US Marines

The United States Marine Corps was one of five branches of the United States Armed Forces. Closely cooperating with the United States Navy for mobility, the Marine Corps acted as the United States force in readiness.

History
In the 21st century during the Sino-American War, the Marine Corps would spearhead assaults into the Chinese mainland in 2074. Despite claims of fighting a defensive war, American infantry and mechanized divisions landed in Asia, in a counter-invasion of Chinese mainland. In the Yangtze Campaign, U.S. Marines rapidly overran Shanghai and Nanjing, securing a major port for bringing in troops and materiel.

On the domestic front, the Marine Corps would be responsible for protecting Navy facilities, especially black sites such as Sugar Grove in Appalachia, the Mount Desert Island Naval Facility at Mount Desert Island, and the Turtledove Detention Camp in Point Lookout. The Marines were also responsible for rounding up civilians for internment in accordance with Executive Order 99066, but due to a shortage of manpower, the USMC would hand these contracts to private military contractors. The Marines also participated in war games with other military assets, such as United States Army Rangers. Despite their veteran status, certain Marines would be left with poor jobs upon returning from service, such as bagging groceries.

Although the United States of America and all of its military branches ceased to exist during the Great War, elements of the Marine Corps seem to have survived in the Enclave, of all places, where the values integral to the Corps were instilled into its servicemen. Frank Horrigan is an example of such.

United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance
Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) serves as both the recon element of the Marine Corps and its special operations capable force. It frequently operated behind enemies lines, scouting out enemy positions in green operations as well as carrying out independent black operations against enemy positions.

Prior to the Great War, Hank Madigan was a sergeant in Force Reconnaissance. Maria Chavez: "Sergeant Madigan, is it?" Hank Madigan: "Was. Not sure that really applies anymore." Melody Larkin: "Cause you quit the Brotherhood." Hank Madigan: "Our interests no longer aligned." Maria Chavez: "And why is that, exactly? Brotherhood's been a good ally to us. Taking you on could be seen as an act of bad faith." Hank Madigan: "Taggerdy's Brotherhood was a fine organization. Maxson's Brotherhood's only cares about locking away every bit of technology they can get their hands on. I was a fire fighter before the war. It's my opinion that looking after the people of Appalachia should be top priority. From what I've heard, Responders do too." Maria Chavez: "I'm guessing Paladin Taggerdy didn't recruit a fire fighter because she liked how you looked in fatigues. What were you before your civilian life?" Hank Madigan: "Marine Recon." Melody Larkin: "No shit." Maria Chavez: "And why would the Responders need a Marine-turned-Brotherhood defector in their midst?" Hank Madigan: "Because I guarantee you don't have someone like me. I find things. People. Supplies. Solutions. And I'm good at it. You guys have a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of people to keep safe. I can help you do both. All I ask is regular rations and my own bunk." Melody Larkin: "And how do we know you ain't just sellin' us a bill of goods?" Hank Madigan: "I'm willing to prove it. Gimme a job. I'll show you what I can do." Melody Larkin: "How would you feel about getting back into a fire suit?" (Maria Chavez, Hank Madigan and Melody Larkin's dialogue) Note: These lines are from HolotapeQuest_LVC. It is unclear if they were intended to be part of an unimplemented, unused, or otherwise inaccessible holotape.

Equipment
The United States Marine Corps used many of the same weapons as the United States Army, but would use a number of tools unique to the branch, including the riot gear customized for desert operations and Wattz 2000 laser rifles for its sharpshooters. Marine Corp detachments embedded with Navy warships and posted to Navy facilities also used heavy suits of combat armor and specialized infiltration gear in their operations.