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USS Maddox (DD-731)

USS Maddox (DD-731)

USS Maddox (DD-731), an Allen M. Sumner class destroyer was named for Captain William A. T. Maddox, USMC. She was laid down by the Bath Iron Works Corporation at Bath in Maine on 28 October 1943, launched on 19 March 1944 by Mrs. Harry H. Wilhoit, granddaughter of Captain Maddox and commissioned on 2 June 1944. Maddox screened the ships of the Fast Carrier Task Force during strikes against enemy targets in the western Pacific where she was struck by an enemy Japanese kamikaze aircraft off Formosa on 21 January 1945, covered the Marine landings at Okinawa, operated with the 7th Fleet in support of United Nations Forces during the Korean War, alternated operations along the west coast and in Hawaiian waters with regular deployments to the western Pacific with the Seventh Fleet, was allegedly attacked by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats as she cruised in international waters in the Tonkin Gulf on 2 August 1964, and participated in Sea Dragon and Market Time operations, patrolled on search and rescue duties and carried out Naval Gunfire Support missions during the conflict in Vietnam until departing for Long Beach 17 September. After arrival at Long Beach, Maddox remained in a leave and upkeep status until mid‑January 1965, then conducted training exercises and repairs in preparation for her next WestPac deployment. She departed Long Beach 10 July and commenced operating with the fast carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin in early August. For the next 4 months, Maddox alternated duty with the carriers with gunfire support missions off the coast of South Vietnam. At the end of November she sailed for home, arriving at Long Beach 16 December. After conducting upkeep and local exercises off the California coast, summer 1966 saw her engaged in a training cruise for midshipmen which included a trip to Pearl Harbor. Maddox departed California 20 November for another deployment with the 7th Fleet, sailing by way of Pearl Harbor, Midway, Guam, and Taiwan. After a successful tour consisting primarily of providing gunfire support, interrupted by a visit to Singapore and a crossing of the Equator on 8 February 1967, Maddox departed Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, for home by way of Australia, New Zealand, and Pearl Harbor. She arrived at Long Beach 7 June 1967 and conducted local exercises until entering Long Beach Naval Shipyard 13 October for overhaul. She remained in overhaul until February 1968; then, after refresher training off the west coast, departed for WestPac 5 July. After completion of overhaul and type training, Maddox once again deployed to the Far East in July 1968, returning in December, 1968 to her home port, Long Beach, for overhaul and upkeep. Maddox was decommissioned in 1969 and assigned to the Naval Reserve Force. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 2 July 1972. On 6 July 1972 she was transferred to Taiwan and renamed Po Yang. The ship was scrapped in 1985. Maddox was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her actions in the Tonkin Gulf. She also received four battle stars for World War II service, and six for Korean service. See USS Maddox for other ships with the same name.

References

External links


- [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m1/maddox-iii.htm history.navy.mil: USS Maddox]
- [http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/731.htm navsource.org: USS Maddox]
- [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd731txt.htm hazegray.org: USS Maddox] Maddox Maddox

Allen M. Sumner class

.]] The Allen M. Sumner class of destroyers was built by the United States during World War II. The first ship was laid down in July 1943, while the last was launched in December 1944. In that time the United States produced 58 Allen M. Sumner-class destroyers. The Sumner class, as it is sometimes called, was based upon the previous Fletcher-class of destroyers, which were built from 1941 until 1944. In addition to the 3 twin 5"/38 mounts, the Sumners had twin rudders, giving them better maneuverability for ASW work when compared to the Fletchers.

General characteristics


- Displacement: 2,200 tons (standard)
- Length: 376 ft 6 in (114.8 m) overall
- Beam: 40 ft (12.2 m)
- Draft: 15 ft 8 in (4.8 m)
- Complement: 336 standard
- Armament
  - 6 × 5 in. (127 mm) / 38 cal. (4.8 m) guns in 3 twin mounts
  - 12 × 40 mm AA guns
  - 11 × 20 mm AA guns
  - 2 × depth charge tracks
  - 6 × depth charge projectors
  - 10 × 21 in. (533 mm) torpedo tubes
- Speed: 34 knots (63 km) max
- Power: 60,000 shp (45 MW)
- Drive: 2 screws; geared turbine
- Fuel: 740 tons oil (max)

Sumner class ships


- USS Allen M. Sumner (DD-692)
- USS Moale (DD-693)
- USS Ingraham (DD-694)
- USS Cooper (DD-695)
- USS English (DD-696)
- USS Charles S. Sperry (DD-697)
- USS Ault (DD-698)
- USS Waldron (DD-699)
- USS Haynsworth (DD-700)
- USS John W. Weeks (DD-701)
- USS Hank (DD-702)
- USS Wallace L. Lind (DD-703)
- USS Borie (DD-704)
- USS Compton (DD-705)
- USS Gainard (DD-706)
- USS Soley (DD-707)
- USS Harlan R. Dickson (DD-708)
- USS Hugh Purvis (DD-709)
- USS Barton (DD-722)
- USS Walke (DD-723)
- USS Laffey (DD-724)
- USS O'Brien (DD-725)
- USS Meredith (DD-726)
- USS De Haven (DD-727)
- USS Mansfield (DD-728)
- USS Lyman K. Swenson (DD-729)
- USS Collett (DD-730)
- USS Maddox (DD-731)
- USS Hyman (DD-732)
- USS Mannert L. Abele (DD-733)
- USS Purdy (DD-734)
- USS Drexler (DD-741)
- USS Blue (DD-744)
- USS Brush (DD-745)
- USS Taussig (DD-746)
- USS Samuel N. Moore (DD-747)
- USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748)
- USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752)
- USS John R. Pierce (DD-753)
- USS Frank E. Evans (DD-754)
- USS John A. Bole (DD-755)
- USS Beatty (DD-756)
- USS Putnam (DD-757)
- USS Strong (DD-758)
- USS Lofberg (DD-759)
- USS John W. Thomason (DD-760)
- USS Buck (DD-761)
- USS Henley (DD-762)
- USS Lowry (DD-770)
- USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774)
- USS Willard Keith (DD-775)
- USS James C. Owens (DD-776)
- USS Zellars (DD-777)
- USS Massey (DD-778)
- USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779)
- USS Stormes (DD-780)
- USS Robert K. Huntington (DD-781)
- USS Bristol (DD-857) Category:Ship classes
- ja:アレン・M・サムナー級駆逐艦

Captain

Captain is both a nautical term and a military rank. The word came to English via French from the Latin capitaneus ("chief") which is itself derived from the Latin word for "head" (caput). The term has different meanings both at sea and in the military. Confusion between the three types of captain (nautical, naval and army) often exists in literature, drama and real life. The customs indicated are necessary to avoid confusion at sea when the question of "Who is in charge of the ship?" may be a matter of life and death.

Nautical

Captain is the legal status of the master of a ship at sea and, on most legal documents in the merchant shipping industry, he or she is referred to as the Master. A nautical captain may be a civilian or a naval commissioned officer of any rank. As the commander of a vessel under way, a nautical captain has enormous legal powers, including the right to use deadly force to suppress piracy and mutiny. Mutiny is not simply the crime of disobeying the lawful orders of a nautical captain at sea, but rather doing so with the intent of taking over the ship. However, contrary to popular belief, a captain of a ship does not have any special legal power to conduct a marriage. The captain of a ship at sea is in absolute command of that vessel even if higher-ranking persons are aboard. If higher-ranking persons give orders to the nautical captain, such persons are very careful to say what they want done rather than specifying how the orders are to be carried out, because even higher rank does not give them the right to interfere in how a captain runs the ship. The traditional sleeve emblem for captains both merchant and naval is four gold stripes (often called "rings") on the lower sleeve or shoulderboard. Many navies follow the precedent of the Royal Navy and have an "executive loop" on the top or inner ring. In the Royal Navy, the stripes and rings are called Nelsons if the ring sits above the stripe, and Half Nelson if only half above the stripe. The officer who is ranked immediately below the Captain is designated the First Officer, or "Chief Mate" (also Executive Officer or First Lieutenant), and is responsible for implementing the orders of the Captain as well as conferring with the Captain on matters concerning the ship. This "second in command" is typically responsible (along with the senior enlisted petty officer) for maintaining minor discipline on the ship. In older times, a Captain was a nobleman given responsibility over a ship, but was not likely to have any nautical experience. The next officer of the ship would be the Ship's Master, who would carry out the executive functions of a Captain, while the Captain filled a ceremonial and legal role.

Naval

Captain is the name most often given to the naval rank (equivalent to NATO rank code OF-5) of a commissioned officer between Commander (OF-4) and Commodore or Rear Admiral (OF-6). The navy of Poland is however, a notable exception, with Comandor being OF-5. Naval officers below the rank of Captain who are assigned to command a ship are addressed as captain while aboard that ship, by nautical custom. A naval captain traveling aboard a vessel he does not command is never referred to by rank to avoid confusion with the nautical captain, who remains in charge of the entire ship (including the passengers who outrank the nautical captain). Captains with field naval commands generally command ships of cruiser size or larger. The more senior the officer, the larger the ship. Commanders of aircraft carriers can be Rear Admiral, but generally, ship commanders are of Captain rank or lower. Also, many Captains are either retired or have desk jobs.

Military

In armies and marines, Captain is the rank (equivalent of Nato rank code OF-2) of a commissioned officer that is a rank below a Major. The military rank of Captain is ranked three steps lower than a naval Captain, and has no special authority with respect to a ship and is just another passenger or crew member whilst on board. Prior to the professionalization of the armed services of European nations subsequent to the French revolution, a captain was a nobleman who purchased the right to head a company from the previous holder of that right. He would in turn receive money from another nobleman to serve as his lieutenant. The funding to provide for the troops came from the monarch or his government; the captain had to be responsible for it. If he were not, or were otherwise court-martialed, he was dismissed ("cashiered"), and the monarch would receive money from another nobleman to command the company. Otherwise, the only pension for the captain was selling the right to another nobleman when he was ready to retire. In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, a captain's insignia consists of two silver bars. In the British Army and Royal Marines the insignia is a vertical row of three pips (sometimes called "stars"). In the Canadian Army, the insignia is two gold stripes on the sleeve or epaulet. Captains in the United States Army and Marine Corps generally Commands and controls company-sized units (62 to 190 Soldiers), together with a principal Non Commisioned Officer assistant. Instructs skills at service schools and combat training centers and is often a Staff Officer at the battalion level. In Medical units, Captain is the entry-level rank for Doctors and Registered Nurses. In Judge Advocate General units, Captain is the entry-level rank for Lawyers who already have their academic degree and are members of a Bar. Note that Marine units ("ship's soldiers", often responsible for security on modern warships and at embassies, as well as their amphibious assault and expeditionary duties) use rank designations similar to that of the army for all ranks In Germany the rank is Hauptmann.

Air Force

Due to most air forces being the junior service in most countries, it has adopted ranks from one of the other services. Many, such as the United States Air Force, use a rank structure and insignia similar to those of the army, while the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries, use a unique rank structure, loosely based on the naval one, in which a Group Captain is equivalent to the naval rank of captain. In the unified system of the Canadian Forces, however, the air force rank titles are identical to that of the Army, while the rank insignia is common to Army, Navy, and Air Force; thus, an air force or army captain wears two gold stripes on sleeve or epaulet (the same as a naval lieutenant), while the modern equivalent of the British Group Captain bears the rank and insignia of colonel, i.e. four gold stripes on sleeve or epaulet (same as a naval captain). See also Military unit.

Police

In most police departments, the rank of Captain is a high rank, below Chief of Police and above Inspector (Commander in the San Francisco Police Department). A Captain is often the officer in charge of a precinct.

Fire

In the fire service, a captain is above a lieutenant and under a batallion chief. This varies, though, from department to department. Generally, a fire department captain is in charge of a specific fire station. In paid departments, as opposed to volunteer departments, there is a captain for each station for each shift. In this case, the senior captain is responsible for the station overall. The head of the training division is often a captain, or there may be multiple captains reporting to a batallion chief of training. Additionally, captains may be assigned over other areas, such as Haz-mat or EMS.

Civil Aviation

In commercial aviation, a pilot in command of an aircraft is often referred to as a "captain." This practice began with the flying boats of the 1930s and quickly spread to most of the airline industry. Most airline captains wear uniforms with four bars on the sleeve and shoulderboard (imitating the rank basis of the rank insignia in both the US and Royal Navies) although this varies from company to company. Traditionally, they sit in the left hand seat of a fixed wing aircraft, and on the right in a helicopter. See also: military rank and comparative military ranks

Insignia

A variety of images illustrative of different forces' insignia for captain are shown below: Image:Grade-capt-vaisseau.jpg|Insignia of a French Naval Captain Image:Pagon komandor m.png|Insignia of a Polish Comandor Image:Captain_insignia.gif|Insignia of a U.S. Navy Captain Image:GC_insignia.png|Group Captain insignia of Royal Air Force Image:UK-Army-OF2.gif|Captain insignia of the British Army (the Royal Marines insignia is similar, but not identical) Image:BwHauptmann.png|Hauptmann insignia of German Army Image:Captain_insignia.png|Captain insignia of US Army and Air Force Image:USMC CAPTAIN.jpg|Captain insignia of US Marine Corps Estonian Navy insignias: http://www.mil.ee/index.php?menu=merevagi&sisu=mereolakud

See also


- Captain (sports)
- List of sea captains Category:Military ranks ja:大尉

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. While concerned almost exclusively with shipboard security service and amphibious warfare in its formative years, the Marine Corps has evolved to fill a unique, multi-purpose role within the modern United States military. The Marine Corps is the second smallest of the five branches (Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard) of the U.S. military, with 172,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2005. Only the United States Coast Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security, is smaller. In absolute terms, the US Marine Corps is nonetheless larger than the armed forces of many major nations; it is larger than the British Army, for example.

Mission

British Army The Marine Corps serves as a versatile combat element, and is adapted to a wide variety of combat operations. The Marine Corps was initially composed of infantry combat forces serving aboard naval vessels, responsible for security of the ship, its captain and officers, offensive and defensive combat during boarding actions, by acting as sharpshooters, and carrying out amphibious assaults. The Marines fully developed and used the tactics of amphibious assault in World War II, most notably in the Pacific Island Campaign. Since its creation in 1775, the Corps' role has expanded significantly. The Marines have a unique mission statement, and, alone among the branches of the U.S. armed forces, "shall, at any time, be liable to do duty in the forts and garrisons of the United States, on the seacoast, or any other duty on shore, as the President, at his discretion, shall direct." In this special capacity, charged with carrying out duties given to them directly by the President of the United States, the Marine Corps serves as an all-purpose, fast-response task force, capable of quick action in areas requiring emergency intervention. The Marine Corps possesses organic ground and air combat elements, and relies upon the US Navy to provide sea combat elements to fulfill its mission as "America's 9-1-1 Force". Marine combat forces are largely contained in three Marine Expeditionary Forces, or "MEF's". The 1st MEF is based out of Camp Pendleton, California, the 2nd out of Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, while the third is based on Okinawa, Japan. Within the MEF's are the individual Marine Divisions (MARDIVS), Force Service Support Groups (FSSG's) and Marine Aircraft Wings (MAWs). Force Reconnaissance companies are composed of Marines specially trained in covert insertion, reconnaissance, and surveillance tactics, and some have even received special operations training. The "Recon Marines" basic mission is to scout out the enemy and report what they find. Marine tactics and doctrine tends to emphasize aggressiveness and the offensive, compared to Army tactics for similar units. The Marines have been central in developing groundbreaking tactics for maneuver warfare; they can be credited with the development of helicopter insertion doctrine and modern amphibious assault. The Marines also maintain an operational and training culture dedicated to emphasizing the infantry combat abilities of every Marine. All Marines receive training first and foremost as basic riflemen, and thus the Marine Corps at heart functions culturally as an infantry corps. The Marine Corps is famous for the saying "Every Marine is a rifleman." The maneuver warfare doctrine upon which the Corps is organized and the chaotic nature of the operations which the Corps has traditionally taken on causes it to place a premium on decentralized decision-making and the individual abilities of leaders at all levels. As a result, a large degree of initiative and autonomy is expected of even junior Marines, particularly the NCO's (Corporals and Sergeants) regarding the accomplishment of their particular missions, at least compared to many other military organizations. The Marine Corps has a strong tendency towards pushing authority and responsibility downward throughout its organization onto Marines to a greater degree than their counterparts in rank would have in other services. While the Marine Corps does not necessarily fill unique combat roles, only when combined do the US Army, Navy, and US Air Force overlap every area that the Marine Corps covers. As a force, the Marines consistently use all essential elements of combat (air, ground, sea) together. While the creation of joint commands under the Goldwater-Nichols Act has improved interservice coordination between the larger services, the Marine Corps' ability to permanently maintain integrated multi-element task forces under a single command provides a special ability to respond to flexibility and urgency requirements. The Marines argue that they do not and should not take the place of the other services, any more than an ambulance takes the place of a hospital. Nonetheless, when a pressing emergency develops, the Marines essentially act as a stopgap, to get into and hold an area until the larger machinery can be mobilized. The opinions of other military men and politicians have, at times, differed, and President Harry S. Truman considered abolishing the Corps as part of the 1948 reorganization of the military. As Truman said, "The only propaganda machine that rivals that of Stalin is that of the United States Marine Corps." Truman, a former U.S. Army artillery captain in WWI, still resented the high degrees of praise bestowed the Marines after the First World War mostly at the expense of Army units. He also believed that the Army proved that they could do amphibious landings with the actions in North Africa, Italy and Normandy so there was no need for a separate service to fulfill this function. An example of this coordinated, time-sensitive capability could be seen in 1990, when the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (22nd MEU) conducted Operation Sharp Edge, a noncombatant evacuation operation, or NEO, in the west African city of Monrovia, Liberia. Liberia suffered from civil war at the time, and civilian citizens of the United States and other countries could not leave via conventional means. Sharp Edge ended in success. Only one reconnaissance team came under fire, with no casualties incurred on either side, and the Marines evacuated several hundred civilians within hours to U.S. Navy vessels waiting offshore.

Creation and history

The Marine Corps, originally created as the "Continental Marines" during the American Revolutionary War, was formed by a resolution of the Continental Congress on November 10, 1775, and first recruited at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Samuel Nicholas. They served as landing troops for the recently created Continental Navy. The Continental Marines were disbanded at the end of the war in April 1783 but re-formed on July 11 1798. Despite the gap, Marines worldwide celebrate November 10 as the Marine Corps Birthday. Historically, the United States Marine Corps has achieved fame in several campaigns, as referenced in the first line of the Marines' Hymn: "From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli". In the early 19th century, First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon led a group of eight Marines and 300 Arab and European mercenaries in capturing Tripoli. Separately, the Marines took part in the Mexican-American War (1846–1848) and assaulted the Castillo de Chapultepec, or the Chapultepec Palace, which overlooked Mexico City. The Marines were placed on guard duty at the Mexican Presidential Palace, "The Halls of Montezuma". Mexico City)
U.S. Marines raise the American Flag on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945]] After these early 19th-century engagements, the Marine Corps occupied a small role in American military history. They saw little significant action in the American Civil War, but later become prominent due to their deployment in small wars around the world. During the latter half of the 19th century, the Marines saw action in Korea, Cuba, the Philippines, and China. During the years before and after World War I, the Marines saw action throughout the Caribbean in places such as Haiti and Nicaragua. These actions became known as "The Banana Wars", and the experiences gained in counter-insurgency and guerrilla operations during this period were consolidated into the Small Wars Manual. In World War I, the battle-tested, veteran Marines served a central role in the U.S. entry into the conflict, and at the Battle of Belleau Wood, Marine units were in the front, earning the Marines a reputation as the "First to Fight". This battle marked the creation of the Marines' reputation in modern history. Rallying under the battle cries of "Retreat? Hell, we just got here!" (Captain Lloyd Williams) and "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" (then Gunnery Sergeant, later Sergeant Major Dan Daly, two time Medal of Honor recipient), the Marines drove German forces from the area. Captured prisoners and German letters referred to the Marines in the battle as "Teufelshunden", literally, "Devil Dogs", a nickname Marines proudly hold to this day. The French government renamed Belleau Wood "Bois de la Brigade de Marine", or "Wood of the Marine Brigade," and decorated both the 5th and 6th Regiments with the Crois de Guerre. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then Secretary of the Navy, stated that enlisted Marines would henceforth wear the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on their uniform collar. In World War II, the Marines played a central role in the Pacific War, and the war saw the expansion of the Corps from two brigades to two corps with six divisions and five air wings with 132 squadrons. The battles of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa saw fierce fighting between US Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army. The secrecy afforded their communications by the now-famous Navajo code talkers program, is widely seen as having contributed significantly to their success. During the Battle of Iwo Jima, Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima, a famous photograph of five Marines and one Navy corpsman raising the US flag on Mt. Suribachi, was taken. Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, who had come ashore earlier that day to observe the progress of the troops, said of the flag raising on Iwo Jima, "...the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years". The acts of the Marines during the war added to their already significant popular reputation, and the USMC War Memorial in Arlington, VA was dedicated in 1954. The Korean War saw the Marines fighting in the Provisional Marine Brigade at the Pusan Perimeter, then landing at Inchon and assaulting north into North Korea along with the Army. As U.S. forces approached the Yalu River, the People's Republic of China, fearing an incursion by American forces, sent armies over the river to engage American forces within Korea. People's Republic of China At the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, the First Marine Division, vastly outnumbered but vastly better equipped and trained, fought Chinese forces. Although surrounded, the Marines regrouped, assaulted the Chinese, and inflicted heavy casualties during their fighting withdrawal to the coast. The Marines also played an important role in the Vietnam War at battles such as Da Nang, Hué City, and Khe Sanh. Marines were among the first troops deployed to Vietnam, as well as the last to leave during the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon. After Vietnam, Marines served in a number of important events and places. On October 23, 1983, a Marine barracks in Lebanon was bombed, causing the highest peacetime losses to the Corps in its history (220 Marines killed) and leading to the American withdrawal from Lebanon. Marines were also responsible for liberating Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War, as the Army made an attack to the west directly into Iraq. In 1995, Marines performed a successful mission in Bosnia, rescuing Captain Scott O'Grady, a downed Air Force fighter pilot, in what is called a TRAP (Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel). Most recently, the Marines served prominently in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent occupation, where a light, mobile force was and is especially needed. Perhaps most notably, the Marines spearheaded both assaults on the city of Fallujah in April and November 2004.

Reputation of the Marine Corps

The Marine Corps has a widely-held reputation as a fierce and effective fighting force and the Marines take pride in their gung-ho attitude, they are indoctrinated with a strong belief in their chain of command and the importance of esprit de corps, a spirit of enthusiasm and pride in themselves and the Corps. The Marine Corps is popularly seen as possessing a degree of fame and infamy among the enemies they fight, and examples of this effect are readily seized upon and publicized by the Corps and its supporters. During the 1991 Gulf War, after Iraqi forces had already been bloodied by the Corps in the first ground engagement of the war at Khafji, U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf used a public demonstration of a Marine landing on Kuwait and the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr to pin down Iraqi units, while the Army then executed a sweep from the West. Most recently, Iraqis in the Persian Gulf War and 2003 invasion of Iraq were said to have taken special note of Marine Cobra helicopters and the distinctive look of the Marine combat uniform. The Marines have taken steps to build on this psychological advantage by, for instance, developing a new utility uniform that makes Marines easier to distinguish from other US servicemen. See the [http://www.marcorsyscom.usmc.mil/sites/mcub/PAGES/uniform_plates.htm Web site of the Permanent Marine Corps Uniform Board (PMCUB)] for illustrations of the various Marine uniforms. 2003 invasion of Iraq The Marine Corps has also recently initiated an internally designed martial arts program, an idea borrowed from the South Korean Marines, who train in martial arts and who, during the Vietnam War, were widely rumored to all be black belts. Due to an expectation that urban and police-type peacekeeping missions will become more common in the 21st century, which will place Marines in even closer contact with unarmed civilians, it is expected that the Marines will benefit from having a larger and more versatile set of less-than-lethal options for controlling hostile, but unarmed individuals. It is also a stated aim of the program to instill and maintain the "warrior culture" within Marines. While the reputation of the Marine Corps has remained largely positive in recent years, at least within the United States, the Corps has still struggled with occasional negative press and perceptions. In many conflicts, members of the other armed forces of the United States have complained that the Marine Corps often emphasizes its prowess at the expense of the reputation of Army or Navy units which are nearby. An example occurred at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War, when a Marine officer (probably Lt. General Lewis "Chesty" Puller) disparaged the undermanned Army infantry regiment which took the initial Chinese attack. Additionally, the aggressive tradition of the Marine Corps, and the public perception of the Corps' as both an agressive organization and an elite force within the US military, has at times led to public relations issues surrounding accusations of bullying, harrassment and hazing since WWII. In its post-World War II history, the Marine Corps reputation has been damaged several times. The first major event was the Ribbon Creek Incident on April 8, 1956, when the junior Drill Instructor, Staff Sergeant Matthew Mckeon, led his assigned platoon into a tidal stream on Parris Island in the purpose of disciplining his platoon, while violating several basic Marine and training regulations. 6 recruits died. SSgt McKeon was court-martialed, and, with significant media coverage, an extensive Congressional investigation took place. See also: The Ribbon Creek incident In recent years, following incidents of hazing in various Marine Corps units, such as ANGLICO and the Silent Drill Platoon; incidents involving civilians in Status of Forces Agreement countries; and other public relations issues that could cast the Corps into disrepute, increasingly further-reaching measures have been taken to prevent such incidents and protect the public image of the Marine Corps. Standing orders prohibit hazing and inititation rituals of any kind, at least officially. Marines on Okinawa and at other posts are regularly subject to restrictions and curfews, particularly following incidents between Marines and civilians. Marines today are also discouraged from publicly disparaging other branches of service. These and other measures reflect a realization that the Marine Corps is generally more visible and higher profile than the other branches of service in all that it does and that it relies upon the goodwill of the American people and Congress to a much greater degree for its survival.

Organization

Air-ground task forces

The Marine Corps organization is flexible, and task forces can be formed of any size. Modern deployed Marine units are based upon the doctrine of the Marine air-ground task force, or MAGTF. A MAGTF can generally be of any of three sizes, based upon the amount of force required in the given situation; however, all MAGTFs have a similar organization. A MAGTF is comprised of four elements: the command element (CE), the ground combat element (GCE), the air combat element (ACE) and the combat service support element (CSSE).
- Command element — A headquarters unit that directs the other elements
- Ground combat element — Usually infantry, supported by armor (tanks), and artillery, but including special units such as scouts or Force Reconnaissance, snipers and forward air controllers
- Air combat element — The total airpower strength of the MAGTF, the ACE includes all aerial vehicles (both fixed wing and helicopter), their pilots and maintenance personnel and those units necessary for aviation command and control.
- Combat service support element — This element includes all of the support units for the MAGTF: communications, combat engineers, motor transport, medical and supply units, and certain specialized groups such as air delivery and landing support teams The smallest type of MAGTF is the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The MEU is trained to operated as an independent force or as part of a Joint Task Force. Four elements make up a Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable): The Command Element is the standing headquarters for the MEU, usually headed by a Colonel (O-6). The Ground Combat Element is a Battalion Landing Team; an infantry battalion reinforced with tanks, artillery, engineers, amphibious vehicles, light armored vehicles, and other ground combat assets. The Aviation Combat Element is made up of a composite squadron of both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. The Combat Service Support Element consists of a MEU Service Support Group which handles the logistics and administration needs of the MEU. The specific makeup of the MEU can be customized based upon the task at hand; additional artillery, armor, or air units can be attached, including squadrons of F/A-18 Hornet and Harrier jets. There are usually three MEUs assigned to each of the U.S. Navy Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, with another MEU based on Okinawa. While one MEU is on deployment, one MEU is training to deploy and one is standing down, resting its Marines, and refitting. Each MEU is rated as capable of performing special operations. A Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) is larger than a MEU, and is based upon a Marine regiment, with larger air and support contingents. A Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), as deployed in Iraq in 2003, comprises a Marine division with an artillery regiment, several tank battalions, several LAV battalions, as well as an air wing. The I Marine Expeditionary Force as deployed in the Persian Gulf War ultimately consisted of the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions as well as considerable Marine air and support units.

Ground Combat Elements

Here is the typical organization for Marine Corps infantry units, from smallest to largest: (Note that the organization and weapons below are from Marine Corps Table of Organization and Equipment standard. Any Marine Corps unit might be organized differently under their own SOP and specialized units, such as Force Reconnaissance, could certainly carry different weapons):
- fire team: four Marines; team leader (M16A4 with M203 attachment), automatic rifleman (M249), assistant automatic rifleman(M16A4), and rifleman (M16A4).
- squad: three fire teams and a corporal or sergeant as squad leader
- platoon
  - rifle platoon: three squads, a Navy corpsman, a platoon sergeant (staff sergeant), and a lieutenant as platoon commander
  - weapons platoon: a 60mm mortar section, an assault section, a medium machine gun section (using M240G 7.62mm machine guns), a Navy corpsman, a platoon sergeant (gunnery sergeant), and a lieutenant as platoon commander
- company
  - rifle company: three rifle platoons, a weapons platoon, a Navy corpsman, a administrative clerk, a police sergeant (corporal or sergeant), a training NCO, a company gunnery sergeant, first sergeant, a first lieutenant as executive officer, and captain as commander
  - weapons company: an 81mm mortar platoon, an anti-armor platoon, and a heavy machine gun platoon
  - headquarters and support company:
- battalion: three or four companies, commanded by a lieutenant colonel
- regiment: three or four battalions, commanded by a colonel
- brigade: less common in the Marine Corps, but typically made up of one or more regiments and commanded by a brigadier general
- division: three or four regiments, officers and others, commanded by a major general Battalions and larger units have a sergeant major, and an executive officer as second in command, plus officers and others for: Administration (S-1), Intelligence (S-2), Operations (S-3), Logistics (S-4), Civil Affairs [wartime only] (S-5), and Communications (S-6). Units of batallion size or larger may be reinforced by the addition of supporting tank or artillery units, as in the Battalion Landing Teams comprising the GCEs of Marine Expeditionary Units. As of 2004, there are four Marine divisions:
- the First in Camp Pendleton, California;
- the Second in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina;
- the Third in Camp Smedley Butler in Okinawa, Japan; and
- the Fourth is a reserve unit headquarted in New Orleans, Louisiana, with units scattered throughout the continental United States. In World War II, two more Marine Divisions were formed: the Fifth and Sixth, which fought in the Pacific War. These divisions were disbanded after the end of the war.

Aviation

Typical aviation units are squadron, group and wing. There are four Marine aircraft wings:
- the 1st MAW in Okinawa, Japan;
- the 2d MAW in Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina;
- the 3d MAW at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California; and
- the 4th MAW, a reserve unit headquartered in New Orleans.

Logistics Groups

There are also four Marine Logistics Group
- the First in Camp Pendleton, California;
- the Second in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina;
- the Third in Okinawa, Japan;
- and the Fourth, a reserve unit, headquartered in New Orleans.

Participation in Joint Operations

The MAGTF structure reflects a strong tradition in the Corps towards self-sufficiency and a committment to combined arms, both essential assets to an expeditionary force often called upon to act independently in discrete, time-sensitive situations. The history of the Marine Corps as well has led to a wariness towards relying too much on its sister services. During WWII, Marines at times viewed the support which they received from the Navy during the Pacific island battles as insufficient. During most of the Korean War, the Corps was forced to fight as "leg infantry" under Army command, and their unique potential advantage as an amphibious force operating in a penninsular country was ignored. In recent years, the Corps has come to cooperate more and more closely with the other service branches under the Joint Command Structure. An example of this is the recent establishment of Marine Special Operations Command under the joint U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), a move which the Corps eschewed when SOCOM was founded in 1986.

Ranks

This list is in ascending order. It includes pay grades and abbreviations in the style used by the Marine Corps. Enlisted:
  - E-1, Private, Pvt
  - E-2, Private First Class, PFC
  - E-3, Lance Corporal, LCpl
- Noncommissioned Officers, or NCOs:
  - E-4, Corporal, Cpl
  - E-5, Sergeant, Sgt
- Staff Noncommissioned Officers, or SNCOs:
  - E-6, Staff Sergeant, SSgt
  - E-7, Gunnery Sergeant, GySgt
  - E-8
    - Master Sergeant, MSgt
    - First Sergeant, 1stSgt
  - E-9
    - Master Gunnery Sergeant, MGySgt
    - Sergeant Major, SgtMaj
    - Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, SgtMajMC NOTE 1: The E-8 and E-9 levels each have two ranks per pay grade, each with different responsibilities. Gunnery Sergeants indicate on their annual evaluations, called "fitness reports", or "fitreps" for short, their preferred promotional track: Master Sergeant or First Sergeant. The First Sergeant and Sergeant Major ranks are command-oriented, with Marines of these ranks serving as the senior enlisted Marines in a unit, charged to assist the commanding officer in matter of discipline, administration and the morale and welfare of the unit. Master Sergeants and Master Gunnery Sergeants provide technical leadership as occupational specialists in their specific MOS. First Sergeants typically serve as the senior enlisted Marine in a company, battery or other unit at similar echelon, while Sergeants Major serve the same role in battalions, squadrons or larger units. NOTE 2: The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is the senior enlisted Marine of the entire Marine Corps, personally selected by the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Some enlisted ranks have commonly used nicknames, though they are not official and technically improper. For instance, a Master Sergeant, is commonly called "Top". A Gunnery Sergeant is typically called "Gunny", and (much less often) "Guns". A Master Gunnery Sergeant is often called "Master Guns". Likewise, Lance Corporals are often referred to (derisively) as "Lance Coolies", "Lances", or "Lance Criminals". Though they are not usually called by rank due to their status as "non-rates". Unlike the US Army, no enlisted personnel is referred to as "Sarge", and most NCOs will take offense to the term. Likewise, ranks such as Staff Sergeant or Gunnery Sergeant, are never shortened to Sergeant. Warrant Officers
- W-1, Warrant Officer, WO
- W-2, Chief Warrant Officer 2, CWO2
- W-3, Chief Warrant Officer 3, CWO3
- W-4, Chief Warrant Officer 4, CWO4
- W-5, Chief Warrant Officer 5, CWO5 NOTE 3: A Chief Warrant Officer, CWO2-CWO5, serving in the MOS 0306 "Infantry Weapons Officer" is designated as a special rank: "Marine Gunner". A Marine Gunner replaces the Chief Warrant Officer insignia on the LEFT collar with a bursting bomb insignia. Other Warrant Officers are sometimes informally also referred to as "Gunner" but this usage is not correct. Commissioned officers:
- Company-grade officers
  - O-1, Second Lieutenant, 2ndLt
  - O-2, First Lieutenant, 1stLt
  - O-3, Captain, Capt
- Field-grade officers
  - O-4, Major, Maj
  - O-5, Lieutenant Colonel, LtCol
  - O-6, Colonel, Col
- Generals
  - O-7, Brigadier General, BGen
  - O-8, Major General, MajGen
  - O-9, Lieutenant General, LtGen
  - O-10, General, Gen NOTE 4: There has never been any O-11 "five-star" General rank thus far in the Marine Corps, though such a rank could theoretically be created at any time by act of Congress (the first time Congress were to promote a Marine Officer to such a rank). Historically, O-11 ranks, such as "General of the Army" or "General of the Air Force" (five star General) or "Fleet Admiral" were established during WWII to allow US General- or Flag-grade officers to command foreign officers under the allied command structure who, otherwise, would have technically outranked them (an example would be a British "Field Marshal", a rank which does not exist in the US military but would be equivalent to a five-star General). Currently, no officer in any branch of the U.S. military holds a grade of O-11.

Commandants

The Commandant of the Marine Corps functions as the highest-ranking officer of the Marine Corps. Even though more senior Marine officers occasionally exist, the commandant is still in charge of the administration of the Marine Corps. The commandant is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and reports to the Secretary of the Navy, but not to the Chief of Naval Operations. As of October 2005, Marine Generals Peter Pace (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and James L. Jones (Commander of the United States European Command; NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; and a former commandant of the Marine Corps) are senior in time and grade to the commandant. The commandant is responsible for keeping the Marine Corps in fighting condition and does not serve as a direct battlefield commander. However, he is the symbolic and functional head of the Corps, and holds a position of very high esteem among Marines. As of April 2005, the Commandant of the Marine Corps is General Michael W. Hagee, who became Commandant in January of 2003.

Appearance

Michael W. Hagee Marines are often confused with Soldiers, who are members of United States Army. Some differences in appearance are:
- Marines do not wear berets.
- Marines wear boots only with their utility uniform
- Reflecting their naval heritage, Marines do not salute under 'cover' (indoors), in the field, or when they are not wearing a 'cover' (hat).
- The Marine service uniform, roughly equivalent to business attire, has a long or short sleeve button up khaki shirt, the long-sleeved version of which is worn with a double windsor knotted necktie, and olive-green trousers. The equivalent Army uniform has a light-green shirt with forest-green trousers. Enlisted Marines wear their rank insignia on the sleeve of the service shirt, but Army privates and specialists wear their rank on the collar, and NCOs wear theirs on shoulder epaulets. Marine officers wear rank insignia on the collar, whereas Army officers wear their rank insignia in a similar manner as that of NCOs.
- The Marine class "A" service coat is olive green (as opposed to forest green for the Army) and has a waist-belt, formerly a Garrison belt for enlisted Marines and the Sam Browne belt for officers. The Marine service uniform is worn with either a barracks (service) cover, which has a bill and a round top, or a garrison cover, which comes to a peak.
- Marines are less generous with awards and unit identification; the rationale behind this is that as a member of an elite force, it is enough to be identified simply as a Marine. For example, with the exception of breast insignia denoting a few specialized qualifications such as airborne (parachute), pilot or scuba/rebreather qualification, and small red patches sewn on the utility trouser legs and covers of Landing Support Marines, Marines do not normally wear any insignia or device on their utility uniforms denoting their unit, MOS (military occupational specialty), or training.
- Traditionally, Marine officers eschew the wearing of rank insignia in combat, on the theory that it simply makes them targets (as in Vietnam) and do not allow saluting in these situations. Enlisted Marines are supposed to know who their leaders are, regardless of whether or not they are wearing rank insignia. This attitude supports the conduct of amphibious operations, the most complex of all military maneuvers. During such a maneuver, units are typically scattered and without a traditional command structure. Leaders are anyone who takes the initiative to lead, an attribute that is stressed throughout Marine Corps training and doctrine.

Utility uniform

Differences in the utility uniform include:
- The cover (hat) of the utility uniform is constructed differently. Marine covers have eight sides and corners.
- Marines wear green-colored "skivvie" undershirts with their utility uniform, even in the desert. Soldiers wear brown undershirts with BDUs/DCUs and pale undershirts with the ACU.
- Soldiers roll up the sleeves of their utility uniform so the camouflage is facing out. Marines fold their sleeves so that the lighter-colored underside faces out (known as "white-side out").
- Marines "blouse" their boots. That is, they roll the cuffs of their trousers back inside and tighten them over the boots with a cord or an elastic band known as a boot band. Soldiers either blouse their boots or tuck their trousers directly into their boots.
- Marines do not wear any rank insignia or other device on the utility cover. The front of the cover has instead the Marine Corps Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem, and since the introduction of the MARPAT pattern, this insignia has been embroidered directly on the front--not ironed on as on previous covers.
- On their utility uniforms, Marine officers typically wear their rank insignia on both collars, while Army officers, since the introduction of the new Army Combat Uniform, wear their rank insignia on a flap located on the front of the ACU shirt. In garrison, Marine officers typically wear collar insignia made of shiny metal, as opposed to the "subdued" stitched-on insignia worn by Army officers.
- Marines wear a colored belt, often referred to as a "rigger's belt", that is color coded to represent their specific qualification under the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.
- Marines used to wear black combat boots with the utility uniform, as do the Army and Air Force. But in 2002, light-brown suede combat boots were introduced along with a new type of camouflage, the "MARPAT" uniform. (See photo.) Effective 1 October 2004, black combat boots were declared obsolete and no longer authorized for general wear by Marines. Exception is made for black safety boots worn for certain tasks, such as parachuting.
- As of 1 October 2006, the old-style camouflage utility uniform, also worn by the Army and Air Force, will be declared obsolete. The only utility uniform authorized for Marines will be the MARPAT uniform.
- As of 2004, both the Army and the Air Force have announced plans to replace their old-style "pickle suit" camouflage utility uniforms with newer designs similar to the Marine Corps digital "MARPAT" pattern. The Navy has started experimentations on the replacement of their "dungaree" and Officer/Chief Petty Officer uniforms with a variation of the "MARPAT" pattern.

Mess Dress

Mess Dress is a formal set of attire specifically set aside for wear to banquets, balls, and functions of state. While mainly worn by staff NCO's and officers, a few junior enlisted personel can have need of it such as embassy Marines.

Dress uniform

embassy Marine's Dress uniform is the most eleborate of the United States armed forces. The most formal of a Marines uniforms, it is often refered to as "Dress Blues", due to its color (as distinguished from the green and khaki service uniforms), it can be worn in many forms.
- Dress Blue "A" has a long sleeve outer blouse, white barracks cover, with all medals and ribbons. A Mameluke Sword or NCO sword may be worn by officers, SNCOs and NCOs as authorized.
- Dress Blue "B" is the same as "A", but ribbons are worn instead of medals, and badges(optional).
- Dress Blue "C" is same as "B" but without the outer blue coat, a khaki long sleeve shirt and tie instead. Ribbons and badges are normally worn on the shirt.
- Dress Blue "D" is same as "C", but with short sleeve khaki shirt and no tie. All the blues have the same trousers, cover and shoes, although the shoes do not have to be of one brand they do have to be uniform. General officers will wear a two-inch wide scarlet "blood stripe" down the outer seam of each leg of blue dress trousers/slacks, field and company grade officers will wear a 1 1/2-inch wide scarlet stripe down the outer seam of each leg of blue dress trousers/slacks, and SNCO's and NCO's will wear a 1 1/8-inch wide scarlet stripe down the outer seam of each leg of blue dress trousers/slacks. Certain ceremonial Marine units, such as the Silent Drill Platoon, substitute white trousers for blue while performing ceremonial functions.

Culture

The Marine motto "Semper Fidelis" means "Always faithful" in Latin. This motto often appears in the shortened form "Semper Fi!" It is also the name of the official march of the Corps, composed by John Phillip Sousa. Another motto commonly used in recuriting is The Few. The Proud. The Marines.. The colors of the Marine Corps are scarlet and gold. They appear on the flag of the United States Marine Corps, along with the Marine Corps emblem: the eagle, globe, and anchor, with the eagle representing service to the country, the globe representing worldwide service, and the anchor representing naval traditions. The emblem, adopted in its present form in 1868, derives partially from ornaments worn by the Continental Marines and the British Royal Marines, and is usually topped with a ribbon reading "Semper Fidelis". Two styles of swords are worn by Marines. The Marine Corps officer sword is a Mameluke sword, similar to the sword presented to Lt. Presley O'Bannon after the capture of Derne during the First Barbary War. Noncommissioned officers carry a different style of sword, similar in style to a Civil War, U.S. Army infantry officer's sword, making them the only enlisted service members in the U.S. Armed Forces authorized to carry a sword. Marines have several generic nicknames, mildly derogatory when used by outsiders but complimentary when used by Marines themselves. They include "jarhead" (it was said their hats on their uniform made them look like mason jars, or that the regulation "high and tight" haircut gave the appearance of a jar-lid), "gyrene" (perhaps a combination of "G.I." and "Marine"), "leatherneck", referring to the leather collar that was a part of the Marine uniform during the Revolutionary War period, and "Devil Dog" (German: Teufelshund) after the Battle of Belleau Wood. This nicknaming extends to the Corps itself. The acronym 'USMC' is regularly reworked into "Uncle Sam's Misguided Children," and even Marines themselves have semi-derogatory nicknames for their Corps, with Marines during the Vietnam era labeling it 'the Crotch' and Cold War era Marines preferring 'the Suck'. A spirited cry, "Oorah!", is common among Marines, being similar in function and purpose to the Army's "Hooah" cry, but is probably more commonly used among Marines than "Hooah" would be in the Army. "Oorah!" is usually either a reply in the affirmative to a question, an acknowledgment of an order, or an expression of enthusiasm (real or false). In the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi soldiers nicknamed the Marines "Angels of Death". Another so-called term of endearment for Marines was "blackboots". This was due to supply shortages, leaving tan, desert boots unavailable to most Marine units. Haitians called Marines participating in relief operations "whitesleeves" because of the way they roll up the sleeves of their utility uniform, called "cammies" colloquially. In Somalia, they were referred to as "The Devils in black boots", due to their rapid deployment preventing them from acquiring desert boots.

Initial training

Training for commissioned officers occurs through NROTC, the Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps; OCS, Officer Candidate School, including the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC), or the United States Naval Academy. After that, all officers spend their first six months, regardless of accession route or further training requirements, at The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. The Basic School, solely for freshly commissioned second lieutenants learning the art of infantry and combined arms warfare, is an example of the unique approach the Corps takes to fostering the credo that "Every Marine is a rifleman first." Enlisted Marines attend boot camp, at either Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego or Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, just outside Beaufort, South Carolina. Women must attend Parris Island, but men train at either depot. The Mississippi River serves as the dividing line which delineates who will be trained where (with some minor exceptions), based on the what recruiting district the enlistee was recruited from. Enlisted Marines then attend School of Infantry training at Camp Lejeune or Camp Pendleton, generally based upon where the Marine attended boot camp. Infantry Marines begin their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) training immediately with the Infantry Training Battalion (ITB), while all other Marines train with the Marine Combat Training (MCT) Battalion before continuing on to their MOS schools. In 1997, the school at Camp Lejeune expanded the MCT program to integrate female Marines. This basic infantry training for all Marines is one element of the philosophy that "Every Marine is a Rifleman."

Marine bases and stations

Main article: List of U.S. Marine Corps bases

Miscellaneous


- The United States Marines have recently agreed to supply a 2,700 Marine unit which will report directly to U.S. Special Operations Command. The move, the result of years-long negotiations between the Defense Department, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Marine Corps Commandant General Michael W. Hagee, will create a new organization called Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/01/AR2005110102069.html]
- Marines guard U.S. embassies (Marine Corps Security Guard) and other foreign missions, in cooperation with the Diplomatic Security Service. Marines also stand guard at the White House.
- The president's helicopter is Marine One, part of HMX-1, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
- Marines do not serve as Chaplains or Corpsmen (medical). Navy sailors fill those roles. They would generally wear the Marine uniforms of the day with Navy markings when serving with the Marines. Officer Ranks and E-7/E-9 Chief Petty Officer rates are worn on the collar, while E-2/E-6 enlisted rate are worn on the left sleeve. For example, when wearing utility uniforms, a Navy Corpsman wears their rank/rate on the right collar, a shield with the Caduceus on the left, and U. S. Navy over the right breast pocket. The Chaplains would also wear their ranks on the right collar and US Navy above the right breast pocket but wear a a religious symbol on their left collar to signify their religious preference.
- The United States Marine Band, known as "The President's Own", is charged with providing music for the President of the United States and often plays during state functions.
- Infamous former Marines: Lee Harvey Oswald, Charles Whitman, Clayton Lonetree, Charles ng and John Wayne Bobbitt .
- Academy Awards
  - Four former Marines have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor: Lee Marvin (won for Cat Ballou), Steve McQueen (nominated for The Sand Pebbles), George C. Scott (won for Patton but returned the statue), and Gene Hackman (won for The French Connection).
  - Gene Hackman also won the Academy Awar

Bath Iron Works

 Bath Iron Works (BIW) is located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine. Since it was founded in 1884, BIW has built private, commercial, and military vessels. Its biggest customer has been the U.S. Navy, for which BIW has built (and often designed) a battleship, frigates, cruisers, and destroyers, including the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer—the most advanced surface warship in the world. BIW was purchased in 1995 by General Dynamics. BIW has since at least the 1970s been the largest private employer in the state of Maine, though that title may recently have slipped to the Hannaford grocery chain. In World War II, the toughness of warships launched by Maine workers gave rise to the saying: "Bath-built is best-built". In 1988, the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58), commissioned two years earlier at Bath, survived a mine explosion that tore a hole in its engine room and flooded two compartments. "A Bath boat is the Stradivarius of destroyers!"

External links


- [http://www.gdbiw.com/ Bath Iron Works website] Category:Shipbuilding companies of the United States

Bath, Maine

Bath is a city located in Sagadahoc County, Maine. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. It has been a shipbuilding center since colonial times, and is located upriver on the Kennebec from the site of the construction the Virginia of Sagadahoc, the first oceangoing vessel built in the New World by English-speaking shipwrights. Today it is the location of the Bath Iron Works shipyard, which has built hundreds of wooden and steel vessels, mostly warships for the U.S. Navy.

Geography

U.S. NavyBath is located at 43°54'59" North, 69°49'21" West (43.916293, -69.822565). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34.3 km² (13.2 mi²). 23.6 km² (9.1 mi²) of it is land and 10.7 km² (4.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 31.12% water.

Demographics

mi² As of the census of 2000, there are 9,266 people, 4,042 households, and 2,344 families residing in the city. The population density is 392.7/km² (1,016.8/mi²). There are 4,383 housing units at an average density of 185.8/km² (481.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 94.92% White, 1.60% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. 1.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 4,042 households out of which 29.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% are married couples living together, 13.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 42.0% are non-families. 34.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.26 and the average family size is 2.91. married couples In the city the population is spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.9 males. The median income for a household in the city is $36,372, and the median income for a family is $45,830. Males have a median income of $35,064 versus $22,439 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,112. 11.8% of the population and 9.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.5% of those under the age of 18 and 9.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

See also


- Brunswick, Maine
- Bath Iron Works (company), Bath, Maine

External links


- [http://www.VisitBath.com/ Official site Main Street Bath, Maine]
- [http://www.cityofbath.com/ Official site of The City of Bath, Maine]
- [http://www.patten.lib.me.us/ Patten Free Library, Bath, Maine]
- [http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=14&x=135&y=1519&z=19&w=1&ref=P Aerial photo]
- Category:Cities in Maine Category:Sagadahoc County, Maine

Maine

Maine is a state of the United States. It is probably named after the French province of Maine. Another possibility for the name "Maine" is that the people living on islands along the coast of Maine used to speak of going to the mainland as "going over to the Main." Its U.S. postal abbreviation is ME. Four U.S. Navy ships were named USS Maine in honor of the state. The state is generally chilly, though warm summers can bring an average of 15 days above 80 degrees F for the month of July.

History

Originally settled in 1607 by the Plymouth Company, the coastal areas of western Maine first became the Province of Maine in a 1622 land patent. Eastern Maine north of the Kennebec River was more sparsely settled and was known in the 17th century as the Territory of Sagadahock. The province within its current boundaries became part of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1652. After the defeat of the French in the 1740s, the territory from the Penobscot River east fell under the nominal authority of the Province of Nova Scotia, and together with present day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia county of Sunbury with its court of general sessions at Campobello. The whole of the territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed. Because it was physically separated from the rest of Massachusetts and was growing in population at a rapid rate, it became the 23rd state along with Missouri on March 15, 1820. This has become known as the Missouri Compromise because admitting both states into the union kept the balance between slave and free states. Maine's original capital was Portland until 1832, when it was moved to the more geographically central city of Augusta.

Law and government

The capital of Maine is Augusta and its governor is John Baldacci (Democrat). Its two U.S. senators are Susan Collins (Republican) and Olympia Snowe (Republican). Maine's politics are notable for several reasons, and are dramatic. In the 1930s, it was one of very few states which remained dominated by the Republican Party. In the 1936 presidential election, Franklin D. Roosevelt received the Electoral Votes of every state other than Maine and Vermont. Beginning in the 1960s, Maine began to lean toward the Democrats. In 1968, Hubert Humphrey became just the second Democrat in half a century to carry Maine thanks to the presence of his running mate, Maine Senator Edmund Muskie. Maine has since become a left-leaning swing state, but has voted Democratic in four straight elections, casting its votes for Bill Clinton twice, Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry (with 53.6% of the vote) in 2004. Republican strength is greatest in Washington and Piscataquis counties. Maine voters tend to accept independent and third-party candidates more frequently than most states. Maine has had two independent Governors recently (James B. Longley from 1975 to 1979 and Angus King from 1995 to 2003). The Reform Party of Ross Perot achieved a great deal of success in Maine in the 1992 and 1996 Presidential elections: in 1992 Perot came in second in Maine to Bill Clinton, despite the longtime presence of the Bush family summer home in Kennebunkport, and in 1996, Maine was again Perot's best state. The Green Party candidate won nine percent of the vote in the 2002 gubernatorial election, more than in any election for a statewide office for that party. The Green Party also elected John Eder to the office of State Representative in Maine, its highest elected official nationwide. Maine politicians, Republicans and Democrats alike, are noted for having more moderate views than many in their party. Since 1969, two of Maine's four electoral votes are awarded based on the winner of the statewide election. The other two go to the highest vote-winner in each of the state's two congressional districts. Famous politicians from Maine include James Blaine, Edmund Muskie, Margaret Chase Smith, William Cohen, George J. Mitchell, John Baldacci, Olympia Snowe and Hannibal Hamlin.

Geography

Hannibal Hamlin To the south and east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the northeast is New Brunswick, a province of Canada. The Canadian province of Quebec is to the northwest. Maine is both the largest and the northernmost state in the New England region, bordered on the west by New Hampshire. Maine is the only state that borders exactly one other state. Although Alaska is the easternmost state in the United States (see: Extreme points of the United States), Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous 48 states. Its easternmost city is Eastport, and its easternmost town is Lubec. Its largest lake is Moosehead Lake, and its highest mountain is Mt. Katahdin, which was the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail before recent extension. Maine also has several unique geographical features. Machias Seal Island, off its easternmost point, is claimed by both the USA and Canada and is the only U.S. land area still in dispute with respect to sovereignty. Also in this easternmost area is the Old Sow, the largest tidal whirlpool in the world. Maine is the most sparsely populated state east of the Mississippi River, owing in part to its huge relative size—its land mass exceeds that of all other New England states combined. It is appropriately called the Pine Tree State, as 90 percent of its land is forest. In the forested areas of the interior there is much uninhabited land, some of which does not even have formal political organization into local units. For example, the Northwest Aroostook, Maine "territory" in the far north is listed as having an area of 2,668 square miles and a population of 27, or one person for every 100 square miles. Maine is equally well known for its dramatic ocean scenery. West Quoddy Head is the easternmost piece of land in the contiguous 48 United States. Along the famous rock-bound coast of Maine are lighthouses, sandy beaches, quiet fishing villages and thousands of offshore islands, including the Isles of Shoals, which straddles the New Hampshire border. Jagged rocks and cliffs and thousands of bays and inlets add to the rugged beauty of Maine's coast. Just inland, by contrast, is the view of sparkling lakes, rushing rivers, green forests and towering mountains. This visual contrast of forested slopes sweeping down to the sea has been aptly summed up by American poetess Edna St. Vincent Millay of Rockland and Camden, Maine in "Renascence": :"All I could see from where I stood :was three long mountains and a wood :I turned and looked the other way :and saw three islands and a bay" More prosaic geologists describe this type of landscape as a drowned coast, where a rising sea level has invaded former land features, creating bays out of valleys and islands out of mountain tops. In the case of Maine there has been a partially offsetting rise in land also, due to the melting of heavy glacier ice, which caused a rebounding effect of underlying rock; however, this land rise was not strong enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of some former land features. Millions of ordinary Americans have enjoyed this coastal scenery at Maine's Acadia National Park, the only national park in New England, and the second-most visited national park in the United States. The noted American ecologist Rachel Carson did much of her research at one of the Maine seacoast's most characteristic features, a tide pool for her classic "The Edge of the Sea." The spot where she conducted observations is now preserved as the Rachel Carson Salt Pond Reserve at Pemaquid Point. tide pool

Economy

[http://www.bea.gov/ The Bureau of Economic Analysis] estimates that Maine's total gross state product for 2003 was $41 billion. Its per capita personal income for 2003 was $29,164, 29th in the nation. Maine's agricultural outputs are seafood (notably lobsters), poultry and eggs, dairy products, cattle, blueberries, apples, and maple sugar. Aroostook County is known for its potato crops. Its industrial outputs are paper, lumber, and wood products, electronic equipment, leather products, food processing, textiles, and tourism. Naval shipbuilding and construction remain key as well, with Bath Iron Works in Bath and Portsmouth Naval Yard in Kittery. Maine ports play a key role in national transportation. Around 1880, Portland's rail link and ice-free port made it eastern Canada's principal winter port, until the aggressive development of Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the mid-1900s. In 2001, Maine's largest city surpassed Boston as New England's busiest port (by tonnage), due to its ability to handle large tankers. Maine has a small trapping industry, which, with 3,157 resident trappers, is nevertheless larger than that of most Eastern states (Source: Portland Press Herald, January 23, 2005. Note: Many trappers are part-time). The principal pelt taken by value is beaver. Historically, however, beaver trapping was much more significant in the North Woods and Canadian Maritimes than the small industry of today and was the cause of much early wealth and many trading settlements. Maine has very few large companies that maintain headquarters in the state, and fewer than before due to consolidations and mergers, particularly in the pulp and paper industry. Structurally, this could be a weakness in an economy that depends on extracting forest and sea resources, because decisions that affect the long-range stability of the resource base are being made in distant locations which do not have to live on a day to day basis with the consequences of their policies. Some of the very few large companies that do maintain headquarters in Maine include Fairchild Semiconductor (South Portland) and the famous outdoor supply retailer L. L. Bean (Freeport). Maine is also the home of The Jackson Laboratory, a non-profit institution and the world's largest mammalian genetic research facility.

Demographics

As of 2004, the state's population was estimated to be 1,317,253. Maine is a popular tourist destination, but it also experiences harsh winters and, consequently, the great temporary influx of visitors occurs during the warmer months. Many of these visitors establish an alternate secondary residence in Maine during some or all warm months and then depart for their primary residence in the off-season. These are the Summer People of Maine lore. Official census figures normally count a person as a resident only once, at the place of the primary home. Therefore, there are some situations in which official census figures could be misleading for Maine. For example, some communities may have a much larger seasonal retail sector than their official, small population figure would imply. As explained in detail under "Geography", there are large tracts of uninhabited land in some remote parts of the interior.

Race and Ancestry

The racial makeup of the state is:
- 96.5% White non-Hispanic
- 0.7% Hispanic
- 0.7% Asian
- 0.5% Black
- 0.6% American Indian
- 1% Mixed race The five largest ancestries in the state are: English (21.5%), Irish (15.1%), French (14.2%), American (9.4%), French Canadian (8.6%). Maine is second only to New Hampshire in the percentage of French Canadians. It also has the largest percentage of non-Hispanic whites of any state and the highest percentage of current French-speakers. Franco-Mainers tended to settle in the industrial cities of inland Maine (especially Lewiston) whereas much of the midcoast and downeast sections remain strongly Anglo. Smaller numbers of various other groups including Germans, Irish, and Italians settled around the state. As of 2000, 92.2% of Maine residents age 5 and older speak English at home and 5.3% speak French. Spanish is the third most spoken language at 0.8%, followed by German at 0.3% and Italian at 0.1%.

Religion

The religious affiliations of the people of Maine are shown in the table below:
- Christian – 82%
  - Protestant – 56%
    - Baptist – 16%
    - Methodist – 9%
    - Pentecostal – 6%
    - Church of Christ – 3%
    - Lutheran – 3%
    - Other Protestant or general Protestant – 18%
  - Roman Catholic – 25%
  - Other Christian – 1%
- Other Religions – 1%
- Non-Religious – 17%

Important cities and towns

Population greater than 10,000 (urbanized area):
- Auburn
- Bangor
- Old Town
- Orono
- Biddeford
- Lewiston
- Brunswick
- Waterville
- Portland
- Augusta
- Sanford
- South Portland Suburbs and smaller towns:
- Bath
- Belfast
- Calais
- Camden
- Caribou
- Naples
- Presque Isle
- Rockland
- Searsport

Education

Colleges and universities


- Bangor Theological Seminary
- Bates College
- Beal College
- Bowdoin College
- Colby College
- College of the Atlantic
- Husson College
- Maine College of Art
- Maine Community College System
  - Central Maine Community College
  - Kennebec Valley Community College
  - Eastern Maine Community College
  - Northern Maine Community College
  - Southern Maine Community College
  - Washington County Community College
  - York County Community College
- Maine Maritime Academy
- St. Joseph's College
- Thomas College
- Unity College
- University of Maine System
  - University of Maine at Augusta
  - University of Maine at Farmington
  - University of Maine at Fort Kent
  - University of Maine at Machias
  - University of Maine
  - University of Maine at Presque Isle
  - University of Maine School of Law
  - University of Southern Maine
- University of New England

Professional sports teams


- Portland Sea Dogs, minor league baseball, Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
- Portland Pirates, minor league hockey, American Hockey League
- Lewiston MAINEiacs, minor league hockey,