How many marines are there in the us

The disadvantage is that the forces are a great distance from any likely conflict 2, miles from the South China Sea. That made them both more agile and easier to deploy, though at the cost of logistics and firepower. For many years, the Marine Corps had sized the amphibious requirement as the ability to carry two Marine Expeditionary Brigades in a wartime operation 34 ships , with 10 percent additional to cover ships in long-term maintenance total requirement 38 ships.

However, General Berger, like many others, noted that this approach produced a small number of very expensive, though very capable, ships. The resulting amphibious fleet was well suited for day-to-day forward deployments and regional conflicts but not well suited for distributed operations or operations in the highly contested environment that the NDS foresaw.

Nevertheless, they do provide cargo storage, flight decks, and personnel berthing that could be used for training and engagement events with allies and partners.

The Navy is making modifications to some of these ships to allow them to accommodate Marine Corps aircraft and troops more easily. This report is made possible by general support to CSIS. No direct sponsorship contributed to this report. All rights reserved. Marine Corps and U.

Thirty-eight ship requirement: U. Holzer and Scott C. Download the Full Report. Written By. Media Queries. Contact H. Most Recent From Mark F. Cancian Upcoming Event. November 16, In the News. Marine Corps. Close Video Headline. Your Email Address. Copy Me. You've been invited by someone you know to explore videos, photos, or news they selected for you to experience on Marines.

And the Marine Corps was supposed to be the ultimate challenge. Christopher Vogt: I first became interested in serving in the Military, especially in the Marine Corps, probably when I was five years old. Akhil Iyer: As I got into high school, I was looking for ways to serve. I knew I wanted to go to college as well, and saw the ROTC program as a way to not only go to college and find a way to pay for school, but ultimately to have an opportunity to serve and to lead Marines.

Kaitlin Nickelotte: I chose to do it because I wanted to lead Marines. I wanted to make a difference in their lives. I wanted to focus more on the personal aspect of that. But I also believe that anybody who wants it bad enough can do it.

You need to want to do it. Akhil Iyer: What excites me to be in the Marine Corps and to be an infantry officer is honestly the people around you. To become a Marine, an individual must be between 18 and 29 years old 17 with parental consent and have a high school diploma. There are five soldiers for every one Marine. Today, the Marines are on top. Kenneth McKenzie Jr. Mattis recently nominated Marine Maj.

George W. Smith Jr. Smith serves as special assistant to the director of the joint staff. Even the Brookings Institution, a leading D.

John Allen. There have been active-duty Army four-star generals in its history, nearly since World War II. There have been about 50 active duty four-stars since. The second was then-Gen. John Kelly. Retired Army Gen. By contrast, he said the Army has been wary of assigning officers to such paths. He pointed to the Army as being the centerpiece of national security and an outsized Marine-centric thinking could hurt larger efforts.

And the Marine power-hold may continue. From left in , Marine Gen.