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The Marine Corps was first born on 10 November, 1775, it was started to fight for
independence at sea and on shore. Each year, the Marine Corps marks November 10th with a
celebration of the brave spirit which compelled these men and thousands since to defend our country as
United States Marines. Marines are known by their distinctive dress blue uniform, which has origins
dating back to the American Revolution. The dress blues will have a blood stripe down each trouser
leg to represent the memory of all of our fallen comrades. The Marine Corps today has 204,153
Marines fighting for this country today and counting. The Marine Corps are a branch of the U.S.
Armed Forces composed chiefly of amphibious troops under the authority of the secretary of the Navy
(2013 US Marine Corps, History).
In order to become a Marine there are certain requirements you must reach. One of the
requirements you have to reach is that you have to be 17 years old in order to enlist for the Marine
Corps. The reason why the age limit is 17 is because that is a level in standard at the Marine Corps has
to uphold. The civilian who would like to enlist for the Marine Corps would not necessarily have to be
a United States citizen; however the person would have to be a n owner of a permanent residence card.
It just has to be the legal documentation that shows that you live in the United Sates. You must pass all
of the physical examinations as well as physical tests. The one who wishes to enlist must pass tests that
consist of eye exams that include using your depth perception and color vision, hearing exams, physical
fitness tests that will consist of pull-ups and sit-ups, drug tests, breathalyzer tests, HIV/Aids tests,
ASVAB tests, females will be tested for pregnancy and a physician will also examine your whole body
to make sure you are fully functional and healthy (2013 US Marine Corps, Requirements).
There are two separate locations in the world that turn men into marines. The Recruit Training
Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina and the Recruit Training Depot in San Diego, California. Where
you go for basic training will depend on where you enlist at. Those who enlist west of the Mississippi
will more than likely got through boot camp in San Diego, while those in the East will attend at Parris
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Island. In order to survive at your coot camp you should get in some sort of physical shape. Mainly
concentrate on running 3 miles and long marches that will consist of up to 10 miles. Start working on
your pull-ups as well as your sit-ups. If you are unable to perform basic exercises you may spend a lot
of time in PCP (Physical Conditioning Platoon). It is normally a 21 day program, once you are in you
do not get out until you are able to do 3 pull-ups, 40 sit-ups in 2 minutes, and run 3 miles in 28:00
minutes. It is great to know your 11 General Orders for a Sentry, the Marine Rifle Creed as well as the
Marine Hymn. You will also need to memorize the USMC Core Values, Study Marine Corps History
and commit the characteristics of the M16A4 Rifle to memory (Powers, Rod, About.com 1).
Beginning the Recruit training, you will acquire full health care coverage while on active duty.
Should you marry or have children, each of your immediate family members will have access to
excellent dental care and enjoy free medical coverage. Depending on your status, active duty member,
retired members, members of the Guard/Reserves, family members, and certain veterans receive free or
government subsidized medical and dental care. This care fills under a program known as “Tricare”
(United States, Pamphlet).
As a marine you will have access to free on-base housing. If you have a family and choose to
live off base, you will receive accurate and equitable housing compensation based on local housing
costs. In addition, the veterans administrations (VA) offers loans for purchasing a home, both during
and after service (United States, Pamphlet)
While serving your country as a United States Marine you will have a choice to participate in
the Thrift Savings Plan. This is very similar to a 401k tax-deferred plan. After completing 20 years of
honorable service you will also earn a pension. Those who have reached 20 year active duty status can
receive retired pay that will continually increase each yeah. Service members who stay in for 40 years
will be eligible for 100 percent of their pay at retirement (United States, Pamphlet).
“From our weapons and gear to our vehicles and aircraft, Marines bring only what is required to
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accomplish each mission.” Every Marine is a rifleman, but to fight at the tip of our Nations spear
requires a mastery of many different weapons. As battlefields evolve, so too does the manner in which
Marines are armed and equipped. Missions that involve urban room-cleaning techniques require
different weapons than those necessarily long-distance marksmanship (2013 US Marine Corps,
Equipment 1).
Marine tactical and combat vehicles provide Marine air-ground task force commands with the
protection, payload and performance to meet the demands of every mission. From sandy coastlines to
mountainous hillsides, there is no place on earth inaccessible to Marines. Operating on every area of
the battlefield, Marine HMMWVs are truly multipurpose vehicles serving such functions as command
and control, troop transport, shelter carrier, towed weapons mover, arrangement carrier, TOW missile
carrier and even ambulance (2013 US Marine Corps, Equipment 1).
Marines are equipped with more than the weapons they fire, the vehicles they drive and the
aircraft they fly. Equally important is the gear that enhances each Marines mobility, survivability and
situational awareness on the battlefield. A grenade which is included in your gear, represents a unique
form of firepower, the only weapons needed to fire them are the throwing arms of each Marine
(2013 US Marine Corps, Equipment 1).
As a enlisted Marine your rank will vary from a E-1 which is a Private, to a E-9. An E-1 would
stand for a Private in the Marine Corps, they are the lowest ranked Marines and do not have a Insignia
on their uniforms. An E-9 would either be a Master Gunnery Sergeant, Sergeant Major, or Sergeant
Major of the Marine Corps. If you are one considered an E-9 in the Marine Corps than you have
reached the maximum rank possible and you will be in command (Official US Marine Corps, Rank
Structure 1).
Warrant Officers specialize in their respective fields, providing leadership and training to the
Marine in the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). A Warrant Officers rank varies from a W-1
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which would be a Warrant officer to a W-5 which would be considered as a Chief Warrant Officer 5. A
Chief Warrant Officer 5 will also carry the title of “Marine Gunner” which does not replace his rank.
However a Marine Gunner replaces the Chief Warrant Officer 5 Insignia on the left collar with a
bursting bomb Insignia (Official US Marine Corps, Rank Structure 1).
Commissioned Officers are college graduates who have earned and accepted an appointment
issued in the name of the President of the United States. Their commission gives them the
responsibility of leading Marines as they dated the constitution of the United States. Commissioned
Officers ranks vary from O-1 which is a Second Lieutenant to a O-10 which is a General of the Marine
Corps. Rank is a big responsibility in the Marine Corps, everyone wants to get promoted but nobody
wants to get demoted. If you do what is right and do your job to protect the Constitution of the United
States than you will get promoted. However if you do not protect the Constitution of the United States
than you could possibly get demoted and their could be a possibility you could get discharged from the
Marine Corps (Official US Marine Corps, Rank Structure 1).
The opportunity to see the globe teaches service members many valuable things about other
cultures and ways of life. In fact, many service members say these are some of the most eye-opening
and rewarding aspects of their chosen career. “You will get to travel very often, your almost always on
the run, seeing the world in many different ways, ways that many people in our world will never get to
see. It is a very interesting moment in life to cherish and and hold on to” (Berson, Benjamin, Personal
Interview).
Core Values that you will earn and pick up while you are in the Marines are Honor, Courage,
and Commitment. When you enlist to become a Marine you also enlist to pick up these three Core
Values. If you do not pick up these Core Values nobody will ever look up to you can you will be
known as a weak Marine. It takes a lot of Dedication and Responsibility in order to have these Core
Values but it is a major Honor to hold on to them (Berson, Benjamin, Personal Interview).
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You will be transformed from a Man or Female to a Marine. The transformation will not
happen overnight, but will last a lifetime. You will also get Mutual Respect, as a Marine you are part of
a Brotherhood, so everyone in the Marine Corps will always have your back as if they were your
brother, that will never go away. However the most important thing you will get out of the Marine
Corps is a title well earned. The title of Marine states that you have accepted your commission and
symbolizes a commitment to your country to defend the Constitution of the United States of America
(Berson, Benjamin, Personal Interview).
According to an April 22-24 Gallup poll, 39% of Americans say that the Marines is the most
prestigious branch of the armed forces in the country, followed by the Air Force at 28%. The U.S.
Army and the U.S. Navy tie for third place each of them at 13%. And only 1% of the public names the
U.S. Coast Guard as the most prestigious branch of the military (David W. Moore, Most Prestigious
Branch 1.)
Being a United States Marine is so much more than just going to war to protect your country.
You get to come home to the greatest country int the world United States of America and show
everyone your Courage of going out to war, and show them the rights from wrongs. You are role
models to everyone you will see, when you are seen in your dress blues. Civilians look up to you and
those civilians are not just veterans of the United States, but to the younger children as well, because
maybe one day they will want to stand in your shoes and you will show them the correct way to act as
United States Marines or just as a civil person. The Marine Corps is constantly voted as the most
prestigious Armed Forces branch because we are always acting as if somebody were always watching
us. We act right in a civil way, and that is what we are teaching everyone else to act like, and that is
what this world today needs to see, we need to see the rights and not the wrongs, that is why a great
majority of people look up to United States Marines.