The US Marine Corps stands out as one of the wings of US military which has the most passionate bunch of people, and the motto “Once a Marine Always a Marine” is so very true for a Marine.
The History
There are many reasons to have pride in the Marine Corps, it usually comes down to its amazing storied history. Ever since its birth 1775, the Marine Corps have been fighting the bad guys – everyone, including pirates, standing armies, wars like the Vietnam war, and terrorists in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. And Syria deployment has been the latest where US sent several hundred marines to push out ISIL from Raqqa.
The Marines are very passionate about their proud history and the continued strategic deployments on critical missions.
For a Marine knowing the history and holding up to the standards and expectations of those who went before them is a big part of being a Marine.
The Marines who were deployed to Syria recently were likely told at boot camp about the achievements and valor of Marines who fought World War II, Vietnam, Iraq and Korea. They would have also been told not to tarnish the history of the Marines and to continue achieve greater victories.
The Negative Positives
There are many negative blogs and thoughts about the Marines, but they all end up driving a higher level of comradiere and brotherhood among the Marines. I found some nice T-Shirts which actually fosters the strong brotherhood spirit the Marines encourage and boast about.
It is very interesting that the Marines see the bad as a way of thinking that “we don’t need those perks” to do our job, which comes down to achieving victory on crtical missions – in locating, closing in, and killing the bad guys. The Marines have a longstanding mantra to “improvise, adapt, and overcome.”
Stationed in the Best Locations
The station assignment is a big part of being in any US military wing, as they spend much of their time there while not deployed on overseas. This is where they are getting trained, learning new skills and build the strong “fight to win” spirit and also have some fun time.
The Marines get stationed in some really awesome locations like Hawaii, southern California and Jacksonville, North Carolina although some make be assigned to the desert locations like 29 Palms.
During Peace Time
You would be amazed to know that Marines are one of those military wings which also enjoy some cool overseas travel for training in locations like Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
And then there are also the “Med Floats” which( short for “Mediterranean Floats” ) which could last for six months and could have extended times during international crisis assignments. These are Navy ships like the USS Nashville, USS Pensacola and USS America. They enjoy time on these amazing ships, the great food, new friends and training they receive.
Marine Recon – One of the Most Elite
The Marine Reconnaissance teams are one of the most Elite teams in US military which the USMC is really proud of. They provide intelligence for active small unit operations on the battlefield. And those Marines with Marine Sniper qualifications can also provide accurate demoralizing small arms fire from a distance and help assist and achieve critical missions.
The Bull Dog
The U.S. Marine Corps has an unofficial mascot the “English Bull Dog”.
A snarling English Bulldog wearing a Marine Corps helmet. Because of the tenacity and demeanor of the breed, the image took root with the Marines and those associated with it. The public also soon started to associate the Marines with the Bull Dog mascot.
The Uniform
There is no doubt that the US Marines have the best dress uniforms. For men Marines, the blue uniform dress is like kryptonite for the opposite sex. And interestingly enough, that same uniform is like a Star Wars assignment to young men who are interested in being among the “Few and the Proud.”
In Summary
Marines are characterized by their extreme will to fight and win even if it means loosing their life to fight the evil, the motto “First in Last Out” is something that a Marine is very proud of.
Hats of to the USMC…Semper Fidelis!
