The Mission of the Marines Corp
The Marines fight on land, sea and in the air as they provide forward deployed forces in times of crisis. They provide support on naval ships and for ground operations. Marines are trained to overcome any obstacle with ingenuity and to engage and defeat the enemy.
History of the Marines Corp
The history of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) begins with the founding of the Continental Marines on 10 November 1775 to conduct ship-to-ship fighting, provide shipboard security and discipline enforcement, and assist in landing forces. The continental Marines were disbanded along with the Navy at the end of the Revolutionary War. In preparation for the Quasi War (undeclared) with France (1798-1800), Congress created the US Marine Corps. During the First Barbary War (1801-1805), the earliest glory for the Marines came when they fought the Barbary pirates. During WWII, the most famous photo of 5 Marines and one naval corpsman was taken as they stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima, raising the American flag on Mt. Suribachi. The Marine Corps remains the outstanding amphibious part of the American military arsenal.
Motto: Semper Fidelis.
Mascot: English Bull Dog
Marines conduct operations from a naval ship at sea and on the shore. They implement their mission using infantry, artillery, aerial and special forces operations.
Besides the very important tactical mission of the Marines, they have several other operations. The Marine Band, named the President’s Own by Thomas Jefferson, provides music for official state functions at the White House. Marines guard Camp David, provide helicopter transportation for the President and Vice President and guard U.S. embassies at over 140 posts worldwide.
Written in the 1930’s, the Marine Corps has several small manuals that fixed official doctrine. They are the Small Wars Manual establishing counter-insurgency operations from Vietnam through Afghanistan and the Tentative Landing Operations Manual that fixed the doctrine for amphibious operations that was used during World War II. The doctrine for power projection was written in 2006; it is called Operational Maneuver from the Sea.
Notables: LTG Chesty Puller, Sgt Maj Daniel Daly, MG Smedley Butler, Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, Col John Glenn, Sgt Maj Gilbert “Hashtag” Johnson