The Marine Corps is the only branch of the U.S. Armed Forces that recruits people to

[nofearusmc]

HERE IS A NICE ESSAY ABOUT MARINES. ENJOY IT AND PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REMEMBER OUR MARINES WHO LIVE ON ONLY IN THE MEMORIES OF THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS...SEMPER FI <br />
...

[yellowwing]

Land on the beach and seize forward Naval bases. That truly is walking into someone's backyard and taking it from him. We have the training and discipline to do just that.

And we sure as hell don't take just anybody in these little excursions. You got to prove yourselves. For 13 weeks our finest will hammer you and test you to see what you are made of. We have to find out if you are the type to cut and run.

Just look at the latest rounds of Silver Star awards. "I was just doing my job", is the common theme in all of them. That's the kind of shlit we stir up!

When the Commander in Chief needs someone to rip through 800 miles of the enemy's homeland defense, we get the job done faster than anyone could ever imagine.

Every little piece of America we call Embassies is guarded by our Brethren. From little 2 building third world sh*tholes to palatial spreads, we are there projecting who we are as Americans.

We don't do it for the meager pay and benefits. We could have been Air Force gas jockeys or Army garbage 'engineers' and earn the same.

We are United States Marines! :marine:

[mrbsox]

Well said !!

Is anyone keeping tabs on the awards issued in OIF ?? Just wondering what the ratio of Silver and Bronze stars is (with combat 'V') comparing Armyy to Marines, and accounting for the ratio of 'boots on the ground'.

I'm about willing to bet that the actual number of awards is about equal...
with Army boots out numbering Marine boots about 4 or 5 to 1.

Thoughts ??

[Joseph P Carey]

Originally posted by mrbsox
Well said !!

Is anyone keeping tabs on the awards issued in OIF ?? Just wondering what the ratio of Silver and Bronze stars is (with combat 'V') comparing Armyy to Marines, and accounting for the ratio of 'boots on the ground'.

I'm about willing to bet that the actual number of awards is about equal...
with Army boots out numbering Marine boots about 4 or 5 to 1.

Thoughts ??

Unfortunately, You are wrong!

The service that gave out the most medals in the OIF was the Air Force with 69,000, and the Army gave out something in the neighborhood of 40,000, but the Marines, true to tradition, on the fight into Baghdad, gave out less than a thousand, with Purple Hearts included in that number, and with no Silver Stars!

I do not know what the most recent tallies are, but I am sure that we are all proud of the Air Force taking on the enemy for us all the way into Baghdad, and their hand to hand combat with the enemy, and their struggling through sand storms and the Fedayeen, and the Republican Guards, and the Iraqi Soldiers, and to think that they would not have a word of their exploits printed in any news article anywhere in the world. What a group of fantastic fighters those Airmen are?!?!?! They really deserved every medal they received, don't you think?

[nofearusmc]

Like Yellowwing touched on, Its not about Medals or awards.

Its about "Just Doing Our Jobs", this is what we were trained to do since day 1.

So to all those Marines who have served, Past and Present.

Thank You for a Job Well Done.

"Semper Fi"