The
United
States Marine Corps (U.S.M.C) is a branch
of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force
projection from the sea, using the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly
deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services
of the U.S.. Administratively, the Marine Corps is a component of the
Department of the Navy, but it acts operationally as a separate branch
of the military, often working closely with US Naval forces for
training, transportation, and logistic purposes.
Originally organized as the Continental Marines on November 10, 1775 as
naval infantry, the Marine Corps has evolved in its mission 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 practice of amphibious warfare
proved prescient and ultimately formed the cornerstone of the Pacific
campaign of World War II.[5] By the mid 20th century, the Marine Corps
had become the dominant theorist and practitioner of amphibious warfare.
Its ability to respond rapidly to regional crises gives it a strong role
in the implementation and execution of American foreign policy.
The United States Marine Corps, with 194,000 active duty and 40,000
reserve Marines, is the smallest of the United States' armed forces in
the Department of Defense (the United States Coast Guard is smaller,
about one fifth the size of the Marine Corps, but serves under Homeland
Security). The Corps is nonetheless larger than the entire armed forces
of many significant military powers; for example, it is larger than the
active duty Israel Defense Forces or the whole of the British Army.
