United States Marine Corps

"USMC" redirects here. For other uses, see USMC (disambiguation).

United States Marine Corps
Emblem of the United States Marine Corps
Founded11 July 1798
(226 years, 4 months)
(in current form)

10 November 1775
(249 years)
(as the Continental Marines)[1]

Country United States
TypeMaritime land force
Role
Size
  • 180,958 active personnel (as of 2020)[2]
  • 32,400 reserve personnel (as of 2022)[3]
  • 1,304 manned aircraft[4] (total includes 11 VH-3D and 8 VH-60N of HMX-1[5] not listed by WAF 2018)
Part ofUnited States Armed Forces
Department of the Navy
HeadquartersThe Pentagon
Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Nickname(s)"Jarheads", "Devil Dogs", "Teufel Hunden", "Leathernecks"
Motto(s)Semper fidelis ("Always faithful")
ColorsScarlet and gold[6][7]
   
March"Semper Fidelis" Playⓘ
Mascot(s)English bulldog[8][9]
Anniversaries10 November
EquipmentList of U.S. Marine Corps equipment
Engagements
See list
Decorations

Presidential Unit Citation


Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Navy Unit Commendation
Valorous Unit Award

Meritorious Unit Commendation
French Croix de guerre 1914–1918
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Korean Presidential Unit Citation
Vietnam Gallantry Cross


Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
Website
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief President Joe Biden
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro
Commandant Gen Eric M. Smith
Assistant Commandant Gen Christopher J. Mahoney
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps SMMC Carlos A. Ruiz
Insignia
Flag
Seal
Emblem ("Eagle, Globe, and Anchor" or "EGA")[note 1]
Wordmark
Song"The Marine's Hymn" Playⓘ
United States
Armed Forces
Executive departments
Staff
Military departments
Military services
Command structure
Unified combatant commands
Combat support agencies
Combat Response Agencies

The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations[11] through combined arms, implementing its own infantry, artillery, aerial, and special operations forces. The U.S. Marine Corps is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States.

The Marine Corps has been part of the United States Department of the Navy since 30 June 1834 with its sister service, the United States Navy.[12] The USMC operates installations on land and aboard sea-going amphibious warfare ships around the world. Additionally, several of the Marines' tactical aviation squadrons, primarily Marine Fighter Attack squadrons, are also embedded in Navy carrier air wings and operate from the aircraft carriers.[13]

The history of the Marine Corps began when two battalions of Continental Marines were formed on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as a service branch of infantry troops capable of fighting both at sea and on shore.[14] In the Pacific theater of World War II, the Corps took the lead in a massive campaign of amphibious warfare, advancing from island to island.[15][16][17] As of 2022, the USMC has around 177,200 active duty members and some 32,400 personnel in reserve.[3]

  1. ^ "Marine Corps Decade Timeline | Marine Corps history". Marines.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  2. ^ "ARMED FORCES STRENGTH FIGURES FOR SEPTEMBER 30, 2020". Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Defense Budget Overview Book" (PDF). Office of the Under Secretary of Denfense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  4. ^ "World Air Forces 2018". Flightglobal: 17. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  5. ^ Macias, Amanda (10 April 2013). "Marine One upgrade: The next presidential helicopter fleet is getting closer to its debut". CNBC. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  6. ^ Lejeune, Erich E. (18 April 1925). "Marine Corps Order No. 4 (Series 1925)". Commandant of the Marine Corps. United States Marine Corps History Division. Archived from the original on 5 October 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  7. ^ "Color Palette" (PDF). United States Marine Corps Brand Guide. 16 July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  8. ^ Loredo-Agostini, Heidi E. (30 July 2009). "Ready for the Corps: Marines recruit latest mascot from South Texas". Recruiting Station San Antonio. Castroville, Texas: United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 20 March 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  9. ^ Dobbs, Chris (25 July 2008). "Marine Barracks' mascot, Chesty the XII, retires after more than 40 'dog years' of faithful service". Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.: United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  10. ^ "Marine Corps Order P1020.34G W/CH 1–5: Marine Corps Uniform Regulations, Chapter 4: Insignia and Regulations For Wear, Paragraph 4001. Branch of Service Insignia, Pages 4–7" (PDF). marines.mil. 31 March 2003. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  11. ^ Charles C. Krulak (1996). Operational Maneuver from the Sea (PDF) (Report). Headquarters Marine Corps. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2006. Retrieved 28 July 2006.
  12. ^ Hoffman, Colonel Jon T., USMC: A Complete History, Marine Corps Association, Quantico, VA, (2002), p. 57.
  13. ^ "Air Wings Built for Two". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  14. ^ "U.S. Marine Corps Decade Timeline". Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  15. ^ Hough, Frank O.; Ludwig, Verle E.; Shaw, Henry I. Jr. "Part I, Chapter 2: Evolution of Modern Amphibious Warfare, 1920–1941". Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal. History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II, Volume I. Historical Branch, HQMC, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 30 May 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2007.
  16. ^ Garand, George W. & Truman R. Strobridge (1971). "Part II, Chapter 1: The Development of FMFPac". Western Pacific Operations. History of U.S. Marine Corps Operation in World War II, Volume IV. Historical Branch, HQMC, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
  17. ^ Frank, Benis M & Henry I. Saw, Jr. (1968). "Part VI, Chapter 1: Amphibious Doctrine in World War II". Victory and Occupation. History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in World War II, Volume V. Historical Branch, HQMC, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).