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152-542: The Combined Action Program was a United States Marine Corps counterinsurgency tool during the Vietnam War . It was widely remembered by the Marine Corps as effective. Operating from 1965 to 1971, it placed a 13-member Marine rifle squad, augmented by a U.S. Navy Corpsman and strengthened by a Vietnamese militia platoon of older youth and elderly men, in or adjacent to a rural Vietnamese hamlet. In most cases,

304-634: A foreign internal defense lends itself for the greatest utility of employing a CAP-style organization. Recent operations in Somalia , Haiti, and Bosnia suggest a CAP-style organization could accomplish the assigned mission." In Iraq and Afghanistan , the Marines reinstituted a variant of the CAP. The CAP concept seems to have been at least partially based on Marine pacification programs in Haiti , Nicaragua ,

456-591: A CAP Marine. Unfortunately, the original E is no longer extant.) "Of all our innovations in Vietnam none was as successful, as lasting in effect, or as useful for the future as the Combined Action Program [CAP]. " Combined Action was at least in some areas a successful program in both military and civic action terms – perhaps one of the few successful programs of that war. Relatively cheap to operate, CAPs seldom used costly supporting arms fire, had

608-460: A brigade command of the 1st Marine Division, were placed under the administrative control of the 7th Communications Battalion when the Chu Lai TAOR was turned over to the U.S. Army in late April/May, 1967. Each CAC was operationally supported by the nearest American battalion, whether Marine Corps or U.S. Army. In October 1967, the Combined Action Program underwent a major reorganization with

760-412: A command position. XOs in these positions typically assist a commander or deputy commander (or in the case of joint staffs or joint commands, a director) by managing day-to-day activities such as management of the senior officer's schedule, screening of documents or other products, and oversight of the senior officer's administrative support staff. Management of individual assets in the airline industry

912-509: A comparatively minor role in the European theater . Nonetheless, they did continue to provide security detachments to U.S. embassies and ships, contributed personnel to small special ops teams dropped into Nazi-occupied Europe as part of Office of Strategic Services (OSS, the precursor to the CIA ) missions, and acted as staff planners and trainers for U.S. Army amphibious operations, including

1064-561: A comparatively small investment of British troops, but also succeeded in increasing the quality of the native units. This was in Zimmerman's mind when he developed the plan that called for combining a U.S. Marine rifle squad with a PF platoon to form an integrated self-defense force that was able to protect the village from low level Viet Cong threats. The combining of the Marines and the PFs was seen as optimal since both brought unique qualities to

1216-543: A degree of control in the villages, the Marines proceeded with the Mobile CAP concept and by 1970 all CAPs were converted. According to the III MAF staff letter, the justification for this conversion included the facts that; the links with the PFs were still intact; it avoided the "mole" mentality of a static position; it denied the enemy information as to the exact location of the unit, thus, reducing casualties; it allowed

1368-590: A fourth portion of HQ 3rd MarDiv (Rein) deployed to Khe Sanh in support of the Senior Officer Present. In southern I Corps, the CAC units (including CAC "India", out of the 1st Bn., 5th Marine Reg., aka; Cottage Tiger Company , from Dec. 1966 until late 1967, west of Tam Ky, along the Tam Ky river), became part of Task Force X-ray (CAC "India", was later in 1967, known as Sub Unit # 2 of Task Force X-ray),

1520-411: A good aiming point for the enemy. They were usually dispensed with on patrols. The CAP concept in Vietnam was opposed by some who considered "hearts and minds" programs a waste of money, men, and materiel. CAPs were often ignored at best and despised at worst by many area commands and commanders. The prevailing concept was; "Get 'em by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow." This attitude made

1672-410: A governance document. In the units of some military forces , the executive officer is the second-in-command , reporting to the commanding officer (CO). In most non-naval military services that are land-based (except the U.S. Army, where an executive officer is the second-in-command of certain units) or in joint military organizations, the executive officer is an administrative staff position versus

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1824-458: A high "kill" ratio relative to the size of the unit. According to the late LtCol James H. Champion, USMC (Ret.); "In April and May 1969, 1st CAG killed 440 VC or NVA, and 1st CAG was killing more NVA than the entire 101st Airborne Division. 1st CAG had about 400 Marines and sailors at the time. Elsewhere in his article he states: "From 1966 until 30 June 1969 they {CAP NCOs} lead small units which killed over 4400 VC/ NVA." They were often popular in

1976-588: A message from U.S. Representative Gordon L. McDonough . McDonough had urged President Truman to add Marine representation on the Joint Chiefs of Staff . President Truman, writing in a letter addressed to McDonough, stated, "The Marine Corps is the Navy's police force and as long as I am President that is what it will remain. They have a propaganda machine that is almost equal to Stalin's ." McDonough then inserted President Truman's letter , dated 29 August 1950, into

2128-483: A number of phases. At its inception it was unofficial and did not have a standard organization. Some units were called "Joint Action Companies" (JACs). Since, in US military jargon, the word "joint" refers to something pertaining to a combination of forces from different services, and "combined" references a combination of forces from more than one nation, they were, at first, renamed CACs, for "Combined Action Companies." CAC

2280-488: A senior enlisted member, executive chief petty officers or executive petty officers are usually assigned to serve as second-in-command. On U.S. aircraft carriers , per Title 10 United States Code , both the captain (i.e., the commanding officer or CO) and the XO assigned to the ship are naval aviators or naval flight officers . Although not specified by 10 U.S.C., large, air-capable amphibious assault ships will have one of

2432-585: A senior field grade (FGO) supporting a general officer. The U.S. Air Force uses the term executive officer for officers assigned as personal staff officers to general officers. Their role is similar to aides-de-camp in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, and flag aides and flag lieutenants in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. A unique application of the term is executive officer to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and commander, United States European Command . This position

2584-399: A separate chain of command, as it was his opinion that the average battalion commander in Vietnam often didn't know or care how to succeed in combined action, since they were trained and oriented toward offensive large-unit warfare. Corson saw CAP as being mobile and offensive in nature, a concept which later took shape in the mobile CAP units. However, Corson eventually became disenchanted with

2736-781: A ship's landing force, manning the ship's weapons and providing shipboard security. Marine detachments were augmented by members of the ship's company for landing parties, such as in the First Sumatran expedition of 1832 and continuing in the Caribbean and Mexican campaigns of the early 20th centuries. Marines developed tactics and techniques of amphibious assault on defended coastlines in time for use in World War II. During World War II, Marines continued to serve on capital ships, and some were assigned to man anti-aircraft batteries. In 1950, President Harry Truman responded to

2888-686: A single command provides a smoother implementation of combined-arms warfare principles. The close integration of disparate Marine units stems from an organizational culture centered on the infantry. Every other Marine capability exists to support the infantry. Unlike some Western militaries, the Corps remained conservative against theories proclaiming the ability of new weapons to win wars independently. For example, Marine aviation has always been focused on close air support and has remained largely uninfluenced by air power theories proclaiming that strategic bombing can single-handedly win wars. This focus on

3040-417: A solution to one Marine infantry battalion's problem of an expanding Tactical Area of Responsibility (TAOR). The concept of combining a squad of Marines with local (PFs) and assigning them a village to protect proved to be a force multiplier . While the exact implementation varied with the stage of the war and local command variations, the basic model was to combine a Marine squad with local forces to form

3192-591: A speech. CAPs peaked in 1970, with 4 Groups, and 114 companies, spread through the 5 provinces of I Corps. While they were not as highly trained for working with host nation personnel as United States Army Special Forces , in 1965 the US Marine Corps Combined Action Program (CAP) took on a role of reinforcing and training local village soldiers, although their basic missions differed substantially. (See Comparison with Non-Marine Programs below for details). This small program had

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3344-405: A squadron level organization, the second-in-command is typically termed the "director of operations" or "operations officer" (DO). These latter terms were previously used for similar positions at the group and wing level until renamed as the "operations group commander (OG/CC). The rank of an executive officer in the U.S. Air Force can vary from a junior officer supporting a mid level commander up to

3496-469: A staff administrative assistant to a senior officer, starting with a commander at the squadron level or above (e.g., squadron, group, wing, numbered air force, major command). In the other uniformed services, this position may be called an aide, an "executive assistant" or an adjutant . Like the Army, while experience gained as an XO is highly beneficial for an Air Force officer's professional development, it

3648-440: A step in the right direction. Upon graduation, you were posted to your unit. Eventually they began issuing certificates showing you had graduated. Initially, CAP Marines were issued a special cloth and leather insignia to be worn from the button on the breast pocket of the uniform jacket. These were later replaced by handsome enameled metal pins, also made to be worn on the breast pocket. These, however, were easily lost, and also made

3800-555: A strength of 2,400 officers and 70,000 enlisted. African-Americans were entirely excluded from the Marine Corps during this conflict. Opha May Johnson was the first woman to enlist in the Marines; she joined the Marine Corps Reserve in 1918 during World War I, officially becoming the first female Marine. From then until the end of World War I, 305 women enlisted in the Corps. During the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918,

3952-535: A ten square mile area. The unit was overextended, and Taylor's executive officer , suggested that they incorporate local militia units into 3/4's operations. Taylor sent the plan to COL E. B. Wheeler, Commanding Officer (CO) of the 4th Marine Regiment , who forwarded it to the III Marine Amphibious Force (IIIMAF) and Fleet Marine Forces Pacific (FMFPAC). Major General Lew Walt and Lieutenant General Victor Krulak , both of whom had fought in

4104-417: A village defense platoon . It was effective in denying the enemy a sanctuary at the local village level. The pacification campaign seemed to work under the CAP concept, and the Marines fully embraced it. Objectively, there is no solid proof that the CAP concept was a resounding success; however, subjectively the evidence suggests otherwise. "Counterinsurgency operations and, in particular, the establishment of

4256-824: A village, though they might serve several other villages in the area. Initially, they were identified by letters and numbers, like line units. Later, numeric designators were used. According to the Command Chronology of HQ 3rd Marine Division (Reinforced) dated 10 November 1966 (provided by Larry Larsen, formerly of Sub Unit #5); "Combined Action Company (in northern I Corps) joined our rolls as Sub Unit #4, an administrative division of HQ 3rd Marine Division (Reinforced). Later, they operated under Sub Unit #5, then returned briefly to SU #4." (Per pertinent USMC Command Chronologies and other official records.) The CC's "Narrative Summary" for December 1966 mentions various branches supporting CACs Alpha (Houng Thuy), Hotel (Phu Loc), and

4408-463: Is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) that integrates a ground combat element , an aviation combat element , and a logistics combat element under a common command element . While the creation of joint commands under the Goldwater–Nichols Act has improved interservice coordination between each branch, the Corps's ability to permanently maintain integrated multielement task forces under

4560-485: Is a managing partner, senior partner, or administrative partner. In the case of a limited liability company , an executive officer is any member, manager, or officer. In charities , voluntary sectors and Nonprofit organizations , the executive officers are those appointed to drive the day-to-day decisions of the organization. This is normally a formal appointment made by the executive board of trustees. Specific responsibilities and scope vary and are usually called out in

4712-462: Is becoming more common to hear the term XO. On larger ships of the Royal Navy, in which the XO holds the rank of commander , the XO is usually referred to simply as "the commander". The XO also heads the executive department. There are executive officer slots in each company , battalion , regiment , and brigade , though generally not at higher levels of command until the army level. The XO

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4864-523: Is celebrated as the birthday of the Marine Corps . Nicholas was nominated to lead the Marines by John Adams . By December 1775, Nicholas raised one battalion of 300 men by recruitment in his home city of Philadelphia. In January 1776, the Marines went to sea under the command of Commodore Esek Hopkins and in March undertook their first amphibious landing, the Battle of Nassau in the Bahamas, occupying

5016-485: Is derived from the military terminology, where an executive officer or first officer , is the second in command of the aircraft. In a fixed wing aircraft, the first officer sits in the right-hand seat, but on a rotary wing aircraft, they sit on the left. Management of the airline as a whole is more in-line with the corporate example above. The term 'Executive officer' is used in the Indian Navy . Abbreviated as EXO ,

5168-427: Is not necessarily a prerequisite for a command position. However, it is often the norm that nearly all Air Force commanders will have been an XO at some point earlier in their careers. For officers holding second-in-command positions, the U.S. Air Force uses the titles of "vice commander" (CV), or "deputy commander" (CD) for an officer who serves as the second-in-command for an organization above squadron level. For

5320-559: Is that they are of an expeditionary nature, using the mobility of the Navy to provide timely intervention in foreign affairs on behalf of American interests. The Marine Band , dubbed the "President's Own" by John Adams , provides music for state functions at the White House . Marines from Ceremonial Companies A & B, quartered in Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. , guard presidential retreats, including Camp David , and

5472-507: Is the billet of the officer who is second-in-command at the company/ battery , battalion / squadron , and Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)/ regiment /aviation group (i.e., Marine Aircraft Group, Marine Air Control Group, and Marine Wing Support Group) level. Per the Marine Corps Manual , paragraph 1007.5: "The executive officer shall be an officer of the organization who is eligible to succeed to command, and normally will be

5624-452: Is typically the second-in-command, and serves as the day-to-day manager of the command staff. The XO is typically responsible for the management of day-to-day activities, such as administration, maintenance, and logistics, freeing a commander to concentrate on tactical/operational planning and execution and a general officer commander to concentrate on similar planning and execution at the operational-strategic level. The XO may take charge in

5776-571: Is where the Union set up the artillery barrage to bombard Fort Pulaski. In April and May 1862, Marines participated in the capture and occupation of New Orleans and the occupation of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, key events in the war that helped secure Union control of the lower Mississippi River basin and denied the Confederacy a major port and naval base on the Gulf Coast . The remainder of

5928-490: Is whether restriction "impedes the president's ability to perform his constitutional duty" ( Morrison v. Olson , 487 U.S. 654 (1988)). In business , executive officers are usually the top staff members of a corporation, the chief executive officer (CEO) being the best-known type. The definition varies; for instance, the California Corporate Disclosure Act defines "executive officers" as

6080-564: The Congressional Record . Congressmen and Marine organizations reacted, calling President Truman's remarks an insult, and demanded an apology. Truman apologized to the Marine commandant at the time, writing, "I sincerely regret the unfortunate choice of language which I used in my letter of August 29 to Congressman McDonough concerning the Marine Corps." While Truman had apologized for his metaphor, he did not alter his position that

6232-456: The 38th Parallel until the 1953 armistice . During the war, the Corps expanded from 75,000 regulars to a force of 261,000 marines, mostly reservists; 30,544 marines were killed or wounded during the war, and 42 were awarded the Medal of Honor . The Marine Corps served in the Vietnam War , taking part in such battles as the Battle of Hue and the Battle of Khe Sanh in 1968. Individuals from

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6384-647: The Barbary pirates , when William Eaton and First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon led 8 marines and 500 mercenaries in an effort to capture Tripoli . Though they only reached Derna , the action at Tripoli has been immortalized in the Marines' Hymn and the Mameluke sword carried by Marine officers. During the War of 1812 , Marine detachments on Navy ships took part in some of the great frigate duels that characterized

6536-689: The Central Intelligence Agency , and were essentially a mercenary unit program. However, most of the CIDG units eventually became Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Ranger units. An additional combined operation involved MACV-SOG Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group . (Studies and Observations Group was actually a code for Special Operations Group.) These were not local defense, but highly secret covert cross-border operations (aka "black ops"), in areas

6688-574: The Continental Marines ) [REDACTED] Joint Meritorious Unit Award [REDACTED] Navy Unit Commendation [REDACTED] Valorous Unit Award [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Meritorious Unit Commendation [REDACTED] French Croix de guerre 1914–1918 [REDACTED] Philippine Presidential Unit Citation [REDACTED] Korean Presidential Unit Citation [REDACTED] Vietnam Gallantry Cross The United States Marine Corps ( USMC ), also referred to as

6840-564: The Department of State and the U.S. Marine Corps is nearly as old as the Corps itself. For over 200 years, Marines have served at the request of various Secretaries of State . After World War II , an alert, disciplined force was needed to protect American embassies, consulates, and legations throughout the world. In 1947, a proposal was made that the Department of Defense furnish Marine Corps personnel for Foreign Service guard duty under

6992-622: The Dominican Republic , and elsewhere, during the Banana Wars in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In these programs, Marine units would pacify and administer regions, while providing training and security for local forces and villages. There are also connections to other pacification programs, such as the Philippine Insurrection . "CAP came naturally for the Marine Corps because counterguerrilla warfare

7144-507: The First Battle of Bull Run performed poorly, retreating with the rest of the Union forces. Blockade duty included sea-based amphibious operations to secure forward bases. In early November 1861, a group of sailors and Marines landed in the towns of Port Royal and Beaufort, South Carolina. A few days later that task force captured nearby Hilton Head Island. A couple of weeks later a reconnaissance in force group captured Tybee Island. This

7296-512: The Guardia Nacional de Nicaragua . These organizations were nonpartisan, native constabularies the Marines commanded until host-nation forces could competently assume command." "The historical background of Army and Marine counter-insurgency operations, the perceived enemy center of gravity in Vietnam, the strategic aim, and identified critical enemy factors are key to understanding Marine versus Army operational differences on conducting

7448-690: The Haditha killings and the Hamdania incident . The Anbar Awakening and 2007 surge reduced levels of violence. The Marine Corps officially ended its role in Iraq on 23 January 2010 when it handed over responsibility for Al Anbar Province to the U.S. Army. Marines returned to Iraq in the summer of 2014 in response to growing violence there. Executive officer While there is no clear line between principal executive officers and inferior executive officers, principal officers are high-level officials in

7600-628: The Joint Chiefs of Staff on matters relating to the Marines and established the structure of three active divisions and air wings that remain today. The beginning of the Korean War (1950–1953) saw the hastily formed Provisional Marine Brigade holding the defensive line at the Pusan Perimeter . To execute a flanking maneuver , General Douglas MacArthur called on United Nations forces, including U.S. Marines, to make an amphibious landing at Inchon . The successful landing resulted in

7752-519: The Maritime Pre-Positioning System was developed: Fleets of container ships are positioned throughout the world with enough equipment and supplies for a marine expeditionary force to deploy for 30 days. Two small manuals published during the 1930s established USMC doctrine in two areas. The Small Wars Manual laid the framework for Marine counterinsurgency operations from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan while

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7904-714: The National Security Act of 1947 , three primary areas of responsibility for the U.S. Marine Corps are: This last clause derives from similar language in the Congressional acts "For the Better Organization of the Marine Corps" of 1834 and "Establishing and Organizing a Marine Corps" of 1798. In 1951, the House of Representatives' Armed Services Committee called the clause "one of the most important statutory – and traditional – functions of

8056-466: The Normandy landings . By the end of the war, the Corps had expanded from two brigades to six divisions , five air wings , and supporting troops, totaling about 485,000 marines. In addition, 20 defense battalions and a parachute battalion were raised. Nearly 87,000 marines were casualties during World War II (including nearly 20,000 killed), and 82 were awarded the Medal of Honor . In 1942,

8208-576: The Popular Forces militia members (Nghia Quan) were residents of the hamlet who were either too young or too old to be drafted into the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) or the Regional Forces (Dia Phuong Quan) . The entire unit of American Marines and Popular Forces militia members together was designated as a Combined Action Platoon (CAP). The program was said to have originated as

8360-617: The Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps . Marines were withdrawn in 1971 and returned briefly in 1975 to evacuate Saigon and attempt a rescue of the crew of the SS Mayaguez . Vietnam was the longest war up to that time for the Marines; by its end, 13,091 had been killed in action, 51,392 had been wounded, and 57 Medals of Honor had been awarded. Because of policies concerning rotation, more marines were deployed for service during Vietnam than World War II. While recovering from Vietnam,

8512-627: The Revolutionary War , on 3 March 1776, as the Marines gained control of Fort Montagu and Fort Nassau , a British ammunition depot and naval port in New Providence , the Bahamas. The role of the Marine Corps has expanded significantly since then; as the importance of its original naval mission declined with changing naval warfare doctrine and the professionalization of the naval service, the Corps adapted by focusing on formerly secondary missions ashore. The Advanced Base Doctrine of

8664-548: The Royal Air Force , the term XO is informally used between officers and airmen, referring to the officer who is second-in-command. It is, however, formally used in the Royal Navy . In smaller vessels, such as submarines and frigates , the executive officer also holds the position of first lieutenant . Originally, the second-in-command was usually referred to as the first lieutenant (or as "number one"), although it

8816-610: The Small Wars Manual . During World War I , Marines served as a part of the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. Pershing when America entered into the war on 6 April 1917. The Marine Corps had a deep pool of officers and non-commissioned officers with battle experience and thus experienced a large expansion. The U.S. Marine Corps entered the war with 511 officers and 13,214 enlisted personnel and by 11 November 1918 had reached

8968-838: The Tentative Landing Operations Manual established the doctrine for the amphibious operations of World War II . " Operational Maneuver from the Sea " was the doctrine of power projection in 2006. The United States Marine Corps traces its roots to the Continental Marines of the American Revolutionary War , formed by Captain Samuel Nicholas by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress on 10 November 1775, to raise two battalions of marines. This date

9120-583: The United States Department of the Navy since 30 June 1834 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 . The history of

9272-629: The United States Marines , 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 U.S. Marine Corps is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States . The Marine Corps has been part of

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9424-535: The executive branch of U.S. government such as department heads of independent agencies. In Humphrey's Executor v. United States , 295 U.S. 602 (1935), the Court distinguished between executive officers and quasi-legislative or quasi-judicial officers by stating that the former serve at the pleasure of the president and may be removed at their discretion. The latter are removed only with procedures consistent with statutory conditions enacted by Congress. The decision by

9576-610: The "Halls of Montezuma" in the Marines' Hymn. In fairness to the U.S. Army, most of the troops who made the final assault at the Halls of Montezuma were soldiers and not Marines. The Americans forces were led by Army General Winfield Scott . Scott organized two storming parties of about 250 men each for 500 men total including 40 marines. In the 1850s, the Marines engaged in service in Panama and Asia and were attached to Commodore Matthew Perry's East India Squadron on its historic trip to

9728-595: The "Navy's biggest contributions to the Marine Corps during WWII was the creation of the Seabees." Despite Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal 's prediction that the Marine flag raising at Iwo Jima meant "a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years", the Corps faced an immediate institutional crisis following the war because of a suddenly shrunken budget. Army generals pushing for a strengthened and reorganized defense establishment attempted to fold

9880-434: The "Other War." It was these differences and past Marine experience that contributed to the creation of the U.S. Marines' Combined Action Platoon (CAP). Opinions differ about exactly how and where Combined Action originated, but it seems to have started in August 1965 as a unit drawn from 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines , under LtCol William W. Taylor in the Phu Bai (3/4) area. 3/4's TAOR included six villages and an airfield in

10032-402: The 1990s. The Marine Corps fulfills a critical military role as an amphibious warfare force. It is capable of asymmetric warfare with conventional , irregular , and hybrid forces . While the Marine Corps does not employ any unique capabilities, as a force, it can rapidly deploy a combined-arms task force to almost anywhere in the world within days. The basic structure for all deployed units

10184-406: The 19th century was marked by declining strength and introspection about the mission of the Marine Corps. The Navy's transition from sail to steam put into question the need for Marines on naval ships. Meanwhile, Marines served as a convenient resource for interventions and landings to protect American interests overseas. The Corps was involved in over 28 separate interventions in the 30 years from

10336-401: The Afghan Campaign since 2001, the Battle of Marjah , to clear the Taliban from their key stronghold in Helmand Province. After Marjah, marines progressed north up the Helmand River and cleared the towns of Kajahki and Sangin. Marines remained in Helmand Province until 2014. U.S. Marines served in the Iraq War , along with its sister services. The I Marine Expeditionary Force , along with

10488-628: The American withdrawal from Lebanon. In 1990, Marines of the Joint Task Force Sharp Edge saved thousands of lives by evacuating British, French and American nationals from the violence of the Liberian Civil War . During the Persian Gulf War of 1990 to 1991, Marine task forces formed for Operation Desert Shield and later liberated Kuwait, along with Coalition forces, in Operation Desert Storm. Marines participated in combat operations in Somalia (1992–1995) during Operations Restore Hope, Restore Hope II , and United Shield to provide humanitarian relief. In 1997, Marines took part in Operation Silver Wake ,

10640-467: The Banana War, saw the potential value and agreed to the proposal. GEN Nguyễn Văn Chuân , the local Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) CO, gave Walt control of the Vietnamese platoons near Phu Bai. Taylor integrated four squads with the local PF units in August 1965. 1stLt Paul Ek was designated as unit commander. (Ek had some training in Vietnamese and counterinsurgency operations.) The Marines were handpicked volunteers from 3/4, carefully screened by

10792-428: The British port of Nassau for two weeks. On 3 January 1777, the Marines arrived at the Battle of Princeton attached to General John Cadwalader 's brigade, where they had been assigned by General George Washington ; by December 1776, Washington was retreating through New Jersey and, needing veteran soldiers, ordered Nicholas and the Marines to attach themselves to the Continental Army . The Battle of Princeton , where

10944-461: The CAP Marines' job that much more difficult. However, the concept eventually gained backing from Marine generals Wallace Greene , Victor Krulak and Lew Walt, and with their support, the program expanded. By 1969, despite losses during the 1968 Tet Offensive , the program had expanded to 102 platoons comprising 19 companies and 4 groups, and was even mentioned by President Lyndon B. Johnson in

11096-441: The CAP concept underwent some changes. Due to factors such as a high number of attacks and casualties among the static CAPS, the "roving CAP" was started. Roving CAPs had no fixed village – they rotated among two or more villages, and often spent the night in the field. They were very mobile, as opposed to the original static concept, and thus kept the enemy guessing as to where they would be any given night. "Although CAPs sacrificed

11248-584: The CC notes that SU #4 was assigned TAD to III MAF, and on 29 July 1967 that the CAC personnel of SU #5 were reassigned to SU #4. In October 1967, the CC notes that "the 3rd Combined Action Group (CAG) was activated as a separate unit under III MAF (operating out of Phu Bai) effective 1 October 1967. The remaining 1 officer and 16 enlisted in SU #4 continued to function as CAG members until normal attrition reduced them to zero effective 30 November 1967. "Beginning in about 1968,

11400-773: The Corps continued its record of participation in foreign expeditions, including the Philippine–American War , the Boxer Rebellion in China, Panama, the Cuban Pacifications, the Perdicaris incident in Morocco, Veracruz , Santo Domingo , and the Banana Wars in Haiti and Nicaragua ; the experiences gained in counterinsurgency and guerrilla operations during this period were consolidated into

11552-445: The Corps hit a detrimental low point in its service history caused by courts-martial and non-judicial punishments related partially to increased unauthorized absences and desertions during the war. Overhaul of the Corps began in the late 1970s, discharging the most delinquent, and once the quality of new recruits improved, the Corps focused on reforming the non-commissioned officer Corps, a vital functioning part of its forces. After

11704-559: The Corps out for the brunt of a series of recommended cuts in late 2010. In light of budget sequestration in 2013 , General James Amos set a goal of a force of 174,000 Marines. He testified that this was the minimum number that would allow for an effective response to even a single contingency operation, but it would reduce the peacetime ratio of time at home bases to time deployed down to a historical low level. Marines and other American forces began staging in Pakistan and Uzbekistan on

11856-496: The Corps studied and developed amphibious techniques that would be of great use in World War II. Many officers, including Lieutenant Colonel Earl Hancock "Pete" Ellis , foresaw a war in the Pacific with Japan and undertook preparations for such a conflict. Through 1941, as the prospect of war grew, the Corps pushed urgently for joint amphibious exercises with the Army and acquired amphibious equipment that would prove of great use in

12008-572: The Corps took on expeditionary duties in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico , Key West , West Africa, the Falkland Islands , and Sumatra . Commandant Henderson is credited with thwarting President Jackson's attempts to combine and integrate the Marine Corps with the Army. Instead, Congress passed the Act for the Better Organization of the Marine Corps in 1834, stipulating that the Corps was part of

12160-547: The Corps's traditional missions, the Marines have renewed an emphasis on amphibious capabilities. The Marine Corps relies on the Navy for sealift to provide its rapid deployment capabilities. In addition to basing a third of the Fleet Marine Force in Japan, Marine expeditionary units (MEU) are typically stationed at sea so they can function as first responders to international incidents. To aid rapid deployment,

12312-578: The Court was that the Federal Trade Commission was a quasi-legislative body because of other powers it had, and therefore, the president could not fire an FTC member for political reasons. Congress can't retain removal power over officials with executive function ( Bowsher v. Synar ). However, statutes can restrict removal if not purely executive ( Humphrey ' s executor), but can't restrict removal of purely executive officer ( Myers v. United States , 272 U.S. 52 (1926)). The standard

12464-583: The Department of the Navy as a sister service to the Navy. Commandant Henderson volunteered the Marines for service in the Seminole Wars of 1835, personally leading nearly half of the entire Corps (two battalions) to war. A decade later, in the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), the Marines made their famed assault on Chapultepec Palace in Mexico City, which would be later celebrated as

12616-712: The Far East. The Marine Corps played a small role in the Civil War (1861–1865); their most prominent task was blockade duty. As more and more states seceded from the Union , about a third of the Corps's officers left the United States to join the Confederacy and form the Confederate States Marine Corps , which ultimately played little part in the war. The battalion of recruits formed for

12768-489: The HQ personnel, the other the patrol and defense element. They were eventually organized as platoons, which in turn formed companies, which were organized into Combined Action Groups (CAGs). Eventually there were four CAGs in I Corps. Originally, the units lived in or near the villages they were affiliated with, eventually in a fortified area. Individual units were assigned to villages in an ostensibly "pacified" area, usually one to

12920-710: The Marine Corps began when two battalions of Continental Marines were formed on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as a service branch of infantry troops capable of fighting both at sea and on shore. In the Pacific theater of World War II , the Corps took the lead in a massive campaign of amphibious warfare, advancing from island to island . As of 2022, the USMC has around 177,200 active duty members and some 32,400 personnel in reserve . As outlined in 10 U.S.C.   § 5063 and as originally introduced under

13072-559: The Marine Corps should continue to report to the Navy secretary. He made amends only by making a surprise visit to the Marine Corps League a few days later, when he reiterated, "When I make a mistake, I try to correct it. I try to make as few as possible." He received a standing ovation. When gun cruisers were retired by the end of the 1970s, the remaining Marine detachments were only seen on battleships and carriers. Its original mission of providing shipboard security ended in

13224-559: The Marine Corps". It noted that the Corps has more often than not performed actions of a non-naval nature, including its famous actions in Tripoli , the War of 1812 , Chapultepec , and numerous counterinsurgency and occupational duties (such as those in Central America, World War I , and the Korean War ). While these actions are not accurately described as support of naval campaigns nor as amphibious warfare, their common thread

13376-419: The Marine aircraft were destroyed, pilots continued the fight as ground officers, leading supply clerks and cooks in a final defensive effort. Flexibility of execution is implemented via an emphasis on " commander's intent " as a guiding principle for carrying out orders, specifying the end state but leaving open the method of execution. The amphibious assault techniques developed for World War II evolved, with

13528-549: The Marine mission and assets into the Navy and Army. Drawing on hastily assembled Congressional support, and with the assistance of the so-called " Revolt of the Admirals ", the Marine Corps rebuffed such efforts to dismantle the Corps, resulting in statutory protection of the Marine Corps in the National Security Act of 1947 . Shortly afterward, in 1952 the Douglas–Mansfield Act afforded the commandant an equal voice with

13680-673: The Marines along with Cadwalader's brigade were personally rallied by Washington, was the first land combat engagement of the Marines; an estimated 130 marines were present at the battle. At the end of the American Revolution, both the Continental Navy and Continental Marines were disbanded in April 1783. The institution was resurrected on 11 July 1798; in preparation for the Quasi-War with France , Congress created

13832-567: The Marines and U.S. media reported that Germans had nicknamed them Teufel Hunden, meaning " Devil Dogs " for their reputation as shock troops and marksmen at ranges up to 900 meters; there is no evidence of this in German records (as Teufelshunde would be the proper German phrase). Nevertheless, the name stuck in U.S. Marine lore. Between the World Wars , the Marine Corps was headed by Commandant John A. Lejeune , and under his leadership,

13984-636: The Marines for security. " There were some similarities between what CAP did and what was done by the United States Army Special Forces (aka Green Berets). However, most Marine units worked in the lower lying areas with Vietnamese RF / PF units, while Special Forces tended to work in more remote areas using a variety of troops, including indigenous minorities such as the Sino-Vietnamese Nung and Dega (aka " Montagnard ") tribesmen. (An exception to this pattern

14136-557: The Marines had gained a reputation as expert marksmen , especially in defensive and ship-to-ship actions. They played a large role in the 1813 defense of Sacket's Harbor , New York and Norfolk and Portsmouth , Virginia, also taking part in the 1814 defense of Plattsburgh in the Champlain Valley during one of the final British offensives along the Canadian-U.S. border. The Battle of Bladensburg , fought 24 August 1814,

14288-853: The Marines of the Executive Flight Detachment of HMX-1 provide helicopter transport to the President and Vice President , with the radio call signs " Marine One " and "Marine Two", respectively. The Executive Flight Detachment also provides helicopter transport to Cabinet members and other VIPs . By authority of the 1946 Foreign Service Act, the Marine Security Guards of the Marine Embassy Security Command provide security for American embassies , legations , and consulates at more than 140 posts worldwide. The relationship between

14440-413: The Marines to make better use of supporting arms by being outside the populated areas; and allowed the Marines to concentrate their strength by not requiring the unit to guard a base. CAPs were also redesignated beginning about the same time. They went from alpha-numeric designations, (such as Oscar-2), to numeric designations, such as 2-7-4. The first digit designated the group (1–4), the second designated

14592-521: The NVA that would ostensibly break them for once and all. Nonetheless, he wrote in his memoirs that the Combined Action Program was one of the more "ingenious innovations developed in South Vietnam". According to Peter Brush, "Civic action had promise. Had it been adopted on a wide scale the war would have been different, but it is a matter of speculation as to whether it would have ultimately affected

14744-471: The Navy Seabees were created with the Marine Corps providing their organization and military training. Many Seabee units were issued the USMC standard issue and were re-designated "Marine". Despite the Corps giving them their military organization and military training, issuing them uniforms, and redesignating their units, the Seabees remained Navy. USMC historian Gordon L. Rottmann writes that one of

14896-444: The Navy and Coast Guard should not be confused with the term executive assistant ( EA ) in those services, the latter being an officer in the rank of captain (O-6) who serves either dual-hatted as, or in addition to, the chief of staff to a flag officer . In the U.S. Air Force, XO is not a command or second-in-command position. Instead, it is used to designate a company grade officer or junior field grade officer who serves as

15048-548: The Nevada Cities Campaign. There was brutal fighting on Reno Hill, which was eventually captured by the Chinese. Although Reno was lost, the 5th Marines held both Vegas and Carson through the rest of the campaign. In this one campaign, the Marines suffered approximately 1,000 casualties and might have suffered much more without the U.S. Army's Task Force Faith . Marines would continue a battle of attrition around

15200-578: The Taliban-held town of Garmsir in Helmand Province on 29 April 2008, in the first major American operation in the region in years. In June 2009, 7,000 marines with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (2nd MEB) deployed to Afghanistan in an effort to improve security and began Operation Strike of the Sword the next month. In February 2010, the 2nd MEB launched the largest offensive of

15352-648: The U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division , spearheaded the 2003 invasion of Iraq . The Marines left Iraq in the summer of 2003 but returned in the beginning of 2004. They were given responsibility for the Al Anbar Province , the large desert region to the west of Baghdad . During this occupation, the Marines lead assaults on the city of Fallujah in April ( Operation Vigilant Resolve ) and November 2004 ( Operation Phantom Fury ) and saw intense fighting in such places as Ramadi , Al-Qa'im and Hīt . The service's time in Iraq courted controversy with events such as

15504-494: The US was not officially operating in at that point in the war, such as Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. In many cases, both units formed a strong bond with their indigenous counterparts – a necessity for small units operating alone deep in enemy-held terrain. Eventually, the regular Army also initiated a form of CAP – US Army Civil Action Patrol Team – similar to the Marine CAP on a smaller scale. However, they didn't live in

15656-779: The USMC generally operated in the Northern I Corps Regions of South Vietnam . While there, they were constantly engaged in a guerrilla war against the Viet Cong , along with an intermittent conventional war against the North Vietnamese Army , this made the Marine Corps known throughout Vietnam and gained a frightening reputation from the Viet Cong. Portions of the Corps were responsible for the less-known Combined Action Program that implemented unconventional techniques for counterinsurgency and worked as military advisors to

15808-685: The United States Marine Corps. Marines had been enlisted by the War Department as early as August 1797 for service in the newly-built frigates authorized by the Congressional "Act to provide a Naval Armament" of 18 March 1794, which specified the numbers of marines to recruit for each frigate. The Marines' most famous action of this period occurred during the First Barbary War (1801–1805) against

15960-669: The Vietnam War, the U.S. Marines resumed their expeditionary role, participating in the failed 1980 Iran hostage rescue attempt Operation Eagle Claw , the Operation Urgent Fury and the Operation Just Cause . On 23 October 1983, the Marine barracks in Beirut was bombed , causing the highest peacetime losses to the Corps in its history (220 marines and 21 other service members were killed) and leading to

16112-497: The absence of the commander, the exception being commands with a deputy commander, although recent army command reductions have either merged the two, or eliminated the deputy. A few organizations within the army maintain authorizations for a chief warrant officer to serve as an XO/2IC. One example of this is the Modular Ammunition Platoon , where the ammunition technician acts as the second-in-command during

16264-512: The absence of the platoon leader. While the experience gained as an XO is highly beneficial for an army officer's professional development, it is not necessarily a prerequisite for a command position. At the army level of command, a commanding general will have a deputy commanding general as second in command and an "executive officer" on their personal staff who works as their liaison to the general staff and an aide-de-camp who takes care of their calendar and personal needs. The executive officer

16416-493: The addition of air assault and maneuver warfare doctrine, into the current " Operational Maneuver from the Sea " doctrine of power projection from the seas. The Marines are credited with developing helicopter insertion doctrine and were the earliest in the American military to widely adopt maneuver-warfare principles, which emphasize low-level initiative and flexible execution. In light of recent warfare that has strayed from

16568-547: The border of Afghanistan as early as October 2001 in preparation for Operation Enduring Freedom . The 15th and 26th Marine Expeditionary Units were some of the first conventional forces into Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in November 2001. After that, Marine battalions and squadrons rotated through, engaging the Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces. Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit flooded into

16720-631: The coast, known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir . The fighting calmed after the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, but late in March 1953, the relative quiet of the war was broken when the People's Liberation Army launched a massive offensive on three outposts manned by the 5th Marine Regiment . These outposts were codenamed "Reno", "Vegas", and "Carson". The campaign was collectively known as

16872-565: The collapse of North Korean lines and the pursuit of North Korean forces north near the Yalu River until the entrance of the People's Republic of China into the war. Chinese troops surrounded, surprised, and overwhelmed the overextended and outnumbered American forces. The U.S. Army's X Corps, which included the 1st Marine Division and the Army's 7th Infantry Division regrouped and inflicted heavy casualties during their fighting withdrawal to

17024-400: The conduct of the war. In spite of this rocky start, CAP became an official "hearts and minds" civic action program , and a school of sorts was eventually established near Da Nang . Training was brief (ten days) and covered a few bare essentials – some Vietnamese phrases, customs, and culture, some civic action precepts, and some military topics – far too short to be of much real good, though

17176-849: The creation of the 1st Combined Action Group in Chu Lai under Lt.Col. Day, the 2nd Combined Action Group in DaNang and the 3rd Combined Action Group in Phu Bai. All three CAG headquarters reported directly to III MAF. In February 1967, the Narrative Summary notes the establishment of Sub Unit # 5 at Khe Sanh. (That corresponds roughly to the establishment of Oscar Company, then operating under SU #5.) The report mentions building CAP sites, patrols, and other events, but generally doesn't break them down by company or platoon, with references to Alpha, Hotel, and Papa as separate entities. On 15 July 1967,

17328-522: The early 20th century codified their combat duties ashore, outlining the use of Marines in the seizure of bases and other duties on land to support naval campaigns. In 1987, the USMC Sea School was closed; in 1998, all Marine Detachments on board ships were disbanded. Throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, Marine detachments served aboard Navy cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers. Marine detachments served in their traditional duties as

17480-611: The end of the American Civil War to the end of the 19th century. They were called upon to stem political and labor unrest within the United States. Under Commandant Jacob Zeilin 's tenure, Marine customs and traditions took shape: the Corps adopted the Marine Corps emblem on 19 November 1868. It was during this time that "The Marines' Hymn" was first heard. Around 1883, the Marines adopted their current motto " Semper fidelis " ( Always Faithful ). John Philip Sousa ,

17632-630: The evacuation of American citizens from the U.S. Embassy in Tirana , Albania. Following the attacks on 11 September 2001 , President George W. Bush announced the Global War on Terrorism . The stated objective of the Global War on Terror is "the defeat of Al-Qaeda , other terrorist groups and any nation that supports or harbors terrorists". Since then, the Marine Corps, alongside the other military services, has engaged in global operations around

17784-412: The executive officer may also be responsible for the duties of those officers. Carrier air wings in the U.S. Navy do not have an XO, but have a deputy commander (DCAG) instead; for shore-based or functional naval air wings headed by a commodore, the equivalent position is the deputy commodore. In the U.S. Coast Guard, on board small cutters and patrol boats that are commanded by either a junior officer or

17936-524: The executive officer, Maj Zimmerman. "Zimmerman drew upon his knowledge of the British Army's experiences in 19th Century India. While studying British procedures of that era, Zimmerman had developed an appreciation for the British propensity towards "Brigading." He knew that by combining a British unit with one or more native units, the British were not only able to increase the size of their army for

18088-428: The five most highly compensated officers not also sitting on the board of directors . In many insurance policies, executive officer means, in the case of a corporation, any chairman, chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief operating officer, president, or general counsel. In the case of a sole proprietorship , an executive officer is the sole proprietor. In the case of a partnership , an executive officer

18240-587: The four, consisted of eight CACOs with 36 CAPs and almost 700 Marine and Navy officers and men, while the smallest, the 4th in Quang Tri, had three CACOs and 18 CAPs. With the US participation in the war drawing down, III MAF reduced the CAP platoons as it redeployed its regular forces. On 21 September 1970, the Marines officially deactivated CAP as a separate command within III MAF. In its 5 years of operation, CAPs operated in more than 800 hamlets, containing approximately 500,000 Vietnamese civilians in I Corps. CAP

18392-409: The infantry is matched with the doctrine of "Every Marine [is] a rifleman", a precept of Commandant Alfred M. Gray, Jr. , emphasizing the infantry combat abilities of every Marine. All Marines, regardless of military specialization , receive training as a rifleman , and all officers receive additional training as infantry platoon commanders. During World War II at the Battle of Wake Island , when all

18544-449: The interrelated functions of providing physical security, destroying the VC apparatus, motivating the people to cooperate and establishing responsive local government." GEN William C. Westmoreland , commanding general, Military Assistance Command Vietnam was not an advocate of pacification programs. He believed in large unit land warfare, and was trying to stage a full-scale land battle with

18696-636: The musician and composer, enlisted as a Marine apprentice at age 13, serving from 1867 until 1872, and again from 1880 to 1892 as the leader of the Marine Band . During the Spanish–American War (1898), Marines led American forces ashore in the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico , demonstrating their readiness for deployment. At Guantánamo Bay , Cuba, the Marines seized an advanced naval base that remains in use today. Between 1899 and 1916,

18848-541: The officer is the second-in-command of a ship or shore establishment. In the Indian Army , second-in-command (2IC) is the designation used. The term XO is not used in most British Army or Royal Marines units, where the designation second-in-command (2i/c) is used as a formal appointment. However, the position does exist in some specialist regiments within the Royal Artillery where the exact duties vary. In

19000-404: The officer next in rank to the commander. As the direct representative of the commander, all orders issued by the executive officer shall have the same force and effect as though issued by the commander. The executive officer shall conform to and effectuate the policies and orders of the commander and shall be prepared to assume command at any time the need should arise." At higher levels of command,

19152-844: The outcome." Other writers including Maj Edward Palm, who was once a CAP Marine, thought otherwise. "I would like to believe, with some, that combined action was the best thing we did... ...In my experience, combined action was merely one more untenable article of faith. The truth, I suspect, is that where it seemed to work, combined action wasn't really needed, and where it was, combined action could never work." Tom Flynn CAC Papa3 Marine. A Voice of Hope,184p.p.  ISBN   1-56167-133-9 , American Literary Press,1994. Also see copies found in Marine Corps Historical Center,Building 58,Washington Navy Yard,901 M Street, S.E.,Washington, DC 20374 5040 United States Marine Corps 10 November 1775 (249 years) (as

19304-403: The policing and inspection of the ship. When the ship goes to action stations, the XO confirms that the ship actually is ready for combat and reports this to the captain. The XO's own action station is in a separate part of the ship from that of the captain, so that a single hit will not likely incapacitate both officers. On small ships with no first lieutenant , gunnery officer , or navigator ,

19456-399: The program was renamed to CUPP, for the "Combined Unit Pacification Program." CAP has remained the most common name. To work with the PFs, III MAF instituted the combined action platoon (CAP), consisting of a 13-man Marine rifle squad (if you were fortunate enough to have 13) augmented by a U.S. Navy Corpsman and paired with a 15- to 30-man PF platoon to defend one particular village (The PF

19608-414: The provisions of the Foreign Service Act of 1946. A formal Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the Department of State and the Secretary of the Navy on 15 December 1948, and 83 Marines were deployed to overseas missions. During the first year of the program, 36 detachments were deployed worldwide. The Marine Corps was founded to serve as an infantry unit aboard naval vessels and was responsible for

19760-491: The same civic action that won their friendship originally. Harold P. Ford, who held senior positions in both the National Intelligence Council and the Directorate of Operations, offers some insights on Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara 's evaluation of the situation in Vietnam; "The large-unit operations war, which we know best how to fight and where we have had our successes, is largely irrelevant to pacification as long as we do not have it. Success in pacification depends on

19912-400: The second-in-command is the assistant division/wing commander or, in the case of a Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), deputy commander. For those commands having a general officer (usually a brigadier general) in command without a designated assistant commander or deputy commander, such as a Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) or Marine Logistics Group (MLG), the chief of staff (a colonel) is

20064-419: The second-in-command. Unlike their U.S. Navy counterparts, XOs of U.S. Marine Corps squadrons in U.S. Naval Aviation do not "fleet up" to become CO. The executive officer is the billet of the officer who is second-in-command. An XO is assigned to all ships, aviation squadrons, and shore units and installations, and is responsible to the captain for all ship's work, drills, exercises, personnel organization, and

20216-427: The security of the ship and its crew by conducting offensive and defensive combat during boarding actions and defending the ship's officers from mutiny ; to the latter end, their quarters on the ship were often strategically positioned between the officers' quarters and the rest of the vessel. Continental Marines manned raiding parties, both at sea and ashore. America's first amphibious assault landing occurred early in

20368-461: The two senior positions (CO or XO) occupied by a surface warfare officer and the other by a naval aviator or naval flight officer, alternating at each change of command. In naval aviation , in U.S. Navy squadrons (other than the Fleet Replacement Squadrons (FRS) and the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron {viz., Blue Angels}), the XO will eventually "fleet up" to become the CO of that squadron after twelve to fifteen months as XO. This fleet up model

20520-448: The union. The PFs, a poorly trained and often neglected home guard, brought knowledge of people and terrain. They also brought the emotional benefits associated with defending their homes. The Marines brought the benefits of highly trained, well led, aggressive combat troops." MG Walt formalized the program in February 1967, appointing LtCol William R. Corson as the III MAF deputy director for Combined Action. Corson believed CAP should have

20672-482: The unit (replacing the letters), and the third designated the platoon. At the beginning of 1970, Marine strength in the Combined Action Program had reached its peak. Four CAGs were in operation: In January 1970, the four CAGs consisted of a total of 42 Marine officers and 2,050 enlisted men, with two naval officers and 126 hospital corpsmen. Organized in 20 CACOs and 114 CAPs, these Americans worked with about 3, 000 RF and PF soldiers. The 2d CAG in Quang Nam, largest of

20824-471: The upcoming conflict. In World War II , the Marines performed a central role in the Pacific War , along with the U.S. Army. The battles of Guadalcanal , Bougainville , Tarawa , Guam , Tinian , Cape Gloucester , Saipan , Peleliu , Iwo Jima , and Okinawa saw fierce fighting between marines and the Imperial Japanese Army . Some 600,000 Americans served in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. The Battle of Iwo Jima, which began on 19 February 1945,

20976-488: The villages as the Marines did. Typically they were a 3-man team including an officer, enlisted instructor and radiotelephone operator. The HQ was in a nominally secure area, and they ventured out to arranged meeting places to provide instructional support in weapons maintenance, etc. One such element was an adjunct of the 1st/502d Inf, 101st Airborne Division and was sited at Eagle Beach in June 1970. (Information per former Army CAPT member, "M-60" Mike Kelley, in an E-mail to

21128-604: The villages they worked in, and succeeded in denying them to the VC. "Of the 209 villages protected by CAP units, not one ever reverted to VC control. Of all the data compiled, subjective or objective, this one undeniable achievement remains as an example of success unparalleled in the war. Just by their presence CAP units were able to establish RVN primacy and served as one fact that VC propaganda could not explain away. CAP Marines are often fondly remembered and have been well received by their former villages when they re-visited Vietnam. Indeed, some have gone back there to work, doing much

21280-443: The war, which were the first and last engagements of the conflict. Their most significant contribution was holding the center of General Andrew Jackson 's defensive line at the 1815 Battle of New Orleans , the final major battle and one of the most one-sided engagements of the war. With widespread news of the battle and the capture of HMS Cyane , HMS Levant and HMS Penguin , the final engagements between British and U.S. forces,

21432-413: The world in support of that mission. In spring 2009, President Barack Obama 's goal of reducing spending in the Defense Department was led by Secretary Robert Gates in a series of budget cuts that did not significantly change the Corps's budget and programs, cutting only the VH-71 Kestrel and resetting the VXX program. However, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform singled

21584-399: Was Oscar Company, which was stationed at Khe Sanh in the mountainous regions of Quang Tri . The Marines drew from the same local Dega tribe, the Bru , as the Special Forces of nearby FOB 3, though the Special Forces, since they could offer a better rate of pay, usually got their pick of the tribe.) The main difference between the Marine CAP and the Army programs was that the Marine program

21736-421: Was a " hearts and minds " civic action program seeking to gain the trust and friendship of the Vietnamese they lived and worked with through a combination of military training and civic action projects, while the Special Forces Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) combined village defense units with mobile strike forces of mercenary light infantry. The original CIDG programs with Special Forces were sponsored by

21888-436: Was a manifestation of the strategy the Marines felt best suited the conditions in Vietnam. "With U.S. Marines living and fighting side-by-side with the Vietnamese people, CAP seemed to represent an effective, long-term, around-the-clock commitment to combating the Vietnamese communists at the grassroots level. CAP worked well in some locations; elsewhere, its results were transitory at best—with villagers becoming over-reliant on

22040-400: Was already part of the USMC heritage. From 1915 to 1934, the Corps had a wealth of experience in foreign interventions fighting guerrillas in Nicaragua, Haiti, and Santo Domingo. For example, the Marines organized and trained the Gendarmerie d'Haiti and the Nacional Dominicana in Haiti and Santo Domingo from 1915 to 1934. In Nicaragua (1926–1933), the Marines organized, trained, and commanded

22192-423: Was also adopted in the late 2000s for XO and CO positions of both large amphibious assault ships (but not aircraft carriers) and Arleigh Burke -class guided missile destroyers. In addition to operational and tactical responsibilities, XOs also shoulder most of the CO's administrative burden, to include oversight of the command's administrative officer (if assigned) and administrative department. The term of XO in

22344-463: Was arguably the most famous Marine engagement of the war. The Japanese had learned from their defeats in the Marianas Campaign and prepared many fortified positions on the island including pillboxes and network of tunnels. The Japanese put up fierce resistance, but American forces reached the summit of Mount Suribachi on 23 February. The mission was accomplished with high losses of 26,000 American casualties and 22,000 Japanese. The Marines played

22496-447: Was changed to CAP, for "Combined Action Platoons". From a purely military standpoint, the units were of platoon , not company, strength. In addition, "cac" is a Vietnamese word for the male generative organ, and the motto included the phrase "suc manh", which means strength. The implications were naturally humorous to the Vietnamese. In the last phase of development, when Marines were no longer permanently assigned to individual villages,

22648-413: Was not enough; Barney and Miller's forces were overrun. In all of 114 marines, 11 were killed and 16 wounded. During the battle Captain Miller's arm was badly wounded, for his gallant service in action, Miller was brevetted to the rank of Major USMC. After the war, the Marine Corps fell into a malaise that ended with the appointment of Archibald Henderson as its fifth commandant in 1820. Under his tenure,

22800-423: Was one of several programs, during the Vietnam War, where US personnel worked as a team with a local defense group. "The Marines and the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, disagreed on war strategies. U.S. Army leaders [other than Special Forces ] wanted to search and destroy the communists in the rural and less-populated areas of South Vietnam; the Marines wanted to clear and hold the populated areas. CAP

22952-419: Was one of the worst days for American arms, though a few units and individuals performed heroic service. Notable among them were Commodore Joshua Barney's 500 sailors and the 120 marines under Captain Samuel Miller USMC, who inflicted the bulk of British casualties and were the only effective American resistance during the battle. A final desperate Marine counter attack, with the fighting at close quarters, however

23104-656: Was roughly equivalent to the US National Guard , but with less training and poorer equipment). Each element of the team strengthened the other. The Marines contributed firepower, training, and access to American medical evacuation, artillery and air support. CAPs were generally commanded by a Marine sergeant , but were sometimes commanded by corporals . Patrols were often led by lance-corporals. In some cases such as CAP 1-4-1 in 1969 they were commanded by Lance Corporals. Combined Action Platoons were frequently semi-isolated and usually independent units. Headquarters CAPs were sometimes "double" CAPs – i.e.; two CAP squads, one comprising

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