United States Marine Corps

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.

Mission

Flag of the U.S. Marine Corps

The Marine Corps serves as an amphibious force in readiness. Today, it has three primary areas of responsibilities, as outlined in 10 U.S.C. § 5063, 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. 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's 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.

History

Main article: History of the United States Marine Corps

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.

Storming of Chapultapec

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 officers'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".

Marines in Nicaragua, 1932

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

Painting of the Battle of Belleau Wood (1918)

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 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.

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 forsaw 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. . The battles of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa saw fierce fighting between U.S. Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army.

(Joe Rosenthal / ©Associated Press)
U.S. Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raise the American Flag on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945

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.

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

Landing at Inchon

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 withdrawl 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. .

Vietnam War

Dong Ha, Vietnam. Operation Hastings - Marines on parol. 07/1966

File:Vietnamescape.jpg

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 , Restore Hope II, and United Shield to provide humanitarian relief.

Global War on Terror

File:USMC Irak.Nov.2004.jpg

Fighting in the city of Fallujah, Iraq during Operation Phantom Fury, November 2004

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.

Reputation of the Marine Corps

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 . 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 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 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.

Organization

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

Main article: Marine Air-Ground Task Force

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, Japan

Ground Combat Elements

See also: List of United States Marine Corps battalions

The basic organization of Marine Corps infantry units follows the "rule of threes", which places three subordinates under a commander, not counting support elements. 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 platioon, 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

See also: List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons

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.

Typical aviation units are squadrons, groups and wings.

The 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.

Personnel

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.

Commissioned Officer Rank Structure of the United States Marine Corps
Generals
General (Gen.)	Lieutenant General (Lt. Gen.)	Major General (Maj. Gen.)	Brigadier General (Brig. Gen.)
O-10	O-9	O-8	O-7
File:General insignia.png	File:Lieutenant General insignia.png	File:Major General insignia.png	File:Brigadier General insignia.png

Field-grade Officers
Colonel (Col.)	Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col)	Major (Maj.)
O-6	O-5	O-4
		File:USMC MAJOR.jpg
Company-grade Officers
Captain (Capt.)	First Lieutenant (1st Lt.)	Second Lieutenant (2nd Lt.)
O-3	O-2	O-1
File:USMC CAPTAIN.jpg

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
File:USMC WO5.gif

Enlisted

All enlisted Marines with paygrades of E-4 and higher are considered non-commissioned officers (NCOs) while those at E-7 and higher are considered Senior 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.

Staff Noncommissioned Officer (SNCO) Rank Structure of the United States Marine Corps
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SgtMajMC)	Sergeant Major (SgtMaj)	Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt)	First Sergeant (1stSgt)	Master Sergeant (MSgt)	Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt)	Staff Sergeant (SSgt)
E-9	E-9	E-9	E-8	E-8	E-7	E-6
File:Marine Corp Sergeant Major of the Marine Corp.JPG	File:Marine Corp Sergeant Major.JPG	File:Marine Corp Master Gunnery Sergeant.JPG	File:Marine Corp 1stSgt.jpg	File:Marine Corp MSgt.JPG	File:Marine Corp GySgt.JPG	File:Marine Corp SSGT.JPG

Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Rank Structure of the United States Marine Corps
Sergeant (Sgt)	Corporal (Cpl)
E-5	E-4
File:Marine Corp SGT.JPG	File:Marine Corp CPL.JPG

Enlisted Rank Structure of the United States Marine Corps
Lance Corporal (LCpl)	Private First Class (PFC)	Private (Pvt)
E-3	E-2	E-1
File:Marine Corp LCpl.JPG	File:Marine Corp PFC.JPG	no insignia

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. 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 shortenened 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

Training for commissioned officers occurs through NROTC, the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps; OCS, Officer Candidate School, including the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC), or the United States Naval Academy. After that, all officers spend their first six months, regardless of accession route or further training requirements, at The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. 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 of the other branches of the military with the length of 13 weeks of training 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 and Appearance

Main article: Uniforms of the United States Marine Corps

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

File:PlateI Officer Service Uniform.jpg

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

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MARPAT Utility Uniform

The utility uniform is intended for wear in the field or for working parties. 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. It consists of MARPAT blouse and trousers, green undershirt, and tan suede boots. There are two approved varieties of MARPAT, woodland (green/brown/black) and desert (tan/brown/grey).

The approved headwear 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 tighly folded up to the bicep, exposing the whiter inside layer. 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

Band 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 camoflauge 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.

Culture

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

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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 til present - by their earned rank.

Martial arts program

Main article: Marine Corps 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.

Equipment

Main page: Category:United States Marine Corps equipment

Infantry Weapons

Main article: List of weapons of the U.S. Marine Corps

File:Usmc kabul DMR sighting.jpg

Marine sniper using the M14 designated marksman rifle

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

AAV-7A1 outside of Fallujah, Iraq in 2005

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. 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

MV-22 Osprey

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 bases and stations

Main article: List of United States Marine Corps bases

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" 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.

Relationship with the U.S. Navy

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. Curently, 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.

Films

Main article: List of films featuring United States Marines

• 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)

Famous Marines

Main article: List of famous U.S. Marines

• 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.

See also

The "Commandant's Own" Drum and Bugle Corps

• 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

References

• 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.

External links

• 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

Other military links

• The official website of the United States Department of Defense
• U.S. Army
• U.S. Navy
• U.S. Air Force
• U.S. Coast Guard