The United States Marine Corps is a branch with so many stories and traditions that you could never finish writing about them. Marines take the words discipline, dedication, commitment, loyalty, courage, and honor to another level. There is no battle, conflict, or war that has even been won or ever will be won if not for the efforts and commitment of the United States Marines. The Marines are all infantry no matter what your individual MOS is. They train to fight and to win. The job the Marines did in the battle for Fallujah was incredible. They faced the enemy for hours, days, weeks, and months and defeated them every time. Their dedication to duty, the freedom of the United Sates, and the American way of life, is unsurpassed. The Marines will always be one of the most important military branches of the United States armed forces.
Rifleman’s Creed a Marines Oath
The Rifleman’s Creed starts with “This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.” A Marine learns this in boot camp and then lives it for the rest of his or her time in the Marines. If you’ve seen the movie Full Metal Jacket, you might laugh at this and think that a Marine doesn’t take this as seriously as he or she does their commitment to freedom, but they do.
Without My Rifle
“My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will . . .” This is so true. In battle, you have to be an expert in military weapons. Your enemy doesn’t want to dance with you; your enemy wants to kill you first before you kill them. They might not even fight fair, so you must eliminate your enemy before they eliminate you. It is not called being “brain washed” in boot camp either. It is called honor, courage, and commitment.
The Hits that Count
“My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit . . .” Like any combat unit, the Marines spend hours upon hours training, firing their weapons, cleaning their weapons, or just aiming their weapons at a spot on the wall. They learn trigger squeeze and sight picture. They learn how to breathe and how to aim steady. They master all the shooting fundamentals. A Marine is an expert with a rifle. It is their most important piece of military equipment.
A Human
“My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will . . .” A Marine won’t graduate boot camp without being able to take apart his weapon and put it back together in clean operating order within a specific time. A Marine will spend hours upon hours cleaning and maintain his or her rifle.
This Is My Creed
“Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America’s and there is no enemy, but peace!”
These are very strong words. Every Marine past and present lives by these words. The United States would struggle to protect freedom without the Marines! The Marines have always been and always will be one of our superior fighting forces by land, sea, or air.
Thank You
To all the Marines I have served with, I say thank you. Your dedication to duty and will to win speaks for itself. Semper Fi. “Always faithful!”
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