United States Marine Corps

The **United States Marine Corps** **(USMC)** is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combined arms, implementing its own infantry, artillery, aerial, and special operations forces. The US Marine Corps is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It also operates its own helicopters, planes, tanks, and APC's. The Marine Corps has been part of the US Department of the Navy since the 19th Century with its sister service, the United States Navy. The USMC operates installations on land and aboard sea-going amphibious warfare ships around the world. Additionally, several of the Marines' tactical aviation squadrons, primarily Marine Fighter Attack squadrons, are also embedded in Navy carrier air wings and operate from the aircraft carriers.

Along side the US Navy, the US Marine Corps is featured prominently in the *Foxtrot: Foxes in Arms* series. Vienna North, an arctic vixen, is the primary representative of the Marines in the Skulk, being a colonel despite her young age, and commanding the Torrent Regiment of the 7th Marine Division.

## History

The US Marine Corps officially began back in 1775, when two battalions of Continental Marines were formed in Philadelphia as a service branch of infantry troops capable of fighting both at sea and on shore. Since the American War of Independence, the Marines would go on to serve in every war having been fought involving the US, including the likes of the Civil War, the World Wars, and all subsequent conflicts, especially those within the Middle East. During the Pacific War, the Corps is notable took the lead in a massive campaign of amphibious warfare, advancing from island to island (called "Island Hopping"). In addition, Marines have executed more than 300 landings on foreign shores and served in every major US naval action their founding. Usually, the Marines have been the first, or among the first, US forces to start the fight against the enemy.

### Urocyan Wars

Sometime in the late 2010s, the US began getting anxious of the growing threat of Urocyia, under the control of its new emperor, Arian Torres. Ever since Arian took control, and began building up his military, he'd been under the watchful eye of the US and its allies. Believing that war with Urocyia could be coming, the American congress authorized a large budget for the military to conduct their own build up. This even included the Marines, having a mass-recruitment program, setting up new training regiments, and forming new units to accommodate new personnel.

One such unit was the 7th Marine Division and its subsequent subunits. An arctic vixen named Vienna North, a veteran of some conflicts and newly promoted to Colonel despite her relative young age, was given command of the Torrent Regiment within the 7th Marine Division. Some of the Marines from Torrent Regiment was also assigned to a revived Marine Detachment (MarDet) aboard the *Iowa*-class battleship USS *Missouri*.

Many Marine units were caught in the hellfire that was Operation Tidal Wave, Urocyia's preemptive strike on America to weaken its military, with many Marines, along with US Navy sailors, were either killed or injured in the attacks. Fortunately, some units, such as Vienna's Torrent Regiment, were spared from the attacks, and had new fuel to fight. Following repairs to the fleet and replenishment of personnel, the Marines were once more called to the front lines in several of the opening battles. In particular, Marines from the Torrent Regiment were seen operating many amphibious operations, and despite her high rank, Vienna was also seen out on the battlefield, valiantly leading her fellow Marines on the ground against the soldiers of the Urocyan Imperial Ground Forces.

## Rank Structure

### Officers

In the USMC, commissioned officer ranks go from level O-1 to 0-10 in the US Department of Defense (DoD) pay grades. They are as follows:

1. Second Lieutenant (O-1)
2. First Lieutenant (O-2)
3. Captain (O-3)
4. Major (O-4)
5. Lieutenant Colonel (O-5)
6. Colonel (O-6)
7. Brigadier General (O-7)
8. Major General (O-8)
9. Lieutenant General (O-9)
10. General (O-10)

### Warrant Officers

Highly specialized warrant officers go by W-1 to W-5 in the US DoD pay grade system. They go as follows:

1. Warrant Officer 1 (W-1)
2. Chief Warrant Officer 2 (W-2)
3. Chief Warrant Officer 3 (W-3)
4. Chief Warrant Officer 4 (W-4)
5. Chief Warrant Officer 5 (W-5)

### Enlisted

Enlisted ranks, as well as Non-commissioned Officers, go from E-1 to E-9 in the DoD pay grades, plus some special grades. They are as follows:

1. Private (E-1)
2. Private First Class (E-2)
3. Lance Corporal (E-3)
4. Corporal (E-4)
5. Sergeant (E-5)
6. Staff Sergeant (E-6)
7. Gunnery Sergeant (E-7)
8. Master Sergeant (E-8)
9. First Sergeant (E-8)
10. Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9)
11. Sergeant Major (E-9)
12. Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (Special)
13. Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (Special)

## Equipment

This is the list of stuff seen being used by the USMC within the series.

### Firearms

* Beretta M9A1
* M16A4
* M4 Carbine
* M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System

### Light Vehicles

* M1161 ITV
* Cougar MRAP
* Humvee
* M1030M1 Dirt Bike

### Armor & Artillery

* M1A1 Abrams (Under the 7th Marine Regiment)
* LAV-25 Infantry Fighting Vehicle
* LAV-AD
* AAV-7A1 AMTRAC
* ACV
* M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
* M777 155mm Lightweight Howitzer
* Lightweight 105 mm Howitzer Gun

### Naval Craft

* Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)
* Rigid-hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB)

### Aircraft

* AV-8B Harrier II Plus
* F/A-18C Hornet
* F/A-18D Hornet
* F-35B Lightning II
* KC-130J Super Hercules
* AH-1Z Viper
* UH-1Y Venom
* CH-53E Super Stallion
* MV-22B Osprey

## Trivia

* Marine Divisions have only gone from 1 to 6, with 1 through 4 being active today. The 7th Marine Division in the series is completely fictional.
* M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks used by the USMC are seen in the series. In reality, all tank battalions in the Corps have been deactivated and all tanks have been transferred to the US Army as of May 2021. They are likely still in service to deal with the Urocyan threat.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United\_States\_Marine\_Corps