|
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military.
Originally organized as the Continental Marines in 1775 for ship-to-ship
fighting, shipboard security and to assist in landing forces, by the early 20th
century, the Marine Corps had grown both institutionally and organizationally
into the major advocate for amphibious warfare as well as its key component.
With service in every war in U.S. history including on-going operations in Iraq
and Afghanistan, the Marine Corps has evolved into a 21st century force with a
unique, multi-purpose role in the modern United States military.
Marine Corps is the second smallest of the five branches (Army, Navy, Air Force,
Marine Corps, Coast Guard) of the U.S. military, with 180,000 active and 40,000
reserve Marines as of 2005. Only the United States Coast Guard, part of the
Department of Homeland Security, is smaller. In absolute terms, the U.S. 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.
The Marine Corps serves as a versatile combat element, and is adapted to a wide
variety of combat operations. The Marine Corps was initially composed of
infantry combat forces serving aboard naval vessels, responsible for security of
the ship, its captain and officers, offensive and defensive combat during
boarding actions, by acting as sharpshooters, and carrying out amphibious
assaults. The Marines fully developed and used the tactics of amphibious assault
in World War II, most notably in the Pacific Island Campaign.
Since its creation in 1775, the Corps' role has expanded significantly. The
Marines have a unique mission statement, and, alone among the branches of the
U.S. armed forces, "shall, at any time, be liable to do duty in the forts and
garrisons of the United States, on the seacoast, or any other duty on shore, as
the President, at his discretion, shall direct." Because of this, the Marine
Corps is referred to as "The President's Own." In this special capacity, charged
with carrying out duties given to them directly by the President of the United
States, the Marine Corps serves as an all-purpose, fast-response task force,
capable of quick action in areas requiring emergency intervention.
While the Marine Corps does not necessarily fill unique combat roles, only when
combined do the Army, Navy, and Air Force overlap every area that the Marine
Corps covers. As a force, the Marines consistently use all essential elements of
combat (air, ground, sea) together. 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 special ability to
respond to flexibility and urgency requirements.
The Marine Corps possesses organic ground and air combat elements, and relies
upon the Navy to provide sea combat elements to fulfill its mission as
"America's 9-1-1 Force". Marine combat forces are largely contained in three
Marine Expeditionary Forces, or MEF's. The 1st MEF is based out of Camp
Pendleton, California, the 2nd out of Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, while the
third is based on Okinawa, Japan. Within the MEF's are the individual Marine
Divisions (MARDIVS), Marine Logistics Groups (MLG's) and Marine Aircraft Wings (MAWs).
Force Reconnaissance companies are composed of Marines specially trained in
covert insertion, reconnaissance, and surveillance tactics, and some have even
received special operations training. The "Recon Marines" basic mission is to
scout out the enemy and report what they find.
The Marines also maintain an operational and training culture dedicated to
emphasizing the infantry combat abilities of every Marine. All Marines receive
training first and foremost as basic riflemen, and thus the Marine Corps at
heart functions culturally as an infantry corps. The Marine Corps is famous for
the saying "Every Marine a rifleman." [1]
Marine tactics and doctrine emphasize aggressiveness and the offensive. The
Marines have been central in developing groundbreaking tactics for modern
amphibious assault and maneuver warfare and they can be credited with the
development of helicopter insertion doctrine.
The amphibious assault is the most complex military maneuver in all of warfare.
The doctrines that the U.S. Marines developed for this maneuver are complex in
their details. These doctrines acknowledge the complexity of the maneuver and
they rely on the twin spears of instant obedience to given orders, and
flexibility in execution. The initiative of individuals in taking the fight to
the enemy is valued and exemplified. This initiative displayed by individual
leaders is crucial to the success of any amphibious assault.
The maneuver warfare doctrine upon which the Corps is organized and the nature
of the operations of which the Corps has traditionally been a part causes it to
place a premium on decentralized decision-making and the individual abilities of
leaders at all levels. This is accomplished through the use of commander's
intent as the guiding principle for leaders. Commander's intent specifies the
end state the commander wants achieved and other certain parameters he may lay
out. This allows the lowest possible tactical units to determine how they wish
to execute their mission to fulfill this intent. 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.
The Marines argue that they do not and should not take the place of the other
services, any more than an ambulance takes the place of a hospital. Nonetheless,
when a pressing emergency develops, the Marines essentially act as a stopgap, to
get into and hold an area until the larger machinery can be mobilized. The
opinions of other military men and politicians have, at times, differed, and
President Harry S. Truman considered abolishing the Corps as part of the 1948
reorganization of the military. As Truman said, "The only propaganda machine
that rivals that of Stalin is that of the United States Marine Corps." Truman, a
former U.S. Army artillery captain in World War I, held some resentment of the
Marines for the high degree of praise bestowed upon them after the war, mostly
at the expense of Army units. He also believed that the Army proved that they
could do amphibious landings with the actions in North Africa, Italy and
Normandy, so there was no need for a separate service to fulfill this function.
An example of this coordinated, time-sensitive capability could be seen in 1990,
when the 22nd and 26th Marine Expeditionary Units conducted Operation Sharp
Edge, a noncombatant evacuation operation, or NEO, in the west African city of
Monrovia, Liberia. Liberia suffered from civil war at the time, and civilian
citizens of the United States and other countries could not leave via
conventional means. Sharp Edge ended in success. Only one reconnaissance team
came under fire, with no casualties incurred on either side, and the Marines
evacuated several hundred civilians within hours to U.S. Navy vessels waiting
offshore.
Another example of Marine Corps capabilities may be seen in Operation Desert
Storm during the Gulf War. General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., commander of United
States Central Command, landed in Saudi Arabia to assess what was needed to
prevent forces from Iraq under Saddam Hussein from invading Saudi Arabia. He was
informed that a Marine expeditionary unit was offshore and could be in place for
defensive combat operations within a day. General Schwarzkopf inquired when
significant United States Army tank assets could be made available, and he was
told that deploying these units from the United States would take six months. It
is of note that the ground war started almost six months to the day from the
date of that assessment.
The Marine Corps, originally created as the "Continental Marines" during the
American Revolutionary War, was formed by a resolution of the Continental
Congress on November 10, 1775, and first recruited at Tun Tavern in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Samuel Nicholas. They served as landing troops for
the recently created Continental Navy. The Continental Marines were disbanded at
the end of the war in April 1783 but re-formed on July 11, 1798. Despite the
gap, Marines worldwide celebrate November 10 as the Marine Corps Birthday.
Historically, the United States Marine Corps has achieved fame in several
campaigns, as referenced in the first line of the Marines' Hymn: "From the halls
of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli". In the early 19th century, First
Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon led a group of eight Marines and 300 Arab and
European mercenaries in an attempt to capture Tripoli during America's first
Barbary conflict. Though they only made it as far as Derna, Tripoli has been
immortalized in the hymn. Separately, the Marines took part in the
Mexican-American War (18461848) and assaulted the Castillo de Chapultepec, or
the Chapultepec Palace, which overlooked Mexico City. The Marines were placed on
guard duty at the Mexican Presidential Palace, "The Halls of Montezuma".
After these early 19th-century engagements, the Marine Corps occupied a small
role in American military history. They saw little significant action in the
American Civil War, but later became prominent due to their deployment in small
wars around the world. During the latter half of the 19th century, the Marines
saw action in Korea (1871), Cuba (1899), the Philippines (18991913), and the
Boxer Rebellion (1900) in China. During the years before and after World War I,
the Marines saw action throughout the Caribbean in places 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.
In World War I, the battle-tested, veteran Marines served a central role in the
U.S. entry into the conflict, and at the Battle of Belleau Wood, Marine units
were in the front, earning the Marines a reputation as the "First to Fight".
This battle marked the creation of the Marines' reputation in modern history.
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?"
(then Gunnery Sergeant, later Sergeant Major Dan Daly, two time Medal of Honor
recipient), the Marines drove German forces from the area. American media
coverage stated that captured prisoners and German letters referred to the
Marines in the battle as "Teufelhunde", or "Devil Dogs", a nickname Marines
proudly hold to this day. However, there is no proof to this legend.[2]
The French government renamed Belleau Wood "Bois de la Brigade de Marine", or
"Wood of the Marine Brigade", and decorated both the 5th and 6th Regiments with
the Croix de Guerre. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then Secretary of the Navy,
stated that enlisted Marines would henceforth wear the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
on their uniform collar.
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. [3]
In World War II, the Marines played a central role in the Pacific War, and the
war saw the expansion of the Corps 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. [4] . The battles
of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa saw fierce fighting
between U.S. Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army. The secrecy afforded their
communications by the now-famous Navajo code talkers program is widely seen as
having contributed significantly to their success.
During the battle of Iwo Jima, Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima, a famous
photograph of five Marines and one Navy corpsman raising the American flag on
Mt. Suribachi, was taken. 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 wars 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.
The Korean War saw the hastily formed Provisional Marine Brigade holding the
line at the Pusan Perimeter, then landing at Inchon and assaulting north into
North Korea along with the Army. As U.S. forces approached the Yalu River, the
People's Republic of China, fearing an incursion by American forces, sent armies
over the river to engage American forces within Korea.
At the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, the 1st Marine Division, vastly outnumbered
but vastly better equipped and trained, fought Chinese forces in the winter of
1950. Although surrounded, the Marines regrouped, assaulted the Chinese, and
inflicted heavy casualties during their fighting withdrawal to the coast.
Following the Chosin Reservoir campaign the Marines continued to slug it out
with Chinese and North Korean forces until the armistice was signed in 1953.
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. [6].
The Marines also played an important role in the Vietnam War at battles such as
Da Nang, Hué City, and Khe Sanh. On March 8, 1965, 3,500 Marines were the first
American combat troops deployed to Vietnam. 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. Marine forces
were the last to leave Vietnam during the evacuation of the American embassy in
Saigon on April 30, 1975. Marines were also involved in the May 15, 1975 attempt
to rescue US merchant marine crewmen in the Mayagüez incident off the coast of
Cambodia.
After Vietnam, Marines served in a number of important events and places. While
enroute to Lebanon, in October of 1983, the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit was
diverted to the Caribbean island of Grenada where they invaded the island nation
alongside Army forces. 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 served in Panama prior to and during Operation Just Cause.
Marines were also responsible for liberating Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War,
as the Army made an attack to the west directly into Iraq.
U.S. Marines participated in combat operations in Somalia (19921995) during
Operations Restore Hope [7], Restore Hope II, and United Shield. While Operation
Restore Hope was designated as a humanitarian relief effort, Marine ground
forces frequently engaged Somali militiamen in combat. Elements of Battalion
Landing Team 2/9 (2nd Battalion, 9th Marines) with 15th MEU were among the first
troops of the United Nations effort to land in Somalia in December, 1992, while
Marines of 3rd Battalion 1st Marines participated in the final withdrawal of
United Nations troops from Somalia in 1995.
In 1995, Marines performed a successful mission in Bosnia, rescuing Captain
Scott O'Grady, a downed Air Force fighter pilot, in what is called a TRAP
(Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel).
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 flying
squadrons have been rotating through on seven month tours engaging leftover
Taliban and Al Queda forces and also helping to rebuild the war torn country.
Most recently, the Marines served prominently in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and
the subsequent occupation, where a light, mobile force was and is especially
needed. Perhaps most notably, the 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. 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 [8] [9]. 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.
In many conflicts, members of the other armed forces of the United States have
complained that the Marine Corps often emphasizes its prowess at the expense of
the reputation of Army or Navy units which are nearby.[citation needed]
Additionally, the aggressive tradition of the Marine Corps, and the public
perception of the Corps' as both an aggressive organization and an elite force
within the U.S. military, has at times led to public relations issues
surrounding accusations of bullying, harassment, and hazing since WWII.
In 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.
The Marine Corps organization is flexible, and task forces can be formed of any
size. Modern deployable Marine units are based upon the doctrine of the Marine
Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). A MAGTF can generally be of any of three sizes,
based upon the amount of force required in the given situation; however, all
MAGTFs have a similar organization. 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 command element is a headquarters unit that directs the other elements. The
ground combat element usually comprises infantry, supported by armor (tanks),
and artillery, but may also include special units such as scouts or Force
Reconnaissance, snipers, and forward air controllers. An air combat element
contributes the air power to the MAGTF. The ACE includes all aircraft (both
fixed wing and helicopters), their pilots and maintenance personnel, and those
units necessary for aviation command and control. Finally, combat service
support elements include all of the support units for the MAGTF: communications,
combat engineers, motor transport, medical, supply units, and certain
specialized groups such as air delivery and landing support teams.
The smallest type of MAGTF is the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (Special
Operations Capable) (SOC). The command element is the standing headquarters for
the MEU, usually headed by a colonel. The ground combat element is a battalion
landing team (BLT), which is composed of an infantry battalion reinforced with
tanks, artillery, engineers, amphibious vehicles, light armored vehicles, and
other ground combat assets. The air combat element is composed of a composite
squadron of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft and an ATC and command and control
detachment. The combat service support element consists of a Combat Logistics
Battalion (CLB) which handles the logistics and administration needs of the MEU.
The specific makeup of the MEU can be customized based upon the task at hand;
additional artillery, armor, or air units can be attached, including squadrons
of F/A-18 Hornet and Harrier jets.
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.
A Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) is larger than a MEU, and is based upon a
Marine regiment, with larger air and support contingents.
A Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), is comprised of a MEF Headquarters Group,
Marine division, Marine Air Wing and Marine Logistics Group. Two notable
deployments of an entire MEF were when I Marine Expeditionary Force deployed in
support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I MEF ultimately consisted
of the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions as well as considerable Marine air and
support units. I MEF also deployed to Kuwait beginning in 2002 and took part in
the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
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
There is a typical organization for Marine Corps infantry units, from smallest
to largest. The organization and weapons are from the Marine Corps Table of
Organization and Equipment standard. Any Marine Corps unit might be organized
differently under their own SOP and specialized units, such as Force
Reconnaissance, could certainly carry different weapons: The basic element of a
GCE is the fire team. It consists of four Marines: a team leader (M16A4 with
M203 attachment), an automatic rifleman (M249), an assistant automatic
rifleman(M16A4), and a rifleman (M16A4).
A squad is made up of three fire teams and a corporal or sergeant as squad
leader. Generally, there are two kinds of platoons, the next-level element: A
rifle platoon consists of three squads, a Navy corpsman, a platoon sergeant
(staff sergeant), and a lieutenant as platoon commander. However, a weapons
platoon will see its structure in a 60mm mortar section, an assault section, a
medium machine gun section (using M240G 7.62mm machine guns), a Navy corpsman, a
platoon sergeant (gunnery sergeant), and a lieutenant as platoon commander A
companys structure may also not be unitary, since a rifle company has three
rifle platoons, a weapons platoon, a Navy corpsman, an administrative clerk, a
police sergeant (corporal or sergeant), a training NCO, a company gunnery
sergeant, first sergeant, a first lieutenant as executive officer, and captain
as commander, whereas a weapons company: an 81mm mortar platoon, an anti-armor
platoon, and a heavy machine gun platoon.
The following part depicts the structure of a headquarters and support company:
A battalion consists of three or four companies, commanded by a lieutenant
colonel. A colonel will command a regiment, usually made up of three or four
battalions. A brigade, commanded by a brigadier general, is less common in the
Marine Corps, but typically made up of one or more regiments Finally, a division
comprises of three or four regiments, officers and others, commanded by a major
general. 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.
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.
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. During WWII, Marines at times viewed the support which
they received from the Navy during the Pacific island battles as insufficient.
During most of the Korean War, the Corps was forced to fight as "leg infantry"
under Army command, and their unique potential advantage as an amphibious force
operating in a peninsular country was ignored.
Historically, the Corps has viewed itself as being particularly vulnerable to
the old tendencies toward inter-service rivalries and competition for resources,
an issue that relates to the sensitivity of the Corps' reputation as described
above. This is not entirely without justification, as efforts to divert
resources or missions from the Corps towards other services have at times met
with success. In recent years, this tendency has relaxed somewhat as the Corps
has come to cooperate more and more closely with the other service branches
under the Joint Command Structure. The current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, General Peter Pace, is a Marine. In October 2005, the establishment of
Marine Special Operations Command within the joint U.S. Special Operations
Command (SOCOM) was announced, a move which the Corps eschewed when SOCOM was
founded in 1986.
Rank structure
The following table provide the rank structure of the Marine Corps, in
descending order. It includes abbreviations in the style used by the Marine
Corps, pay grades, and rank insignia:
The Commandant of the Marine Corps functions as 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, but not to the Chief of Naval Operations.
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.
Marines are often confused with Soldiers, who are members of United States Army.
Both have significant differences in appearance: Marines do not wear berets,
they wear boots only with their utility uniform and reflecting their naval
heritage, Marines do not salute indoors, in the field, or when they are not
wearing a "cover" (hat). The Marine service uniform, roughly equivalent to
business attire, has a long- or short-sleeve button-up khaki shirt, and
olive-green trousers. The long-sleeved version is worn with a double Windsor
knotted necktie. The equivalent Army uniform has a light-green shirt with
forest-green trousers. Enlisted Marines wear their rank insignia on the sleeve
of the service shirt, but Army privates and specialists wear their rank on the
collar, and NCOs wear theirs on shoulder epaulets. Marine officers wear rank
insignia on the collar, whereas Army officers wear their rank insignia in a
similar manner as that of NCOs. The Marine class "A" service coat is olive green
(as opposed to forest green for the Army) and has a waist-belt, formerly a
Garrison belt for enlisted Marines and the Sam Browne belt for officers. The
Marine service uniform is worn with either a barracks (service) cover, which has
a bill and a round top, or a garrison cover, which comes to a peak. Marines are
less generous with awards and unit identification; the rationale behind this
being that as a member of an elite force, it is enough to be identified simply
as a Marine. For example, with the exception of breast insignia denoting a few
specialized qualifications such as airborne (parachute), pilot or scuba/rebreather
qualification, and small red patches sewn on the utility trouser legs and covers
of Landing Support Marines, Marines do not normally wear any insignia or device
on their utility uniforms denoting their unit, MOS (military occupational
specialty), or training.
Traditionally, Marine officers eschew the wearing of rank insignia in combat, on
the theory that it simply makes them targets (as in Vietnam) and do not allow
saluting in these situations. Enlisted Marines are supposed to know who their
leaders are, regardless of whether they are wearing rank insignia. This attitude
supports the conduct of amphibious operations, the most complex of all military
maneuvers. During such a maneuver, units are typically scattered and without a
traditional command structure. Leaders are anyone who takes the initiative to
lead, an attribute that is stressed throughout Marine Corps training and
doctrine.
Differences in the utility uniform between U.S. Army soldiers and Marines tend
to be very subtle. These differences include: The cover (hat) of the utility
uniform is constructed differently, Marine covers have eight sides and corners,
and are generally worn "blocked"-- creased and peaked, while the headgear of
soldiers is left in its "natural" state. Marines wear cotton olive green-colored
"skivvie" undershirts with their utility uniform, even in the desert (though
brown "skivvie" shirts are now becoming more common due to the lengthy
deployment in Iraq). Soldiers wear brown undershirts with BDUs/DCUs and pale
undershirts with the ACU. Soldiers roll up the sleeves of their utility uniform
so the camouflage is facing out. Marines tightly fold their sleeves so that the
lighter-colored underside faces out (known as "white-side out").
Marines "blouse" their boots. That is, they roll the cuffs of their trousers
back inside and tighten them over the boots with an elasitc cord or spring known
as a boot band. Soldiers either blouse their boots or tuck their trousers
directly into their boots. The blousing of boots tends to be an issue of
military distinction, since some U.S. Army units, particularly Airborne forces,
blouse their boots even when wearing dress uniforms. Marines do not wear any
rank insignia or other device on the utility cover. The front of the utility
cover has instead the Marine Corps Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem, and since
the introduction of the MARPAT pattern, this insignia has been embroidered
directly on the front--not ironed on as on previous covers.
On their utility uniforms, Marine officers typically wear their rank insignia on
both collars, while Army officers, since the introduction of the new Army Combat
Uniform, wear their rank insignia on a flap located on the front of the ACU
shirt. In garrison, Marine officers typically wear collar insignia made of shiny
metal, as opposed to the "subdued" stitched-on insignia worn by Army officers.
In combat, however, Marine Officers typically choose to wear subdued versions of
the collar insignia, in order to not draw unnecessary enemy attention on the
battlefield. Marines wear a colored belt, often referred to as a "rigger's
belt", that is color coded to represent their specific qualification under the
Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. Marines used to wear black combat boots with
the utility uniform, as do the Army and Air Force. But in 2002, light-brown
"rough-side out" leather combat boots were introduced along with a new type of
camouflage, the "MARPAT" uniform. (See photo.) Effective 1 October 2004, black
combat boots were declared obsolete and no longer authorized for general wear by
Marines. Exception is made for black safety boots worn for certain tasks, such
as parachuting.
As of 1 October 2006, the old-style camouflage utility uniform, also worn by the
Army and Air Force, will be declared obsolete. The only utility uniform
authorized for Marines will be the woodland and desert MARPAT (Marine Pattern)
uniform. As of 2004, both the Army and the Air Force have announced plans to
replace their old-style "pickle suit" camouflage utility uniforms with newer ACU
and ABU designs similar to the Marine Corps pixelated "MARPAT" pattern. The
Navy, in 2006, adopted a uniform identical to the Marines, except that the
cammoflague is worn only onboard ships or shore detachments where service
uniforms are not appropriate, and have no tactical purpose.
Mess Dress is a formal set of attire specifically set aside for wear to
banquets, balls, and functions of state. While mainly worn by staff NCOs and
officers (required for general and field-grade officers and optional for
company-grade and warrant officers), a few junior enlisted personnel can have
need of it such as embassy Marines. Currently, Marines wear the blue Mess Dress,
and its more formal Evening Dress attire year round--a white version being
eliminated in 1992. Officer's Evening/Mess Dress consists of a hip-length
"shell" jacket, in which the collar is closed at the top, with the front of the
jacket left open, worn with high-waisted trousers with a gold and red stripe
down each leg. A white vest is worn by all officer ranks for Evening Dress,
while for Mess Dress, the uniform is worn with a scarlet vest by general
officers and with a cummerbund for all other officers. The SNCO version consists
of a regular hip-length mess jacket, identical to those worn by Army personnel,
with oversized rank insignia worn on both sleeves. High-waisted trousers
identical to those worn with Dress Blues (see below) are worn, with the white
vest or scarlet cummerbund being worn for Evening or Mess Dress occasions
respectively.
Marine's Dress uniform is the most elaborate of the United States armed forces.
The most formal of a Marine's uniforms, it is often referred to as "Dress
Blues", due to its color (as distinguished from the green and khaki service
uniforms), it can be worn in many forms.
Dress Blue "A" has a long sleeve choker-collar midnight blue (black) outer
blouse, white barracks cover, with all medals and ribbons. A Mameluke Sword or
NCO sword may be worn by officers, SNCOs and NCOs as authorized.
Dress Blue "B" is the same as "A", but ribbons are worn instead of medals, and
badges, whilst these are optional.
Dress Blue "C" is same as "B" but without the outer blue coat, a khaki long
sleeve shirt and tie instead. Ribbons and badges are normally worn on the shirt.
Dress Blue "D" is same as "C", but with short sleeve khaki shirt and no tie.
All the blues have the same trousers, cover and shoes, although the shoes do not
have to be of one brand they do have to be uniform. General officers will wear a
two-inch wide scarlet "blood stripe" down the outer seam of each leg of blue
dress trousers/slacks, field and company grade officers will wear a 1 1/2-inch
wide scarlet stripe down the outer seam of each leg of blue dress
trousers/slacks, and SNCO's and NCO's will wear a 1 1/8-inch wide scarlet stripe
down the outer seam of each leg of blue dress trousers/slacks. Like the U.S.
Army, General officers wear dark blue trousers in the same color as the coat,
while lower ranking officers, SNCO's and NCO's wear medium (sky) blue trousers.
Prior to 1998, certain ceremonial Marine units, such as the Silent Drill
Platoon, wore a blue/white dress uniform, in which white trousers for blue while
performing ceremonial functions. This uniform is now authorized as the summer
dress uniform for officers and SNCO's, unless they are in formation with NCO's
and enlisted personnel, except for ceremonial units. Another uniform, the Dress
White uniform, was an officers-only uniform that resembled the Navy's Officer/CPO
dress whites, except that the coat had shoulder epaulets for the wearing of
rank, and Marine insignia was worn. This uniform was superseded by the
Blue/White Dress uniform in 2000.
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. 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.
Two styles of swords are worn by Marines. The Marine Corps officer sword is a
Mameluke sword, similar to the sword presented to Lt. Presley O'Bannon after the
capture of Derne during the First Barbary War. Noncommissioned officers carry a
different style of sword, similar in style to a Civil War-era U.S. Army infantry
officer's sword, making them the only enlisted service members in the U.S. Armed
Forces authorized to carry a sword along with the U.S. Army's cavalry NCOs.
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: Teufelshund) 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," and 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".
Another so-called term of endearment for Marines was "blackboots". This was due
to supply shortages, leaving tan, desert boots unavailable to most Marine units.
Haitians called Marines participating in relief operations "whitesleeves"
because of the way they roll up the sleeves of their utility uniform, called "cammies"
colloquially. In Somalia, they were referred to as "The Devils in black boots",
due to their rapid deployment preventing them from acquiring desert boots.
A spirited cry, "Oorah!", is common among Marines, being similar in function and
purpose to the Army's "Hooah" cry, but is probably more commonly used among
Marines than "Hooah" would be in the Army. "Oorah!" 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. It was alleged by James Webb, a
highly decorated Marine officer and former Secretary of the Navy, in his novel
Something to Die For, that the term arose as a bastardization of the Turkish
word for "kill", most likely picked up by Marines from Turks during their
involvement in the Korean Conflict. (disputed see talk page)
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," vice "former".
Marines are inculcated with the Marine ethos and one of several mottos, "Once a
Marine, always a Marine". While it remains the smallest military service, it has
a large number of former members. Marines don't generally say "Once a Marine,
always a Marine" but usually phrase it as "No such thing as a former Marine."
Often Marines will call themselves "prior service" Marines, reflecting this same
attitude.
Marines acknowledge individuals that served, but have generally referred to
those who have brought dishonor upon themselves, as ex-Marines because they are
no longer deserving of the title Marine. This is not an official Marine Corps,
or veteran's, policy, but it can be found by looking at numerous instances in
the past. The list includes Lee Harvey Oswald and Charles Whitman, but also is a
reference to anyone whose military service was questionable (i.e., did not
receive an honorable or general discharge), or subsequently demonstrated poor
citizenship. [citation needed]
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, solely for freshly commissioned second lieutenants
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 the 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
11 1/2 to 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 attended boot camp. 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.
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 will 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.
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. The minimum level is
a Tan belt, which recruits and junior officers must earn 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 ontop of 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.
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.
|
