An Overview of the Colour Sergeant of the Marine Corps

Introduction The Colour Sergeant of the Marine Corps is a 1965 billet in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) held by a non-commissioned officer (NCO) posted at Marine Barracks Washington. The postholder is responsible for carrying the official Colours of The USMC while leading “The Commandant’s Four”, members of which are part of the USMC… Read More

United States Marine Corps Birthday

Introduction The United States Marine Corps Birthday is celebrated every year on 10 November with a traditional ball and cake-cutting ceremony. On that day in 1775, the Continental Marines were established. Historical Birthday The official birthday of the United States Marine Corps is on 10 November 1775. That was the day when the Second Continental… Read More

Making Good Instructors Great: USMC Cognitive Readiness & Instructor Professionalisation Initiatives

After a decade of waging unconventional conflicts, Defence stakeholders now generally accept that the US military has entered a new era of warfare, distinguished from previous generations by its prevalence of insurgent and terrorist tactics, frequency of non-kinetic tactical dilemmas, complexity of the sociocultural context, and emphasis on operational decentralization. To excel under such conditions, each war-fighter (down… Read More

7 Tips for Successfully Completing Boot Camp, or Any Intense Training Experience, Courtesy of WWII Marines

Marcus Brotherton (Art of Manliness website) suggests there are seven tips for successfully completing boot camp, or any other intense training experience which are: Expect immediate, difficult change Never complain Never fight the man who trains you Pace yourself Don’t be a “grab-ass” Learn rules quickly, follow them explicitly Respect the leader with the low… Read More

US Military Considers Separate Combat Training for Men &Women

Rowan Scarborough, in an article in the Washington Times, tells us that “the military is looking at ways to modify its training for women to help them qualify for direct ground combat roles in the infantry, tank units and special operations. Senior officers revealed the new effort this week at a hearing of the House Armed… Read More

3 Women Have, Finally, Passed the Enlisted USMC Infantry Course

An article in the Washington Post reveals that, in November 2013, three women passed the United States Marine Corps (USMC) enlisted infantry course. However, women will still not be allowed to serve in the infantry and USMC leaders state they require another two years of study to determine if it is feasible for women to… Read More