.
Martial arts program
In 2001, the Marine Corps initiated an internally designed martial arts program, called Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, or MCMAP for short. The idea was borrowed from the South Korean Marines, who train in martial arts and who, during the Vietnam War, were widely rumored to all hold black belts. Due to an expectation that urban and police-type peacekeeping missions would become more common in the 21st century, placing Marines in even closer contact with unarmed civilians, MCMAP was implemented to provide Marines with a larger and more versatile set of less-than-lethal options for controlling hostile, but unarmed individuals. It is also a stated aim of the program to instill and maintain the "warrior culture" within Marines.
The Marine Corps Martial Arts program is an eclectic mix of different styles of martial arts. MCMAP consists of boxing movements, joint locking techniques, opponent weight transfer (
Jujutsu), ground grappling (mostly wrestling), bayonet, knife and baton fighting, noncompliance joint manipulations, and blood restriction chokes.
Marines begin MCMAP training in boot camp. There are 5 levels of MCMAP, signified by the color of a riggers belt. The colors from the lowest to the highest levels; Tan, Grey, Green, Brown, and Black. A minimum level of achievement is set for each rank level, including officers. Recruits and junior officers must earn a tan belt in initial training before being allowed to graduate. After entering the Fleet Marine Forces (FMF), Marines are allowed to progress further in MCMAP. Tan and Grey belts are considered the foundation of the movements in MCMAP, with succeeding belts building on those basic techniques. When a Marine reaches the level of Green belt, he has the opportunity to become an instructor or instructor trainer. This is represented by a tan stripe to the left of the buckle. At the brown belt level, a Marine must be at a minimum an instructor in MCMAP. The highest level in belts is the black belt which has 6 degrees indicated by red stripes to the right of the buckle.
Infantry Weapons
The basic infantry weapon of the Marine Corps is the
M16 assault rifle. Suppression fire is provided by the
M249 SAW and
M240G machine guns at the fireteam, and company levels, respectively. In addition, indirect fire is provided by the
M 203 grenade launcher in fireteams,
M224 60 mm mortar in companies, and
M252 81 mm mortar in battalions. The
M2 .50 Caliber heavy machine gun and
MK19 Automatic Grenade Launcher (40 mm) are available for use by dismounted infantry, though they are more commonly vehicle-mounted. Precision fires are provided by the
M14 designated marksman rifle and
M40A3 Sniper Rifle.
The Marine Corps utilizes a variety of direct-fire rockets and missiles to provide infantry with an offensive and defensive anti-armor capability. The
SMAW and
AT4 Anti-Tank Missile are unguided rockets that can destroy armor and fixed defenses (e.g. bunkers) at ranges up to 500m. The
Predator SRAW,
FGM-148 Javelin,
BGM-71 TOW are guided anti-tank missiles. All three can utilize top-attack profiles to avoid heavy frontal armor. The Predator is a short-range
fire-and-forget weapon; the Javelin and TOW are heavier missiles effective past 2000 meters that give infantry an offensive capability against armor.
Ground vehicles
The Corps operates the same
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) and
M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank as the
U.S. Army. However, for its specific needs, the Corps has a number of unique vehicles. The
LAV 25 is a dedicated wheeled armored personnel carrier used to provide strategic mobility.
[USMC LAV-25 Fact File] Amphibious capability is provided by the
AAV-7A1 Amphibious Assault Vehicle, an armored tractor that doubles as an armored personnel carrier. Somewhat dated, it will shortly replaced by the
Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, a markedly faster tractor that incorporates superior armor and weaponry.
Prior to 2005, Marines operated exclusively tube artillery – the
M198 155mm howitzer, now being replaced by the
M777 155mm howitzer. In 2005, the Corps expanded its artillery composition to include the
High Mobility Artillery rocket system (HIMARS), a truck-mounted rocket artillery system. Both are capable of firing guided munitions.
Aircraft
The organic aviation capability of the Marine Corps is essential to its mission. The Corps operates both rotary and fixed wing aircraft to provide transport and
close air support.
The Marine light helicopter squadron is a composite squadron of
AH-1W Super Cobras and
UH-1N Hueys, as the airframes have over 80% commonality. These provide attack and light transport capabilities. Medium squadrons fly the
CH-46 Sea Knight transport helicopter, and are converting to the
V-22 Osprey, a tiltrotor aircraft with superior range and speed. Heavy lift is provided by the
CH-53E Super Stallion.
Marine attack aviation flies the
AV-8 Harrier II, and the single-seat and dual-seat versions of the
F/A-18 Hornet. The
AV-8 Harrier II is a
VTOL aircraft that can operate from amphibious assault ships. The F/A-18 can only be flown from land or aircraft carriers.
In addition, the Corps has organic
electronic warfare and
aerial refueling assets in the
EA-6B Prowler and
KC-130 Hercules. The Hercules doubles as a tactical transport aircraft. Since the Prowler is the only active tactical electronic warfare aircraft left in the U.S. inventory, it has been labeled a "national asset" and frequently borrowed to assist in any American combat action, not just Marine operations. Marines also operate the
RQ-2 Pioneer UAV for tactical reconnaissance.
Marine Corps bases are concentrated around the location of the
Marine Expeditionary Forces, though reserve units are scattered throughout the United States. The principal bases are
Camp Pendleton on the West coast, home to 1st MEF;
Camp Lejeune on the East Coast, home to 2nd MEF, and
Camp Butler in
Okinawa, Japan, home to 3rd MEF.
Other important bases are the homes to Marine training commands.
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California is the Marine Corps' largest base.
Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia is home to
Marine Corps Combat Development Command. It is considered the "Crossroads of the Marine Corps"
[About MCB Quantico] as most Marines will attend school at Quantico at some point - it is home to initial officer training, and the Marine Corps University, which contains the career schools Staff Non-Commissioned Officers Academy, The Marine Corps War College, School of Advanced Warfighting and Amphibious Warfighting School.
The Marine Corps is a partner service with the
U.S. Navy under the
Department of the Navy. Both the
Chief of Naval Operations(CNO) and
Commandant of the Marine Corps, heads of their respective services, report directly to the
Secretary of the Navy(SECNAV), a civilian who heads the Department of the Navy. As a result, the Navy and Marine Corps have a close relationship, moreso than with other branches of the
United States Military. Recent whitepapers and promotional literature have commonly used the phrase "Navy-Marine Corps Team"
. This relationship stems from the Navy providing transport, logistical, and combat support to put Marine units into the fight where they are needed. Conversely, Marines are responsible for conducting land operations to support Naval campaigns, including the seizure of naval and air bases.
The Marine Corps cooperates with the Navy on many institutional support services. The Corps receives a significant portion of its officers from the
United States Naval Academy and
Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), which are partially staffed by Marines. Marine Corps Drill Instructors contribute to training Naval officers in Office Candidate School. Marine aviators are trained in the Naval Aviation training pipeline, and utilize Naval weapons and test pilot schools. Currently, Navy
aircraft carriers deploy with a Marine
Hornet squadron alongside Navy squadrons. The
Navy's Blue Angels flight team includes at least one Marine pilot and is supported by a Marines
C-130 Hercules aircraft.
Since the Marines do not train
Chaplains or medical personnel, officers and enlisted sailors from the Navy fill these roles. Some of these sailors, particularly
Hospital Corpsmen, generally wear Marine uniforms emblazoned with Navy insignia and markings in order to be noticeably distinct to compatriots but indistinguishable to enemies. The Marines also operate a network security team in conjunction with the Navy. Marine Corps
Medal of Honor recipients wear the Navy variant of the award. Marines also may be awarded the
Navy Cross.
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
Heartbreak Ridge (1985)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Born On The Fourth of July (1989)
A Few Good Men (1992)
Rules of Engagement (2000)
High Crimes (2002)
Windtalkers (2002)
Jarhead (2005)
The Marine (2006)
The Siege of Firebase Gloria (1989)
*
Academy Awards:
**Four Marines have been nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Actor:
***
Lee Marvin (won for
Cat Ballou)
***
Steve McQueen (nominated for
The Sand Pebbles)
***
George C. Scott (won for
Patton but returned the statue)
***
Gene Hackman (won for
The French Connection). Gene Hackman also won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for
Unforgiven.
**Director
Sam Peckinpah was nominated for the
Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay for
The Wild Bunch.
*Lists
**
List of weapons of the U.S. Marine Corps**
List of United States Marine Corps Bases**
List of famous U.S. Marines*
Radio Reconnaissance Platoon*
United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve (USMCWR)*
Commandant's Own Drum and Bugle Corps*
Marine*
General Orders for Sentries*
Five paragraph order*
Rifleman's Creed*
Iron Mike
*
Marine Corps Uniform Regulations, accessed
December 26,
2005*United States Marine Corps,
Report on Marine Corps Duplication of Effort between Army and Navy 17 December 1932. Contains a very detailed account of almost all the actions of the Continental Marines and USMC until 1932. It's available in scanned TIFF format from the archives of the Marine Corps University.
*
USMC Official Web site*
United States Marine Corps History and Museums Division*
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation*
Marine Corps League*
Leatherneck.com — Marine Corps community for USMC Veterans
*
Marines.com — information on U.S. Marine Corps
*
Commandant's Own Drum & Bugle Corps*
History of the Marine Corps Martial Art Program*
Marine Corps Engineer Association*
The official website of the United States Department of Defense*
U.S. Army *
U.S. Navy*
U.S. Air Force*
U.S. Coast Guard
