United States Marine Corps (USMC)

A specialized component within the Department of the Navy, acting as the rapid-response, amphibious force for combat operations.

United States Marine Corps
Emblem of the United States Marine Corps
Founded	11 July 1798 (227 years, 8 months)[1] (in current form) 10 November 1775 (250 years, 4 months)[2] (as the Continental Marines)
Country	United States
Type	Naval infantry
Role	Amphibious warfare Expeditionary warfare
Size	168,527 active personnel[3] (as of December 2024[update]) 32,967 reserve personnel[4] (as of December 2024[update]) 1,317 crewed aircraft[5][a]
Part of	United States Armed Forces Department of the Navy
Headquarters	The Pentagon Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Nicknames	"Jarheads", "Devil Dogs" ("Teufels Hunde"), "Leathernecks"
Motto	Semper fidelis ("Always faithful")
Colors	Scarlet and gold[6][7]
March	"Semper Fidelis" Playⓘ
Mascot	English bulldog[8][9]
Anniversaries	10 November
Equipment	List of USMC equipment
Engagements	See list American Revolutionary War Quasi-War First Barbary War War of 1812 Second Barbary War West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations Seminole Wars African Anti-Slavery Operations Aegean Sea Anti-Piracy Operations First Sumatran expedition Second Sumatran expedition United States Exploring Expedition Capture of Monterey Mexican–American War Bombardment of Greytown Battle of Ty-ho Bay First Fiji Expedition Second Opium War Third Fiji expedition Paraguay expedition Reform War John Brown's raid American Civil War Bombardment of Qui Nhon Shimonoseki Campaign Formosa Expedition United States expedition to Korea Egyptian Expedition (1882) Bering Sea Anti-Poaching Operations Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii Second Samoan Civil War Banana Wars Spanish–American War Second Occupation of Cuba Border War Negro Rebellion Occupation of Nicaragua Occupation of Haiti Occupation of the Dominican Republic (1916) Sugar Intervention Philippine–American War Boxer Rebellion World War I Russian Civil War World War II Korean War Vietnam War 1958 Lebanon Crisis Occupation of the Dominican Republic (1965) Iranian hostage rescue Multinational Force in Lebanon Operation Urgent Fury 1986 bombing of Libya Tanker War Operation Earnest Will Operation Prime Chance Operation Eager Glacier Operation Nimble Archer Operation Praying Mantis Operation Just Cause Persian Gulf War Somali Civil War American military intervention in Somalia (2007–present) Somali Civil War (2009–present) Iraqi no-fly zones Bosnian War Kosovo War 1999 East Timorese crisis Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan Philippines Horn of Africa Pankisi Gorge Trans Sahara Caribbean and Central America Iraq War Pakistan-United States skirmishes Operation Odyssey Dawn 2014 intervention against ISIL Operation Inherent Resolve Resolute Support Mission Battle of Khasham Iran war
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation Joint Meritorious Unit Award Navy Unit Commendation Valorous Unit Award Meritorious Unit Commendation French Croix de guerre 1914–1918 Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Korean Presidential Unit Citation Vietnam Gallantry Cross Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
Website	marines.mil marines.com
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	President Donald Trump
Secretary of Defense	Pete Hegseth
Secretary of the Navy	John Phelan
Commandant	Gen Eric M. Smith
Assistant Commandant	Gen Bradford J. Gering
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps	SMMC Carlos A. Ruiz
Insignia
Flag
Seal
Emblem ("Eagle, Globe, and Anchor" or "EGA")[b]
Wordmark
Song	"The Marines’ Hymn" Playⓘ