Black Logo Marines USMC US Army Pin

The United States Marine Corps, abbreviated USMC, also known as the Marine Corps in Italian, is one of the armed forces of the United States. Although in the early years after its founding it was almost exclusively involved in ship security and amphibious operations, the Marine Corps has evolved to take on multiple roles, making it a unique case within the US military apparatus.

With 203,000 active-duty personnel and 40,000 in the reserve (2009 data), the Marine Corps is the second smallest US armed force, and only the Coast Guard, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has numerically fewer personnel. However, the Corps surpasses the armed forces of almost all major countries in size: it is larger, for example, than the British Army. The Bulldog is their mascot.