United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the <a href="/facts/Marines/1QGkzLyn">maritime land force</a> service branch of the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Defense/dWAvf7e3">United States Department of Defense</a>. It is responsible for conducting <a href="/facts/Expeditionary_warfare/dz9YH99n">expeditionary</a> and <a href="/facts/Amphibious_operations/1Povrhpm">amphibious operations</a> through <a href="/facts/Combined_arms/qHuvIueq">combined arms</a>, implementing its own <a href="/facts/Infantry/QAHDDQtk">infantry</a>, <a href="/facts/Artillery/GLpMYG9o">artillery</a>, <a href="/facts/Aerial_warfare/DrDhkkQ1">aerial</a>, and <a href="/facts/Special_operations/Sayr6y81">special operations</a> forces. The U.S. Marine Corps is one of the six <a href="/facts/United_States_Armed_Forces/NHVsU9Id">armed forces of the United States</a> and one of the eight <a href="/facts/Uniformed_services_of_the_United_States/yC4lHIEB">uniformed services of the United States</a>.
The Marine Corps has been part of the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_the_Navy/bBdzKgXr">United States Department of the Navy</a> since 30 June 1834 with its sister service, the <a href="/facts/United_States_Navy/xYK0fUou">United States Navy</a>. The USMC operates <a href="/facts/List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_installations/VwE83cde">installations</a> on land and aboard sea-going <a href="/facts/Amphibious_warfare_ship/xBytTeeS">amphibious warfare ships</a> around the world. Additionally, several of the Marines' tactical <a href="/facts/Naval_aviation/EpofPaqF">aviation</a> squadrons, primarily Marine Fighter Attack squadrons, are also embedded in Navy <a href="/facts/Carrier_air_wing/jUjKowdI">carrier air wings</a> and operate from the <a href="/facts/Aircraft_carrier/90vrSN0V">aircraft carriers</a>.
The history of the Marine Corps began when two <a href="/facts/Battalion/AohlXDhb">battalions</a> of <a href="/facts/Continental_Marines/grNp38xl">Continental Marines</a> were formed on 10 November 1775 in <a href="/facts/Philadelphia/2bFFCCTU">Philadelphia</a> as a service branch of infantry troops capable of fighting both at sea and on shore. In the <a href="/facts/Pacific_War/yNu6op98">Pacific theater</a> of <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>, the Corps took the lead in a massive campaign of amphibious warfare, <a href="/facts/Leapfrogging_(strategy)/YTnqLqMS">advancing from island to island</a>. As of December 2024, the USMC has around 169,000 active duty members and some 33,000 personnel in <a href="/facts/United_States_Marine_Corps_Reserve/dnIC6Gpl">reserve</a>.

United States Marine Corps open-in-new

United States Marine Corps