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NEW ORLEANS -- Aug. 29 marked the 95th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
The Marine Corps Reserve was established when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Naval Appropriations Act of 1916.
Throughout the years, the Reserve force underwent several changes to include allowing women to serve, starting in 1918, and adding aviation units in 1925.
The number of Reserve Marines on active duty increased from 35 to 6,440 during World War I.
The Naval Reserve Act of 1938 compartmentalized the Marine Corps Reserve into the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve, an organized Marine Corps Reserve and a volunteer Marine Corps Reserve.
Reserve Marines were highly involved in World War II. Of the 589,852 Marines who served during the war, approximately 70 percent were Reserve Marines. Forty four of the 82 Marine Medal of Honor recipients from WWII were Reserve Marines.
In 1947, Reserve officer Maj. William Hendricks began the first Toys for Tots campaign collecting 5,000 toys. It was so successful that the Marine Corps Reserve adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide campaign. To this day Marines have distributed more than 400 million toys to more than 188 million children.
Reserve Marines would continue their service to the nation with their participation in the Korean War. 130,000 served on active duty during that conflict and 13 earned the Medal of Honor. Every third aviation combat mission was flown by either a Reserve sailor or Marine.
The Marine Corps Reserve experienced some fine-tuning in the 1950s and early 60s. The Armed Forces Reserve Act of 1952 re-designated Marine Corps Reserve into a Ready Reserve, a Standby Reserve, and a Retired Reserve. Three years later, the Armed Forces Reserve Act of 1955 incorporated a six-month training program and made schooling available in 200 key occupational fields. In July 1962, the Marine Corps Reserve was administratively re-structured to embody the 4th Marine Division, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing team, and Force Troops consisting of units that work directly for the commander. 4th Marine Division relocated its headquarters from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., to join 4th Marine Aircraft Wing in New Orleans in 1977.
Meanwhile, during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 70s, the Marine Corps Reserve as an organization was not mobilized. However, individual Reserve Marines volunteered to serve with active-duty units.
Later during the Persian Gulf War in 1990-91, Reserve Marines continued their engagement in overseas operations; 15 percent of all Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm Marines were in the Reserves.
In 1992, Marine Reserve Force was activated and became the largest command in the Marine Corps. Two years later, it was re-designated as Marine Forces Reserve in order to keep it in line with its Fleet Marine Force Command counterparts.
After Sept. 11, 2001, many Reserve units were called to active duty. They have since served all around the globe from Southwest Asia to Afghanistan, Africa and many other locations. Reserve Marine units and active-duty units operated shoulder to shoulder in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. They proved themselves and received recognition from many to include then commandant, Gen. Michael W. Hagee.
“Our Marine Reservists are Marines first, and there was absolutely no difference in performance—on the ground, in the air, in logistics,” said Hagee.
Marine Forces Reserve has come a long way from 1916 to its current status as the largest command in the Marine Corps. Their involvement in every foreign conflict since its inception and their current presence all around the globe in this era of constant conflict reflects the “ready, relevant, and sustainable” Marine Forces Reserve.
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2011 09:10 |
| Story ID: | 76873 |
| Location: | NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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