History of Marine Corps Nco

When the average civilian hears the term "U. S. Marine," what words come to mind? Most will tell you that they think of the words; brave, fearless, motivated, highly-trained, tireless, dangerous, patriotic. Most often you hear the word "hero." The Corps lives up to the names given to it every day, beginning in 1775 and every day since, and no other member of the Marines embodies the ideals more that the non-commissioned officer, the NCO. Corporals and sergeants who are the backbone of the Marine Corps, leaders on the front lines of today's battlefield, and mentors and teachers for the future of the Corps.

The rank of NCO carries with it responsibility to uphold a long-standing tradition of greatness forged in some of their country's most trying times. Places like Belau Wood, Iwo Jima, Ke Shah, and Fallujah, where our small-unit leaders time and again carried the day in the face of overwhelming odds. NCO's responsibilities don't end when they leave the battle either. Our NCOs are able rather effectively take our basically-trained Marines and turn them in to mature leaders and competent warriors with minimal input or intervention from Staff NCOs, and officers, setting them apart from any other service in the world.

Alongside leadership and mentoring our NCOs have a duty to themselves and to the Corps project an image of the consummate warrior, the "Recruiting poster Marine," if you will. Their outward appearances always being clean-cut. Their personal affairs are to be kept well-managed so as not to interfere with their work lives. Finally their moral bearing is to be unquestionable a trait to be emulated by all.

These are the characteristics of the Marine NCO, the characteristics of the Marine Corps itself. They are known by all who know the Corps they have been since the beginning and they will until we are only a memory. The Marine NCO will always be the standard that our reputation is measured by.