The US Marines, also known as the United States Marine Corps, is the branch of the army that is responsible for projecting the military might of the United States of America to any part of the world within days upon congressional approval. To achieve this feat, it utilizes the resources of the US Navy, especially its mobility, and has the ability to deploy to crisis zones within mere days. The US Marines is one of four armed service branches of the army and one of seven uniformed services in the US. The US Marines are trained to deploy forces across sea, land and air swiftly.
On the 10th of November, 1775, two battalions of land marines were constituted and attached to infantry troops. They were designed to fight on land and on the sea. The US Marines became a part of the Navy on the 30th of June, 1834 and has been part of the Navy ever since. It has bases both on land and on war ships. Added to these, it has tactical aviation units which are primarily made up of fighter jets, and these units are attached to naval air units which operate from nuclear-powered aircraft carriers; aircraft carriers are massive ships that house and launch fighter jets from sea. Ever since these times, the US Marines’ roles in warfare as well as their capabilities and responsibilities have evolved and expanded. This wide range of abilities have led the US Marines be dubbed the US army’s 3rd air force and its 2nd army.
Ever since they were created, the USMC has excelled in its abilities. However, their effectiveness and capabilities did not come to prominence until they defined and perfected their amphibious warfare doctrine that was applied successfully in the Pacific theater during the Second World War. They have been deployed in all major wars and armed conflicts around the world and have distinguished themselves in their discipline, tact, and effective use of force to dispel the opposition.
By the middle of the 20th century, the USMC had become a sort of specialist in the application of amphibious warfare doctrine, which it had theorized. This gave the US Marines the unique ability to rapidly respond to any crisis in any part of the world within a very short period of time. As a result, they formed the backbone of the implementation of some of America’s foreign policies.
According to their charter, the USMC has three major responsibilities. The first responsibility is to seize and defend advanced naval bases for the furtherance of naval campaigns. The second responsibility has to do with its amphibious warfare doctrine which must be done in coordination with the other branches of the army. And finally, its third responsibility is to follow the orders of the commander in chief.
The USMC is the smallest of the four armed forces under the Department of Defense. It has about 182,000 active duty members, while it has about 38,000 on reserve as at 2016.