The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States. The Marine Corps is a component of the United States Department of the Navy, often working closely with naval forces for training, transportation, and logistics; however, the Marine Corps is a separate branch. Captain Samuel Nicholas formed two battalions of Continental Marines on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as naval infantry. Since then, the mission of the Marine Corps has evolved with changing military doctrine and American foreign policy. The Marine Corps has served in every American armed conflict and attained prominence in the 20th century when its theories and practices of amphibious warfare proved prescient and ultimately formed the cornerstone of the Pacific campaign of World War II. By the mid-20th century, the Marine Corps had become the dominant theorist and practitioner of amphibious warfare. Its ability to rapidly respond on short notice to expeditionary crises gives it a strong role in the implementation and execution of American foreign policy. In 2010, the United States Marine Corps had just under 203,000 active duty Marines and just under 40,000 reserve Marines. It is the smallest of the United States Armed Forces in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The United States Coast Guard is smaller, about one-fifth the size of the Marine Corps, but it does not normally operate under the DoD. The Marine Corps is nonetheless larger than the armed forces of many significant military powers; it is larger than the active duty Israel Defense Forces and the active duty British Army, for example.
Active years end year
1775
Battle
1986 United States bombing of Libya
1995 NATO bombing campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina
American Civil War
American Revolutionary War
Banana Wars
Bombing of Iraq (December 1998)
Boxer Rebellion
First Barbary War
Gulf War
Invasion of Grenada
Iraq War
Korean War
Mexican–American War
NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
Operation Eagle Claw
Operation Odyssey Dawn
Philippine–American War
Quasi-War
Second Barbary War
Seminole Wars
Somali Civil War
Spanish–American War
United States invasion of Panama
Vietnam War
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
War of 1812
World War I
World War II
??
Scarlet & Gold
Commander
Ray Mabus
Identification symbol
50px
border|100px
Mascot
English Bulldog
Military unit size
195,000 active ()
40,000 reserve ()
Motto
Semper Fidelis
Role
Amphibious and expeditionary warfare
Type
Marine (military)
Comment
0