Origins
The United States Marine Corps was established on November 10, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized two battalions of Marines for service with the fledgling Continental Navy. Captain Samuel Nicholas, appointed to raise the first Marines at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, is honored as the first Marine Commandant. Marines served aboard naval vessels as shipboard security and landing parties, participating in the Revolutionary War’s naval actions and the raid on Nassau in the Bahamas—the Corps’ first amphibious assault.
Like other American military forces, the Marines nearly disappeared after independence, formally re-established in 1798 during tensions with France. The nineteenth century saw Marines deployed worldwide: suppressing Caribbean pirates, landing in Mexico during the Mexican-American War, opening Japan with Commodore Perry (1853-1854), and fighting in the Civil War. The Marine Hymn’s reference to “the shores of Tripoli” commemorates Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon’s expedition against the Barbary pirates in 1805, while “the halls of Montezuma” recalls the Mexico City campaign of 1847.
The modern Marine Corps emerged from the Progressive Era and both World Wars. Advanced base doctrine, developed before World War I, established the Marines’ specialized amphibious mission. The interwar period brought systematic development of amphibious warfare doctrine, equipment, and training at Quantico, Virginia. These preparations proved essential for World War II’s Pacific campaign, where Marines seized islands from Guadalcanal to Okinawa in some of the war’s bloodiest fighting. The iconic flag-raising at Iwo Jima in February 1945 became the Corps’ enduring symbol.
Structure & Function
The Marine Corps operates within the Department of the Navy, with the Commandant of the Marine Corps serving as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Total strength includes approximately 180,000 active-duty Marines, 35,000 reserves, and supporting civilian personnel. Headquarters Marine Corps at the Pentagon and Marine Corps Base Quantico oversee doctrine, training, and force development.
The operating forces are organized into Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEFs), the largest Marine combat formations. Three MEFs exist: I MEF at Camp Pendleton, California; II MEF at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and III MEF in Okinawa, Japan. Each MEF contains a Marine division, aircraft wing, and logistics group, providing combined-arms capability for sustained combat operations. Smaller Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs), typically 2,200 Marines embarked on Navy amphibious ships, maintain forward-deployed crisis response capability worldwide.
Marine Corps doctrine emphasizes combined arms warfare integrating infantry, armor, artillery, and aviation under unified command. Marine aircraft—including F-35 fighters, MV-22 Ospreys, and attack helicopters—remain under Marine control rather than being parceled to Army units as Air Force assets are. This organizational philosophy, “every Marine a rifleman,” maintains that all Marines, regardless of specialty, must be capable infantrymen. The Corps also operates the Marine Corps Security Force and Marine Security Guard battalions protecting naval installations and American embassies worldwide.
Historical Significance
The Marine Corps has served as America’s force in readiness, deploying rapidly to crises before larger Army formations can mobilize. This expeditionary role has placed Marines at the forefront of American military interventions throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The Corps developed amphibious warfare doctrine that enabled the island-hopping campaign against Japan and the Inchon landing in Korea—operational concepts subsequently adopted by allied nations.
Marines have fought in every American conflict since 1775, often in the most demanding conditions. World War II’s Pacific campaign cost over 87,000 Marine casualties, including nearly 20,000 dead. The Korean War’s Chosin Reservoir campaign, Vietnam’s Khe Sanh siege, and the urban combat in Fallujah (2004) entered Marine legend. The Corps’ institutional culture emphasizes aggressive offensive action, unit cohesion, and the transformation of recruits into Marines through demanding training—an identity distinct from the other services.
The Marine Corps’ influence extends to military thought and popular culture. Marine officers developed small wars doctrine and counterinsurgency concepts influential across the military. The Corps’ emphasis on leadership, discipline, and tradition has made Marine veterans prominent in business, politics, and public life. The Marine Corps birthday (November 10) and traditions like the Evening Parade at Marine Barracks Washington maintain institutional identity. However, the Corps faces ongoing debates about its future role as amphibious assault against defended beaches becomes increasingly challenging.
Key Developments
- 1775: Continental Congress establishes Continental Marines; Samuel Nicholas first commandant
- 1798: Marine Corps formally re-established
- 1805: Marines march “to the shores of Tripoli” against Barbary pirates
- 1847: Marines fight in Mexican-American War; “halls of Montezuma”
- 1898: Marines land in Cuba, Philippines during Spanish-American War
- 1915-1934: “Banana Wars” interventions in Caribbean and Central America
- 1921: Marine Corps Schools established at Quantico
- 1942-1945: Pacific island-hopping campaign; Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa
- 1950: Inchon landing; Chosin Reservoir campaign in Korea
- 1965-1973: Marines deploy to Vietnam; peak strength 85,000
- 1983: Beirut barracks bombing kills 241 service members
- 1991: Marines lead ground assault in Gulf War
- 2001-2021: Continuous combat deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq
- 2004: Battle of Fallujah; intense urban combat
- 2020: Force Design 2030 restructures Corps for Indo-Pacific competition