The United States Marine Corps (from English meaning Marine Corps of the United States), also abbreviated as US Marine Corps or by the initials USMC, is one of the five branches of the armed forces of the United States. It is mainly the naval infantry of this country but the corps also has its airmen and sailors.
Although administratively dependent on the Department of the Navy, it does not depend on the US Navy. It was set up on July 11, 1798 by an act of the Congress of the United States of America, although two battalions of Marines, as troops of embarked infantry, were constituted as early as November 10, 1775 under the name of Continental Marines during the American Revolution.
The Marine Corps is the only branch of the United States Armed Forces protected by law. After many discussions and attempts by the US Army to integrate it into its ranks between the Second World War and the Korean War, its size and composition were set out in stop 416 of a program law of the 82nd Congress in 1952. This law stipulates that no President of the United States or Secretary of Defense can disband the Marine Corps or reduce it to a symbolic force. The USMC must consist of a minimum of ground units equivalent to the strength of three divisions and three Marine Air Wings.
Nicknamed the "leathernecks", the Marines have been engaged since their creation in more than three hundred theaters of operations.
They have their own air force, infantry, armored regiments and logistics. They sometimes rely on the US Navy for their operations via the landing craft of the Gator Navy (US amphibious force).
Their role in the American military system is to act very quickly as part of an autonomous expeditionary force without waiting for the heavy means of the US Army.
The marines have their own combat or ceremonial uniforms, distinct from other corps, which gives them a special place among the other armed forces of the nation.
They form the honor guard of the President of the United States and guard the embassies. The Marine Barrack in Washington is home to the Marine Band, honorary orchestra of the Marine Corps and the President of the United States. They often appear in the media as well as in movies. They also provide, via Marine Helicopter Squadron One, all helicopter trips for the President (Marine One), the Vice-President and members of the Presidential Cabinet.
The marines are one of the most representative symbols of the military power of the United States.
Their motto is Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful), the name of their official march, often shortened to "Semper Fi".
Their anthem is the song of the Marines.
Their mascot is a bulldog named Chesty, an adoption that dates back to the 1st World War when, in Bois-Belleau, the Germans baptized the marines teufel hunds (devil's dogs). Another symbol, the hat of the Corps instructors (drill instructor):the smokey bear, named after the cartoon character (the smokey bear).
Their war cry is Gung Ho (Chinese:"working together") borrowed from Chinese during World War II.
Like any large military unit, the corps has its rituals and codes of conduct
Achievements
* War of Independence, 1775-1783
* Naval War with France, 1798-1800
* United States of America War against Tripoli, 1801-1805
* Second War of Independence, 1812
* Battle of Twelve Mile Swamp (Florida), September 11, 1812
* Battle of Quallah Batto (Sumatra), February 6, 1832
* Florida Indian War, 1835-1842
* Mexican-American War, 1846-1847
* Battle of Shanghai (China), April 4, 1854
* Battle of Ty-Ho Bay (China), August 4, 1855
* Battle against the Indians near Seattle, January 26, 1856
* Battle of the Barrier Forts (China), 16-22 November 1856
* Battle of Waya (Fiji Islands), October 6, 1858
* Capture of John Brown (Harper's Ferry), October 18, 1859
* Civil War, 1861-1865
*USS Wyoming vs. three Japanese ships (?) and shore batteries, 16 July 1863
* Battle of the Salt River Forts (Korea), June 10-11, 1871
* Spanish-American War, April 21-August 13, 1898
* Philippine Uprising, June 30, 1898 - July 4, 1902
* Battle of Tagalii (Samoa Islands), April 1, 1899
* China Relief Expedition (Boxer Rebellion), June - August 1900
* Campaign in Nicaragua, 1912
* Capture of Veracruz (Mexico), April 21-22, 1914
* Occupation of the Dominican Republic, May 5, 1916 – September 17, 1924
* Occupation of Haiti, July 28, 1915-August 31, 1934
* First World War, April 6, 1917 - November 11, 1918
* Occupation of Nicaragua, January 6, 1927-January 3, 1933
* World War II, December 7, 1941 - August 15, 1945
* Korean War (Under United Nations Mandate), June 27, 1950-July 27, 1953
* 1958 Crisis in Lebanon, July 15-September 30, 1958
* Landing in Thailand, May 16-August 10, 1962
* Missile Crisis (against Cuba), 24 October-31
December 1962
* Intervention in the Dominican Republic, April 28, 1964-January 6, 1965
* Vietnam War, March 15, 1962-January 28, 1973
* Operation Eagle Pull (Cambodia), April 1975
* Operation Frequent Wind (South Vietnam), April 1975
* Mayagüez Container Ship Hostage Rescue Operation (Koh Tang Islands Fights, Cambodia), May 1975
* Operation Eagle Claw (attempt to rescue hostages in Iran; USMC crews fly the helicopters used), April 1980
* Landing on the island of Grenada, October-November 1983
* Deployment in Lebanon (Beirut), August 1982-February 1984
* Gulf War (1990-1991), August 1990-April 1991
* Security Zone in Kurdistan, April 1991, still ongoing
* Iraq overflight ban, 1991, still ongoing
* Peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1991, still ongoing
* Somalia Humanitarian Aid Operation, 1992-1993
Organization and workforce
The USMC is headed by a "four-star" general who, in keeping with tradition dating back to 1806, resides at Marine Barracks in Washington. Since 2002, its 33rd commander has been General Michael W. Hagee.
The Marine Corps is split between Marine Forces Pacific, headquartered in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Marine Forces Atlantic, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia.
It consists of three Marine Expedionary Force with a theoretical strength of 46,000 men with three divisions - 35,600 men - (one reserve), three brigades "Marines Expedionary Brigade", three air wings Marine Aircraft Wing (one reserve) , three Force Service Support Group logistics support groups (one reserve) and seven Marine Expeditionary Unit.
A Marine Expeditionary Brigade has 7,000 to 15,500 men with 110 planes and 120 helicopters.
A Marine Expeditionary Unit (reinforced regiment), 2,200 men.
The number of active Marine personnel has been roughly stable since the start of the Korean War in 1950 after peaking in 1945, while other branches of the armed forces have seen their numbers decline significantly:
* 1945:485,000, 6 divisions
* 1950:75,000, 2 divisions
* 1951:192,620, 3 divisions
* 2002:173,733, 3 divisions
* 2011:202,000, 3 divisions (forecast in 2007)
There are 104,000 reservists.
20% of these troops can be transported on the forty amphibious ships in the US Navy, including 12 40,000-ton assault helicopter carriers.
6.2% of Marines are women; they represent only 4.3% of officers in the corps with 768 people in 2004.
From 1918, they began to join the USMC (this is the least feminized branch of the US armed forces).
In 2005, 6,440 Marines, or 3.8% of the workforce, were non-citizens of the United States. Many soldiers only obtain this nationality during or after their service.
* Operation in Haiti, 1994-1996
* Evacuation from Rwanda, April 1994
* Evacuation from Somalia, January-March 1995
* Deployment in the Persian Gulf, November 1995-May 1996
* Kosovo - Operation Joint Guardian, 1999
* Afghanistan, October 2001, still ongoing
* Operation Iraqi Freedom, March - May 2003
* Operation Enduring Freedom, May 2003, still ongoing
* Operation in Haiti, March 2004, still ongoing