United States Marine Corps

===Capabilities===
The Marine Corps fulfills a critical military role as an amphibious warfare force. It is capable of [[asymmetric warfare]] with [[conventional warfare|conventional]], [[irregular warfare|irregular]], and [[hybrid warfare|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 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 (United States Marine Corps)|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 a single command provides a smoother implementation of combined-arms warfare principles.<ref name="Warren">{{Cite book |last= Warren |first= James A. |title= American Spartans: The U.S. Marines: A Combat History From Iwo Jima to Iraq |publisher= Free Press, Simon & Schuster |year= 2005 |location= New York |isbn= 0-684-87284-6 |url= https://archive.org/details/americanspartans00warr}}</ref>

[[File:Marine-31st.jpg|thumb|U.S. Marines from the [[31st Marine Expeditionary Unit]] training ]]
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, [[United States Marine Corps Aviation|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.<ref name="Lawliss" />

{{anchor|Every Marine is a rifleman}}This focus on 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 [[List of United States Marine Corps MOS|military specialization]], receive training as a [[rifleman]]; and all officers receive additional training as infantry platoon commanders.<ref>{{Cite book |last= Milks |first= Keith A. |title= Ensuring 'Every Marine a Rifleman' is more than just a catch phrase|publisher= 22 MEU, USMC |date= 8 May 2003 |url= http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/b5ac3322e236c38985256feb00492f93?OpenDocument |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071224075658/http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/b5ac3322e236c38985256feb00492f93?OpenDocument |archive-date=24 December 2007 |id= Story ID # 20071230234422}}</ref> During World War II at the [[Battle of Wake Island]], when all of the Marine aircraft were destroyed, pilots continued the fight as ground officers, leading supply clerks and cooks in a final defensive effort.<ref name="Heinl">{{Cite web |author= R.D. Heinl, Jr |title= Marines in WWII Historical Monograph: The Defense of Wake |publisher= Historical Section, Division of Public Information, Headquarters, USMC |year= 1947 |url= http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Wake.html |access-date= 28 August 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061002174813/http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-M-Wake.html |archive-date= 2 October 2006|df= dmy-all}}</ref> Flexibility of execution is implemented via an emphasis on "[[Intent (military)|commander's intent]]" as a guiding principle for carrying out orders, specifying the end state but leaving open the method of execution.<ref name="Lind">{{Cite book |last1= Lind |first1= William S. |author-link= William S. Lind |first2=Michael|last2=Wyly |author-link2=Michael Wyly |title= Maneuver Warfare Handbook |publisher=Westview Press |year= 1985 |location=Boulder, Colorado |isbn= 0-86531-862-X}}</ref>

The amphibious assault techniques developed for World War II evolved, with the addition of [[air assault]] and [[maneuver warfare]] doctrine, into the current "''Operational Maneuver from the Sea''" doctrine of [[power projection]] from the seas.<ref name="OMFTS"/> The Marines are credited with the development of 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 the Corps's traditional missions,<ref name="2ndarmy"/> the Marines have renewed an emphasis on amphibious capabilities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marines.mil/unit/iimef/Pages/Amphibiousroots.aspx|title=Marines return to their amphibious roots|last=Patrick|first=Capt Timothy|date=10 December 2010|work=[[II Marine Expeditionary Force]]|publisher=United States Marine Corps|access-date=22 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225055336/http://www.marines.mil/unit/iimef/Pages/Amphibiousroots.aspx|archive-date=25 December 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:USS Tarawa operations.jpg|thumb|Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit depart {{USS|Tarawa|LHA-1}}, using both a Landing Craft Utility and CH-53E "Super Stallion" helicopters, during amphibious operations in Kuwait, 2003.]]
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 unit]]s (MEU) are typically stationed at sea so they can function as first responders to international incidents.<ref name="ChenowethNihart">{{Cite book|last1= Chenoweth|first1= H. Avery|last2= Nihart|first2= Brooke|title= Semper fi: The Definitive Illustrated History of the U.S. Marines|publisher= Main Street|year= 2005|location= New York|isbn= 1-4027-3099-3}}</ref> To aid rapid deployment, the [[Military Sealift Command|Maritime Pre-Positioning System]] was developed: fleets of [[container ship]]s are positioned throughout the world with enough equipment and supplies for a [[marine expeditionary force]] to deploy for 30 days.{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}