How Many Marines Are On USMB?

[CrimsonWhite]

Not only that, but what are those diamond-shaped black patches on the arm of their cammies? When I was in, we didn't wear any patch other than name tapes and the USMC patch above the blouse pocket, or the iron-on EGA on our covers.

You sure this isn't a photo of the Army?

That isn't army. I'm thinking Royal Marines.

Not Royal Marines, pal.

Looking again, you are right. I do apologze for the incorrect reference. They definately are not US Army though.

 

[Bootneck]

That isn't army. I'm thinking Royal Marines.

Not Royal Marines, pal.

Looking again, you are right. I do apologze for the incorrect reference. They definately are not US Army though.

No apology necessary CW!

 

[Xenophon]

The photo appears to be local forces wearing US issued Camos.

 

[American Horse]

The photo appears to be local forces wearing US issued Camos.

I'm at a loss here; the WSJ says it is the men of a platoon of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, USMC getting a pep talk from their captain before boarding helicopters. The guys I served with, but it's more so now were of all sorts and nationalities. There's a close up in the attachment below. I'm asking some Marines at usmcforum.net (The Few The Proud The Marines Forum) to get their take on the arm patches. The close up of the Captain in the attachment shows what looks like digital MARPAT which is the current uniform.

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge to full scale

 

[Xenophon]

That temp patch could be for advisors, some of the men have it, but most do not.

 

[Gunny]

Comment/question - looking closely I see no chevrons for rank on any of these men's collars.

Not only that, but what are those diamond-shaped black patches on the arm of their cammies? When I was in, we didn't wear any patch other than name tapes and the USMC patch above the blouse pocket, or the iron-on EGA on our covers.

You sure this isn't a photo of the Army?

I wondered the same thing about those patches, since we didn't wear any patches like those when I was in, and there was a USMC policy against any unit patches, but that was 45 years ago, and I thought there might have been a recent change due to their status or whatever.

But in disregard of that policy, at my last unit at Camp Lejeune, which was the 2d Shoreparty Bn. (2d Mardiv), we wore a small red patch on front of our utility cover, and also one on the flank of one knee - not sure left or right. On TV, when a lot of Marines were going over in the beginning I saw a unit being deployed from Camp Lejeune with the same red patches.

But as for the accuracy of the photo caption, the WSJ article named the captain by name - omitted by me - and the unit as the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. There is an accompanying article about the Marines in Afghanistan.

There may be a clue in the cammies, the USMC now uses what is called the (MARPAT) Marine pattern, a disruptive digital pattern, unlike any other service's.

The USMC Eagle, Globe and Anchor (EGA) emblem appears on the boots, the patrol cap (cover) and other appropriate locations.

The EGA is also embedded in the pattern itself.

EDIT: "Landing Support Marines also wear the Red Patch insignia" - Wikkipedia (scroll down to the images of the MARPAT, and 8 lines down from there on the Wikki page.

That unit is now LSB ... Landing Support Battalion.

 

[Gunny]

EDIT: "Landing Support Marines also wear the Red Patch insignia" - Wikkipedia (scroll down to the images of the MARPAT, and 8 lines down from there on the Wikki page.

Well, things sure have changed since I got out 10 years ago. I remember that certain units wore braided loops, etc., but I'd never seen the black-diamond shaped patch before; and the EGA was only on our covers and blouse pockets(except dress uniforms).

But the red patches were an exception during WWII and up to the present; they were/are about exactly 1-inch square red felt. I was surprised when I joined the unit because I didn't think there were any unit insignias of any kind and actually there were. But I'm with you, the "diamond" is an anomaly for me too. Had you heard of or seen the red patches?
The Pogey Rope was (is) worn by the 5th and 6th Marine Reginments only.

LSB personnel STILL wear the red patch. At the time I retired, we wore nametapes. One on our trousers and one on the utility jacket for name, and U.S Marine Corps over the left jacket pocket.

 

[Gunny]

But the red patches were an exception; they were about exactly 1-inch square red felt. I was surprised when I joined the unit because I didn't think there were any unit insignias of any kind and actually there were. But I'm with you, the "diamond" is an anomaly for me too. Had you heard of or seen the red patches?
The Pogey Rope was (is) worn by the 5th and 6th Marine Reginments only.

No, I'd never seen or heard of the red patches. Totally new info for me.

!st, 2nd, and 3rd LSB wear them. One on the cover, one below the cargo pocket on their trousers.

 

[Gunny]

The photo appears to be local forces wearing US issued Camos.

I'm at a loss here; the WSJ says it is the men of a platoon of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, USMC getting a pep talk from their captain before boarding helicopters. The guys I served with, but it's more so now were of all sorts and nationalities. There's a close up in the attachment below. I'm asking some Marines at usmcforum.net (The Few The Proud The Marines Forum) to get their take on the arm patches. The close up of the Captain in the attachment shows what looks like digital MARPAT which is the current uniform.

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge to full scale

That isn't US Marines either.

 

[American Horse]

The photo appears to be local forces wearing US issued Camos.

I'm at a loss here; the WSJ says it is the men of a platoon of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, USMC getting a pep talk from their captain before boarding helicopters. ..... The close up of the Captain in the attachment shows what looks like digital MARPAT which is the current uniform.

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge to full scale

That isn't US Marines either.

Here's the scoop. These guys actually are Marines as the caption states. On the WSJ web page I found a photo on page 1 with troops with same patches stating they are Marines, and one guy, the one lighting the cigarette, has L/Cpl chevrons on his sleeve next to the patch. Apparently they have some lee-way to variation as to patches and rank insignia placement from what, at least I thought, was permited or what we are used to. On the photo caption it mentions page 7 (where I got the first photo) and the same "Operation Khanjar" leaving Camp Dwyer in Afghanistan.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge

 

[JenT]

Whoever is a Marine, THANK YOU for protecting our country!

And everyone else that served as well.

 

[American Horse]

....I'm asking some Marines at usmcforum.net (The Few The Proud The Marines Forum) to get their take on the arm patches....

Here's the response from the USMC Forum Board-1:

It is a IR patch used to identify allied troops in combat. *NM*

Posted By: Will <[email protected]>
Date: Monday - July 20,2009 07:35

In Response To: Question about an arm patch in PHOTOs *PIC*

 

[Coloradomtnman]

....I'm asking some Marines at usmcforum.net (The Few The Proud The Marines Forum) to get their take on the arm patches....

Here's the response from the USMC Forum Board-1:

It is a IR patch used to identify allied troops in combat. *NM*

Posted By: Will <[email protected]>
Date: Monday - July 20,2009 07:35

In Response To: Question about an arm patch in PHOTOs *PIC*

Oh. Well, that makes sense.

 

[geauxtohell]

i wanna be an army ranger ...i wanna live a life of danger...they are normally dumber than dirt

Did someone say Ranger?

they are normally dumber than dirt

Well that's not very nice.

BTW, Marines go to Ranger School too.

In fact, I had a Ranger Instructor (RI) that was a Marine. Gunnary Sergeant Oaks. He was an RI in Moutain Phase and well known. He was one of the better RIs IMO. Very rare for that to happen (Marines as RIs), but not unheard of.

 

[geauxtohell]

duh i know colorado man is a former marine due to his revealing it ...while discussing climbing and his climbing accident...

no, del it was a fucking insult...

i wanna be an army ranger ...i wanna live a life of danger...they are normally dumber than dirt

I disagree. I have met a few dumbass Rangers, but there a few dumbasses in every bunch. Mostly Rangers are just in love with death. That doesn't make 'em dumb.

Furthermore, tell a Ranger that he is dumb and you probably won't walk for a week.

Yeah, you need a few functioning neurons to make it through Ranger School. Putting together an ambush at the end of a 10 kilometer movement through the mountains of North Georgia or the swamps of Florida on no three days of constant operations with no sleep and little food tends to be somewhat mentally taxing.

It's good training. It's a shame that it has the reputation of "the hard one" in the Army and less people don't get the opportunity to do it.

At any rate, not a Marine, so I will cease the threadjack.

 

[editec]

I was cordially invited to join the recon rangers (they're still calling themselves that?) back when I was grunt medic serving with 3/1.

I declined that kind offer due to a rare incidence of temporary sanity that comes and goes with me.

 

[American Horse]

I was cordially invited to join the recon rangers (they're still calling themselves that?) back when I was grunt medic serving with 3/1.

I declined that kind offer due to a rare incidence of temporary sanity that comes and goes with me.

And I was cordially invited to go into the MARCAD aviation program by the Drill Instructor while standing in platoon formation in the company street. Standing there he told me I'd get my f****n ass killed. I agreed. HERE's a little of what I remember from that occasion. (click and wait a 'skosh for the sound to engage - turn your sound up; it IS amusing)

 

[geauxtohell]

I was cordially invited to join the recon rangers (they're still calling themselves that?) back when I was grunt medic serving with 3/1.

I declined that kind offer due to a rare incidence of temporary sanity that comes and goes with me.

Yeah. Those LRRP guys were crazy (not that I was alive at the time).

The Ranger Companies that supported the individual Infantry Divisions w/ long range patrols and ambushes, etc all got rolled up into the 75th Ranger Regiment in the mid 70s after Viet Nam.

So they have their own unit and their mission is very different now.

 

[Gunny]

I'm at a loss here; the WSJ says it is the men of a platoon of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, USMC getting a pep talk from their captain before boarding helicopters. ..... The close up of the Captain in the attachment shows what looks like digital MARPAT which is the current uniform.

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge to full scale

That isn't US Marines either.

Here's the scoop. These guys actually are Marines as the caption states. On the WSJ web page I found a photo on page 1 with troops with same patches stating they are Marines, and one guy, the one lighting the cigarette, has L/Cpl chevrons on his sleeve next to the patch. Apparently they have some lee-way to variation as to patches and rank insignia placement from what, at least I thought, was permited or what we are used to. On the photo caption it mentions page 7 (where I got the first photo) and the same "Operation Khanjar" leaving Camp Dwyer in Afghanistan.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge

Interesting. I stand corrected. Seemed to me we prided ourselves on being Marines and didn't go for that unit patch shit when I was in.

 

[American Horse]

Interesting. I stand corrected. Seemed to me we prided ourselves on being Marines and didn't go for that unit patch shit when I was in.

Here's an explanation on the IR patches:

Washington Times - Taliban averts attacks with U.S. equipment Stolen IR (Infra-Red) patches