A History of the Marine Corps NCO:

From the Seas of the Past, to the Frontlines of Today

Sergeant Maximillian V. Kutch

Sergeant’s Course 3-13

Gunnery Sergeant H. L. Hunter

27 Mar 2013
 A History of the Marine Corps NCO:

From the Seas of the Past, to the Frontlines of Today

The Marine Corps is littered with stories of heroics and uncommon valor, but to get an

understanding of why the Marine Corps is the way it is, you first have to look back to its roots.

From the day the Marine Corps was founded, Marine noncommissioned officers have played a

unique role in shaping the Corps.

The Continental Marines were founded by the Continental Congress on November 10,

17751. Although the Continental Marines were disbanded in 17832 and were not the Marine

Corps that we know today, United States Marines still draw their roots and traditions from them.

For one, Marines still celebrate their birthday every year on November 10th. The Continental

Marines main job was to serve on board naval vessels as a security force in order to protect the

ships officers and crew. “During naval engagements Marine sharpshooters were stationed in the

fighting tops of the ships' masts, and were supposed to shoot the opponent's officers,

naval gunners, and helmsmen.”3 “The Continental Marines were also trained as infantry. If the

captain needed men to go ashore, the Marines would be the first to go. These landings would

generally consist of raids and reconnaissance.”4 Marines still hold this true to their hearts today

and it is evident in the saying “Every Marine is a rifleman”. This is also evident in the focus the

Marine Corps puts on its Scout Sniper program.

The captains of these ships placed an extreme amount of trust into the Marines, which

draws parallels with the level of trust that battalion commanders of today’s Marine Corps put

into the noncommissioned officers who are in charge of Scout Sniper teams. They placed their

trust in the Colonial Marines because of the Marines dependability and initiative. Initiative is
defined as “meeting new and unexpected situations with prompt action”5 which is exactly what a

leader looks for in a subordinate who is given a difficult task such as a landing party. The

Captains also placed their trust into these Marines because the Continental Marines were pivotal

in winning naval battles utilizing their accurate fires and fire discipline in order to take out high

priority targets. In saying that, the Continental Marines mission sounds a lot like the Mission of

a Marine Corps Scout Sniper. The mission of a Scout Sniper team of today’s Marine Corps is

“to support combat operations by providing precision fires on selected targets and targets of

opportunity from a concealed position. The secondary mission is gathering information for

intelligence purposes.”6

The captains of the Colonial Navy did not just trust the Marines because of their

marksmanship abilities, but also their judgment. If a landing party was sent out for a

reconnaissance mission, the captain had to make sure that the noncommissioned officers

leadership and maturity on the ground would be the same as it would be on the ship. An excerpt

from the Marine Corps noncommissioned officer creed says “I am forever conscious of each

Marine under my charge, and by example will inspire him to the highest standards possible.”7

This speaks true not only to the Marines of the present but of the Marines of our past. During

these landing party missions, it is possible that the highest ranking individual on the ground was

that Marine Sergeant. That is the same as it is today, when a four to eight man Scout Sniper

team departs friendly lines into enemy territory. The noncommissioned officers are entrusted to

do the right thing at the right time and use sound judgment at all times. The Marine sergeant of

today makes on the ground decisions of that of a staff noncommissioned officer in other

branches of the military. Nowhere else is such responsibility put on the shoulders of such a low

ranking individual. Not that the Marine sergeant is a low ranking individual, but in comparison
to a staff noncommissioned officer, the Marine sergeant is still junior, even though he does not

act it.

From the first day at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Marines are taught fourteen words

that epitomize how Marines act; “Justice, judgment, dependability, initiative, decisiveness, tact,

integrity, enthusiasm, bearing, unselfishness, courage, knowledge, loyalty, and endurance.”8

These are known as the Marine Corps leadership traits. They were not just made up from out of

the blue; these traits are drawn from the Marines of our past and are still practiced by all Marine

Corps noncommissioned officers today. It is possible in the Marine Corps to give such great

responsibility, because Marines were bred for it. Marines strive in the face of adversity, in

situations that no man should be able to, because Marines come from a long line of extraordinary

fighters. From the Continental Marines who executed the first amphibious landing at New

Providence Island and captured two British forts, to Scout Snipers of today who displayed

heroics and uncommon valor, like Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Myer, Marines will always

lead from the front. It is who Marines are and it is what Marines do.
 Bibliography

“The Birth of the Continental Marines”. Accessed March 17, 2013,

from http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2006_summer_fall/birth-marines.html

History of the Marine NCO, Student guide, United States Marine Corps Enlisted Professional
Military Education Sergeant’s Course, SFT-LDR-2501C, 2011.

“Marine Corps Leadership Traits.” Accessed March 21, 2013, from

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmc/leadership_traits.htm

SSC0501, Introduction to Sniper Employment, Scout Sniper Instructor School, Weapons

Training Battalion, Training Command, Pg 1

Sturkey, Marion F. Warrior Culture of the U.S. Marines. South Carolina: Heritage Press
International, 2009
1
History of the Marine NCO, Student guide, United States Marine Corps Enlisted Professional Military
Education Sergeant’s Course, SFT-LDR-2501C, 2011. Pg 6
2
History of the Marine NCO, Student guide, United States Marine Corps Enlisted Professional Military
Education Sergeant’s Course, SFT-LDR-2501C, 2011. Pg 6
3
“The Birth of The Continental Marines”. Accessed March 17, 2013,
from http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2006_summer_fall/birth-marines.html
4
“The Birth of the Continental Marines”. Accessed March 17, 2013,
from http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/2006_summer_fall/birth-marines.html
5
“Marine Corps Leadership Traits.” Accessed March 21, 2013, from
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmc/leadership_traits.htm
6
SSC0501, Introduction to Sniper Employment, Scout Sniper Instructor School, Weapons Training
Battalion, Training Command, Pg 1
7
Marion F. Sturkey, Warrior Culture of the U.S. Marines ( South Carolina: Heritage Press
International, 2009)
8
“Marine Corps Leadership Traits.” Accessed March 21, 2013, from
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmc/leadership_traits.htm