What it takes to be a marine
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Joshua Gray, a squad leader with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa, coordinates with a Portuguese radio operator during Exercise Orion 16 in Santa Margarida, Portugal, June 23, 2016. The Marines were tasked as the quick response force during the exercise, supporting Portuguese soldiers during non-combatant evacuation operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Tia Nagle/Released)
by Michael Keane, technology editor
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), is one of the four Armed Service Branches of the US department of defense. The Marines can respond to any number of problems, be them on land, sea or in the air. Nicknamed “America’s second land army”, the versatility of the USMC grants them extraordinary power in world affairs.
“From humanitarian relief efforts to combat operations; from air, land and sea to every crime and place, the Marine Corps is ready to answer our nation’s call.”
Basic Training
The Marines is a long-standing institution that represents a major part of America’s influence in world affairs, and not just anyone is qualified. The start of most Marines career is “Basic Training,” a 13-week course where Marine are instilled with the discipline and basic skills needed to serve.
Recruits are taught the basics of hand to hand combat, marksmanship, survival skills and other core skillsets.
The physical and mental demands of the recruits are incredibly high, in order to graduate, recruits must pass the Physical Fitness Test, consisting of pull-ups (Flexed Arm Hangs for female recruits), timed crunches and a timed 3-mile run.
The Marines also demand extreme mental strength, which is just as, if not more important than physical fitness. The ability to tolerate all the pain, fear, stress and pressure of war can be a lifesaver.
“Basic training is difficult for everyone. It is physically and psychologically rigorous and exhausting,” teacher Robert Nisonoff said.
Officer School
Basic training isn’t the only means of joining the Marine Corps. Marine Corps Base Quantico is the home of the Officer Candidates School (OCS). It is here that candidates are evaluated to determine whether or not they have the qualities needed to lead their fellow Marines.
To qualify as a candidate for the OCS, one must have completed or almost completed at least 4 years of college and be between the ages of 20 and 30.
Marine officers must take a series of classes that give them the knowledge to successfully lead their fellow Marines. Theses classes range from land navigation to maneuver tactics and are applied both in live combat and in training.
Then and Now
Two marine battalions were created during the Revolutionary War to serve as the landing force for the new Continental Navy. November 10, 1775 is observed as the official birth date of the USMC. After the end of the war in 1783, the Continental Navy and Marine corps were dismantled.
However, conflicts across the next decade would result in Congress establishing today’s US Navy. On July 11, 1798, the Marine Corps was established as a permanent branch of the armed forces under the authority of the US Navy. The Marines have played a key role in every American conflict since then.
There are now more than 200,000 marines enlisted or in reserves, always ready to defend America if need be.
“I believed that military service was an honorable way to serve and better yourself and your country. The military also offered career opportunities and financial incentives that were very attractive to me at the time,” teacher Robert Nisonoff said.