Marine Corp: A Military Analysis

The Marine Corps takes history very seriously. When asked, Marines can name battles most people have never heard of, such as the Battle of Chapultepec in Mexico in 1847. It is rumored that the Blood Stripe of a Marine Non-Commissioned Officer’s (NCO’s) trouser is based off the bloody Battle of Chapultepec. Marine NCO’s since then had created a tradition called “Blood Striping.” Blood striping is the act of literally inflicting a blood stripe on a newly promoted NCO’s legs through means of punching or kicking them. Blood striping a Marine is classified as hazing and is already prohibited under Marine Corps Order 1700.28B, but still happens to this day and is supported by most Marines. Blood striping is a tradition that should be changed or completely eliminated because it is based off false history, considered hazing, and does not support the Marine Corps goal in approaching professionalism. Marine NCO’s hold the title “keeper of traditions” not the “keeper of lies.”

Honor, Courage, and Commitment are the back bone to the U.S. Navy they infuse the Navy with a living life blood an unfaultable force. Honor to me is associated with pride not the seven deadly sins pride, but more like taking a personal ownership in all that you do so that you present your absolute best every time. As an officer this is the standard that should be strived for and extended upon; the taking of ownership not only of tasks, but the well being of your sailors as well. Courage to me has many forms it could be that sailor/soldier who gets a soft whisper in their ear that tells them to enlist so they can stand on the front lines to protect others, or the kid who takes his and others fears and takes a stand against the playground

Marine customs are simply desirable courses of action sanctioned by tradition and usage. In the Marine Corps, practically every custom has grown out of the manner in which Marines of the past conducted themselves. Many Marine customs have been incorporated into regulations in order to standardize conduct throughout the Corps, but some of them cannot be found in written directives. Knowing and observing these customs, both written and unwritten, is important to each Marine because it keeps him mindful of the heritage and traditions of his Corps, and of his duty to uphold them. In addition, it makes him feel that he is a part of the team and helps to create the strong bond of loyalty between him and all other

Everyone is surely familiar with The Vietnam War, or at least should be and Jack Mclean gives us an understanding of what being in the military in that era was all about. Mclean grew up with a privileged lifestyle in New Jersey. He had always had plans to further his education by going to college, but that didn’t happen being that he wasn’t accepted right off the bat. In that time it was either college or the military, the military was mandatory if you didn’t attend college. So, Mclean made a decision and chose the United States Marines branch of the military. Here is where his unexpected story began.

I believe that the United States Coast Guard consists of people who are the best of the best. Being in the Coast Guard means more than what most people may think. I know joining the armed forces means I have to be willing to serve my country and take any actions necessary to defend it, which may include giving my life to protect others. The Coast Guard’s three core values encompass the mental capacity needed in order to do so. The three values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty are vital to holding any position in the Coast Guard. Honor is more than just a word. It helps define who you are, what you believe in and is a statement of your character. Honor is not something a person can ask for, it must be earned. It is gained alongside with

While a commander’s staff conducts planning at any level, whether it is strategic, operational, or tactical, the importance of identifying both theirs and the adversary’s center of gravity (COG) is a critical part of the planning process. Three factors should be carefully analyzed in order to gain a full understanding of the COG; they are critical capabilities, critical requirements and critical vulnerabilities (U.S. Office of the CJCS 11 August 2011, III-24). Although a COG can be attacked directly, the indirect approach which seeks to destroy or neutralize the COG by attacking an adversary’s critical vulnerabilities can be a more efficient use of available resources. The United States Marine Corps’ Warfighting publication MCDP 1 draws a direct correlation between a COG and its critical vulnerability by stating, “we should focus our efforts against a critical vulnerability, a vulnerability that, if exploited, will do the most significant damage to the enemy 's ability to resist us” (United States Marine Corps 1997, 47). The Marine Corps favors the indirect approach to defeating an adversary’s COG because the functions assigned to them by the Department of Defense (DoD) require expeditionary operations and expeditionary forces typically are limited in size, assets, and resources driving them to target an adversary’s critical vulnerabilities.

"The Marine Corps...believes that it has earned this right—to have its future decided by the legislative body which created it—nothing more…. We have pride in ourselves and in our past, but we do not rest our case on any presumed ground of gratitude owing us from the Nation. The bended knee is not a tradition of our Corps. If the Marine as a fighting man has not made a case for himself after 170 years of service, he must go. But I think you will agree with me that he has earned the right to depart with dignity and honor, not by subjugation to the status of uselessness and servility planned for him by the War Department.” (Bended Knee)

The United States Marine Corp (USMC) was founded in 1775 during The Revolutionary War. From it’s inception, the ranks of the USMC were filled exclusively by males. Over 143 years later, in 1918, women were finally allowed to enlist. At first, women couldn’t participate in combat and were restricted to a limited number of jobs. As was common at the time, they were not respected by their male counterparts. It took several decades for women to gain respect and to be a allowed the full spectrum of opportunities within the ranks of the Corps. Opha M. Johnson was the one who helped immensely with this. It was because of her that women found and inspiration and a model female marine to follow. She made an impact that was forever-lasting and

The joint enterprise of the Marine Corps can be summed up in the Oath of Enlistment. It states, in part “I do Solemnly Swear to Support and Defend the Constriction of the United States, Against All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic”. Marines share the same job, the same goal, and the same mindset. Although every Military Occupation Specialty may be different, all jobs have an end goal of fulfilling that Oath of

When becoming a Marine it does not just mean you joined the Marines. It means that you have proven that you can be a Marine. After surviving the hell of basic training you would know have the title of becoming a Marine. Each warrior is defined by the three constant Corps Values: Honor, Courage, and Commitment. Honor requires each Marine to be an example of the ultimate standard in ethical and moral conduct. Honor is many things; honor requires many things. A U.S. Marine must never lie, never cheat, never steal, but that is not enough. Much more is required. And, above all, honor mandates that a Marine will never give a bad reputation of the Corps. Simply stated, courage is honor in action and more (“The United

The United States has become a very advanced and intimidating force to be reckoned with. Many different factors have led to a more efficient and effective fighting force, but one factor that stands out amongst the rest is the evolution of how the military communicates. One person is limited and can only do so much without the help from others. When you introduce another individual, you drastically increase productivity and safety. One famous scripture from the Bible is “Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.” (New International Version, Leviticus 26.8) Having more than one individual working together is good, but the most important thing is communication. The military understands these two concepts and because of this the military has created a unique and complex way to communicate.

Most of my service in the United States Marine Corps was spent overseas in Japan and in the Republic of Korea. During this time, I was a recognised weapons expert responsible for the training of both United States Armed personnel and the Republic of Korea Marines and soldiers. I thoroughly enjoyed my training role which allowed me to develop various strategies to effectively communicate with foreign nationals and offer a direct experience on the logistics of global security as well as its implementations. Overall, it was a rewarding experience and I welcome such an opportunity in the future

Basic United States Military values dictate how we live our lives. There is no line drawn between the Marine Corps and the Army or the Navy and the Air Force. We all live and breathe by these values. The United States of America’s fighting force is supposed to stick together. There is rivalry but also comraderie. When there is a scandal within our fighting force, it affects us all, every one of us. From the added training that we all have to participate in to the lowered morale and lack of trust by the men and women impacted directly by it. Marines United’s name is misleading, it did not

When you first see an individual you can tell how they are by posture, speech, and demeanor. An ideal marine has confidence in their posture; they know that everywhere they go they must confidently take pride of the uniform he or she represents. Even out of uniform you should be able to tell a Marine apart from everyone else. Intellectual speech, a Marine can positively influence others by their intellect and assertiveness. He or she should be able to persuade others to do better and be better. The Marines demeanor is one that can threaten the enemy but inspire a young child. We are an unstoppable strong force that will bulldoze anything in our way. Motivating, unselfish, confident pieces of hard work is what we are. We take positive risks for things that are better for the greater good. Someone who people can instantly tell that they can achieve anything is what a Marine is. As a junior Marine I look at higher ranked individuals that have those characteristics and learn from them. I am a motivator and have a lot of determination to be that ideal marine. I feel that I am already halfway there but there is always room for improvement. As long as I strive towards that image I feel that I will completely fit that mold of an ideal U.S

Authority can be very enticing; we all learn that from an early stage. People become more infatuated with the fruits of labor, instead of the labor itself. The key to life “money, power and respect” some might say; but this trend of thought is a dangerous message and has contributed to so many failures in this world. In the Marine Corps, authority can be a bad thing for some of those who have it. Some Marines fall in love with that feeling of power. They become obsessed with getting promoted; because rank has its privileges or because they want more money. Privileges such as: the ability to tell others what to do, to come and go as they please, or the ability to do whatever they want; which can be a bad thing for the Marines under his or her charge. Authority can also breeds laziness and makes someone lose sight of what’s truly important. You disremember the fourteen Leadership Traits and the eleven Leadership Principles; which tell you how to be selfless and totally about those you lead. Becoming fixated and infatuated with authority will cause you to stray further away from his or her actual job, which is leadership.