The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection, using the mobility of the United States Navy, by Congressional mandate, to deliver rapidly, combined-arms task forces on land, at sea, in the air, and in space. The U.S. Marine Corps is one of the four armed service branches in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States.[1]
History[]
The Marine Corps has been a component of the U.S. Department of the Navy since 30 June 1834, working closely with naval forces for training, transportation, and logistics.[2] The USMC operates posts on land and aboard space-going ships around the galaxy. 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 Navy's nuclear-powered space carriers.[3]
Silicate War[]
The USMC supported U.S. Department of Defense operations in combating Silicate terrorists during the Silicate War.[4]
Chig War[]
The U.S. Marine Corps, along with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army, are major components of the Earth Forces fighting the aliens in the Chig War. The USMC is deployed to all areas of the galaxy where Earth has forces trying to eradicate the threat of the Chigs.
U.S. Marine Corps Organizational Structure[]
Headquarters Marine Corps. Headquarters Marine Corps consists of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Director Marine Corps Staff, the several Deputy Commandants, the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, and various special staff officers and Marine Corps agency heads that report directly to either the Commandant or Assistant Commandant. HQMC is supported by the Headquarters and Service Battalion, USMC providing administrative, supply, logistics, training, and services support to the Commandant and his staff.
Operational Forces. The basic framework for deployable Marine units is the Marine Space-Ground Task Force (MSGTF), a flexible structure of varying size. A MSGTF integrates a ground combat element (GCE), an aviation combat element (ACE), and a logistics combat element (LCE) under a common command element (CE), capable of operating independently or as part of a larger coalition. The MSGTF structure reflects a strong tradition in the Corps towards self-sufficiency and a commitment to combined arms, both essential assets to an expeditionary force often called upon to act independently in discrete, time-sensitive situations.
Special Operations Capable forces (SOC), such as Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) provide essential elements of military intelligence to the command element of the MSGTF.
Support Forces. The Supporting Establishment includes the Combat Development Command, the Logistics Command, the Systems Command, the Recruiting Command, the Installations Command, and the Marine Band.
Rank Structure[]
The Marine Corps ranks fall into one of three categories: commissioned officer, warrant officer, and enlisted, in decreasing order of authority.
Commissioned Officers[]
Commissioned officers are distinguished from other officers by their commission, which is the formal written authority, issued in the name of the President of the United States, that confers the rank and authority of a Marine officer.
Warrant Officers[]
Warrant officers are primarily former enlisted experts in a specific specialized field and provide leadership generally only within that specialty.
Enlisted Personnel[]
Enlisted Marines in the pay grades E-1 to E-3 make up the bulk of the Corps' ranks, usually referred to simply as "Marines". Although they do not technically hold leadership ranks, the Corps' ethos stresses leadership among all Marines, and junior Marines are often assigned responsibility normally reserved for superiors. Those in the pay grades of E-4 and E-5 are non-commissioned officers (NCOs). They primarily supervise junior Marines and act as a vital link with the higher command structure, ensuring that orders are carried out correctly. Marines E-6 and higher are Staff Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs), charged with supervising NCOs and acting as enlisted advisers to the command.
The E-8 and E-9 levels have two and three ranks per pay grade, respectively, each with different responsibilities. The First Sergeant and Sergeant Major ranks are command-oriented, serving as the senior enlisted Marines in a unit, charged to assist the commanding officer in matters of discipline, administration and the morale and welfare of the unit. Master Sergeants and Master Gunnery Sergeants provide technical leadership as occupational specialists in their specific MOS. The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps also E-9, is a billet conferred on the senior enlisted Marine of the entire Marine Corps, personally selected by the Commandant.
USMC units of the Chig War[]
- 5th Marine Expeditionary Force
- 5th Recon Force
- 5th USMC Air Wing
- 14th Squadron
- 19th Squadron
- 33rd Squadron
- 35th Squadron
- 42nd Squadron
- 46th Squadron
- 58th Squadron
- 61st Squadron
- 77th Squadron
- 109th Squadron
- 127th Squadron
- 201st Airlift Squadron