USMC Pg 2

The Few. The Proud. The Marines. The United States Marines have defended and fought for the American people since before the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Congress authorized two battalions of Marines on November 10, 1775 - the official birth of the Marine Corps. Since its inception, the Marine Corps has celebrated a legacy unlike any other. Its force is rich in history and traditions - upholding three core values that are at the soul of its institution: honor, courage and commitment. The Marine emblem - Eagle, Globe and Anchor - symbolizes distant service under the American eagle by air, land and sea, representing our nation's interests "in every clime and place." The symbol was adopted in 1868 and is perhaps the most recognized insignia in the world. Disclaimer -I've plagiarized all of the text below. Thanks to all of the websites (too many to name) that I found said info on! Hey, at least I admit I'm a thief! O
Force Recon Force Recon's mission is to conduct pre-assault and distant post-assault reconnaissance in support of a landing force.
	Force Recon accomplish their missions through various types of reconnaissance: zone reconnaissance, obtaining information on all routes, obstacles, terrain and enemy forces within certain boundaries; providing real time information through surveillance of areas of interest; and photographs and sketches, to provide accurate visual aids describing areas and enemies. In addition, they possess the capability to perform the following tasks: engage the enemy by supporting arms, implant sensors, capture selected prisoners, conduct initial terminal guidance operations, conduct specialized terrain reconnaissance, and conduct special missions requiring the use of entry capabilities.

26th Marine Expeditionary Unit A MEU is based on Naval vessels and is normally built around a reinforced battalion, a composite aircraft squadron, and by a MEU Service Support group totaling about 2,000 personnel in all.
	For more than 20 years, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit has served as "America's Force in Readiness" in the Mediterranean region. Established in the early 1970s as the 36th Marine Amphibious Unit, the MEU has deployed 14 times and participated in numerous contingency operations and training exercises.

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division was activated aboard the battleship Texas February 1, 1941. It is the oldest, largest (active duty), and most decorated division-sized unit in the United States Marine Corps.
	In 1991 the Division went on the offensive with the rest of Coalition Forces in Operation Desert Storm. In 100 hours of ground offensive combat 1st Marine Division helped to liberate Kuwait, smashing the Iraqi Army in the process.

New Century: MARPAT At the beginning of 2002 the USMC commenced phasing in a new combat utility uniform. These new uniforms are set to replace all currently used uniforms by the year 2006. A feature of these new uniforms is the new camouflage Marine Pattern, or MARPAT. This has been extensively tested in the field and proven to be very effective tactical camouflage. It was selected from over 100 offerings with eventually the two top patterns being MARPAT and a new Tiger Stripe which was eventually edged out by MARPAT. This new pattern is a customized digital pattern using 4 optimized colors for the Desert, Woodland and Urban patterns. The Urban pattern is still in testing process and is not yet officially adopted. (MARPAT is a Trademark of the U.S. Marine Corps)


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