U.S. Marines Stationed in Australia Again Take Lead as Symbol of U.S.’ Strength

Published in People
(China) on 2 December 2011
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Sharon Chiao. Edited by Gillian Palmer.
Recently, U.S. President Obama announced the long term plan of having U.S. troops stationed in Australia. Starting in the middle of next year, U.S. Marines stationed in Australia will increase from 200 to 250; within five years, the number will increase to 2,500. The U.S. and Australia will also be expanding military activities by carrying out joint training and military exercises.

Obama expressed that the decision to have U.S. troops stationed in Australia shows that “the United States is stepping up its commitment to the entire Asia-Pacific region.” The last time Australia played a major role in U.S. military deployment was at the beginning of World War II. At that time ,General MacArthur made Darwin, Australia, a military base to fight the Japanese army and reclaim the Pacific military bases. What is evident, following the U.S.’s fast paced return to the Asia-Pacific region, is that the role of the Marines as the “front line” military unit will be increasingly prominent.

The Marine Corps has existed since the American Revolution, originally as the “Continental Marines,” an independent military service during the war.

From a global perspective, the Marine Corps is generally considered part of the navy, carrying out combat missions on land as well as on sea. It has the characteristics of a navy while also maintaining the traditional features of an army.

However, during U.S. military battles, the Marine Corps was not part of the Navy, but is equal with the Army, Navy and Air Force. At the same time, to adjust to the needs of global military strategy, the Marine Corps has continually changed its equipment and adjusted its organizational structure. It has comprehensively improved its pre-deployment, rapid assault, mobility and overall combat capabilities.

The U.S. Marine Corps is the only armed forces that does not require congressional approval for the president to send them out. So from the U.S.’ perspective, once there is trouble in any part of the world, the first group to be deployed is the Marines, who specialize in amphibious warfare. As long as there are conflicts threatening U.S. interests, people will see the anchor, globe and bald eagle, the emblem of the Marine Corps. They have already become a symbol of America’s strength.

The establishment of the Marine Corps can be traced back to the Revolutionary War; it was originally set up as Philadelphia’s “Continental Marines.” On Nov. 10, 1775, the Continental Congress issued a decree formally creating the Marine Corps and integrating it into the armed forces. With over 200 years of war experience, the U.S. Marine Corps has participated in all of America’s wars and expeditions, and has long been a role model for America’s military elite.

During World War II, the U.S. Marines were the vanguard force in the Asia-Pacific region; everyone became more familiar with them. After the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the number of Marines expanded to approximately 500,000. Since 1945, the U.S. Marines have been an amphibious force that can be rapidly mobilized at a moment’s notice.

After World War II, Marines were stationed in every U.S. embassy around the world to provide protection. In 1954, as a response to the U.S. State Department’s request, a U.S. Marine Corps school was formally established. Active duty Marines voluntarily receive six weeks of diplomat protection training to become official Marine Corps guards, which are tasked with defending the embassy for 30 months. This makes the U.S. the only country in the world that sends its troops to protect its embassies.

Also, the U.S. Marine Corps has separate command, operations, equipment and logistics systems and recruitment criteria from other U.S. military services. The Marine Corps, like other U.S. military forces, enlist recruits. However, training and equipment are different from ordinary army and navy training. It can be said that the training is tougher and the equipment is better. Therefore, most people believe that the U.S. Marine Corps’ fighting abilities have to be stronger and better than the regular army.

And for this reason, regardless of whether it’s Lebanon crisis in 1958 or the occupation of the Dominican Republic in 1965, the U.S. Marine Corps has been involved. During the Korean War, the Marines were the first troops sent to Korea. In 1965, the Marines were the first to be sent to Vietnam. In 1968, during the North Vietnamese spring campaign, the U.S. Marines successfully defended Hue City and Khe Sanh. This battle made the Marines even more legendary.


近日,美国总统奥巴马宣布了美军在澳大利亚的永久驻军计划。从明年中期开始,美军将在澳大利亚部署200人至250人的海军陆战队,并计划在5年内增加到2500人。美澳还将扩大军事活动,开展两军联合训练和演习。

  奥巴马表示,美国在澳大利亚部署海军陆战队的决定,显示了美国对整个亚太的承诺。而上一次澳大利亚在美国军事部署上扮演重要角色还是在二战初期,当时麦克阿瑟将澳大利亚达尔文港作为打击日军、收回太平洋的军事基地。可以肯定的是,随着美国重返亚太步伐的加快,其海军陆战队“急先锋”的角色将日益突出。

  从美国独立战争开始,脱胎于“殖民地海陆战队”的美国海军陆战队,就开始作为一个独立军种登上战争舞台

  从世界范围来看,海军陆战队一般隶属于海军或海军舰队,作为遂行陆地作战任务的海军兵种,它既有海军的特性,也保留着陆军的传统特征。

  但是,在美军的战斗序列中,海军陆战队已经不是海军的兵种,而是与陆海空军平等的第四大军种。同时,为了适应全球战略的需要,近年来,美国海军陆战队不断改进装备、调整体制编制,全面提高了预先部署、快速突击、高度机动和整体作战能力。

  美国海军陆战队是美国武装力量中唯一无须经国会批准,总统就可直接动用的武装力量。所以对美国而言,世界上任何地方一旦有事,首先出动的就是擅长两栖作战的海军陆战队。只要和美国利益发生任何冲突,便可看见船锚、地球、白头鹫的陆战队队徽,它几乎已成为美国实力的象征。

  美国海军陆战队的发展可以追溯到独立战争时期,最初成立于费城的“殖民地海陆战队”。1775年11月l0日,美国国会颁布法令,正式创建海军陆战队并将其纳入美国武装部队。经历了200多年战火洗礼的美国海军陆战队,参加了美利坚合众国几乎所有战争和远征,早已成为美军精锐的表率。

  在第二次世界大战中,作为太平洋战场先头部队的海军陆战队就更为大家所熟悉。在经过硫磺岛、冲绳岛等一系列战役后,海军陆战队的规模扩大到近50万人。自1945年起,美国海军陆战队成为随时可调动的两栖快速反应部队。

  二战之后,由于驻扎在世界各地的美国大使馆急需有力的保护。1954年,响应美国国务院请求,美国海军陆战队警卫学校正式成立。现役海军陆战队员自愿接受6个星期的保卫政要训练,成为正式陆战队警卫并且执行为期30个月的保卫使馆任务。此举也使美国成为世界上唯一一个往驻外使馆派遣军队进行保护的国家。

  此外,美国海军陆战队还拥有独立于其他美国军种的指挥、作战、装备和后勤体系以及征召标准。美国海军陆战队同美国其他军种一样在社会上征召新兵,但训练和装备都不同于普通的美国陆海军部队,可以说是训练更严、装备更好。因而,公众普遍认为美国海军陆战队的战斗力要强于一般的美国陆军部队。

  也正因为如此,无论是1958年的黎巴嫩,还是1965年的多米尼加,都有美国海军陆战队的身影。在朝鲜战争中,海军陆战队是美国最早投入战斗的一支部队。1965年,海军陆战队又是首先被派往越南战场的。在1968年北越方面的新春攻势中,美国海军陆战队成功地防守了顺化和溪山,此战更赋予其诸多传奇色彩。
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