Basic Marine Cadet Course

Introduction

The Basic Marine Cadet Course is designed to provide you with information on three subjects related to the Marines as well as one subject related to the ROTTWEILER Corps to give you the information you need to be successful as a ROTTWEILER Marine cadet. The information provided on this page will prepare you for your course test.

Each lesson below will cover one of the 4 subjects and there will be questions on the test which reflect on each lesson, so make sure to pay close attention. 

Once you are ready, click on the TAKE THE TEST link, and you will be directed to the Basic Marines Test. When you have completed the course test, you will be notified by email of your results on the test and whether or not you have passed. In order to pass the test you must get a minimum of 7 out of the 10 questions correct.

In order to be promoted to Cadet(M), you must pass this course.

Lesson One: Marine Cadet Terminology

There is a wide variety of terminology that is used in the Marine Corps of any country. Terminology is defined as a language of words used to define things in a certain discipline. The Marine Corps uses their terminology as a way to communicate with one another, and prevent someone else from finding out certain information. Almost all militaries have their own terminology.

Common Marine Corps Terminology: 

Aft - Referring to or toward the stern (rear) of a vessel.

All Hands - All members of a command

As you were/Carry On - Resume former activity

Brig - A place of confinement, a prison

Bow - The front portion of a ship

Bridge - The portion of a ship's structure from which it is controlled.

Field Day - Barracks cleanup

Galley - Shipboard kitchen; kitchen of a mess hall; mobile field kitchen.

Hatch - Door or doorway.

Police - To straighten or tidy up.

Port - Left

Sea Bag - The bag used to stow personal gear.

Sick Bay - Hospital or dispensary.

Starboard - Right.

Topside - Upstairs.

Turn To - Begin work; get started.

Bivouac - Term for a camp area in the field.

Boot - A Marine recruit.

Bulkhead - A wall

Rack - A bed

Corpsman or Doc - A Marine or Naval term for "medic".

Cover - Any form of headgear other than a helmet.

FMF - Fleet Marine Force.

FAC - Forward Air Controller. A pilot serving with infantry units who is responsible for coordinating close-air support with ground action.

Fire Team - The second smallest tactical unit in the Corps. The smallest is the individual rifleman. Three Marine riflemen make up a fire team.

Grunt - A Marine infantryman.

Gung- Ho - Chinese term for "working together". Understood as the team spirit pervasive in Marine Corps life. First used in Marine Raider Battalions during WWII.

Gunner - Old naval term applied to warrant officers. Warrant officers whose specialty is weapons still wear an exploding bomb on their collars.

Head - Bathroom, toilet, restroom, or latrine.

Hootch - Anything from a tent to a wooden hut.

Irish Pennants - Loose thread or fiber on a uniform.

Junk on the Bunk - During inspection, A Marine lays out all his gear and uniforms (junk) on a flat surface, such as a bunk.

Things on the Springs - During inspection, A Marine lays out all his gear and uniforms junk) on a flat surface, such as a bunk.

K-Bar - A Marine's fighting knife.

MEU - Marine Expeditionary Unit.

MOS - Military Occupational Specialty, or a Marine's primary training. For instance: 03 stands for infantry, 02 would be intelligence, and 08 would be artillery.

MRE - "Meal, Ready to Eat". Lightweight plastic packets of dehydrated food.

Maggie's Drawers - A complete miss on the firing range.

Mustang - An enlisted man or woman who has obtained an officer's commission.

Scuttlebutt - Rumor.

Secure - Finishing up work.

Squared Away - Someone or something that makes a good impression. Well maintained uniform or a successful exercise.

782 Gear - The equipment a Marine carries in the field, including a web belt, suspenders, ammunition pouches, canteens, etc. Also called Deuce-gear. 

"First to Fight"

Marines have been in the forefront of every American war since the founding of the Corps. They have carried out over 300 landings on foreign shores. They have served everywhere, from the poles to the tropics. Their record of readiness reflects pride, responsibility and challenge. 

"Semper Fi"

That Marines have lived up to their motto, "Semper Fidelis" (Latin for Always Faithful), as in Semper Fidelis - - Always faithful - - to God, Country, and Corps. It is proven by the fact that there has never been a mutiny among U.S. Marines. This motto was adopted about 1883. Before that, there had been three mottoes, all traditional rather than official. The first, "Fortitudine" (With Fortitude), appeared about 1812. The second, "By Sea and by Land," was obviously a translation of the Royal Marines' "Per Mare, Per Terram." Until 1848, the third motto was "To the Shores of Tripoli," in commemoration of O'Bannon's capture of Derne in 1805. In 1848, after the return to Washington of the Marine battalion which took part in the capture of Mexico City, this motto was revised to "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli." The current Marine Corps motto is shared with England's Devonshire Regiment. 

"Devil Dogs"

In the Belleau Wood fighting in 1918, the Germans received a thorough indoctrination in the fighting ability of the Marines. Fighting through supposedly impenetrable woods and capturing supposedly untakeable terrain, the persistent attacks, delivered with unbelievable courage soon had the Germans calling Marines "Teufelhunde," referring to the fierce fighting dogs of legendary origin. Urrrhhh Raaah! 

"Esprit de Corps"

The "spirit" of a unit. This spirit is commonly reflected by all members. It implies devotion and loyalty to the Marine Corps, with deep regard for history, traditions and honor. 

"Leathernecks" 

The Marines' long-standing nickname goes back to the leather stock or neckpiece, which was part of the Marine uniform from 1775 to 1875. The leather bands around their throats were intended to ensure that Marines kept their heads erect.

"Jarhead" 

A slang term used by sailors as early as World War II to refer to members of the Marine Corps, drawing the term from the resemblance of the Marine dress blues uniform, with its high collar, to a Mason jar. 

"Soldiers of the Sea" 

A traditional and functional term for Marines, dating back to the British in the 1600's. 

"Once a Marine, Always a Marine" 

This truism is now the official motto of the Marine Corps League. The origin of the statement is credited to a gung-ho Marine Corps master sergeant, Paul Woyshner. During a barroom argument he shouted, "Once a Marine, always a Marine!"  MSgt. Woyshner was right. Once the title "U.S. Marine" has been earned, it is retained. There are no ex-Marines or former-Marines. There are 

(1) active duty Marines

(2) retired Marines 

(3) reserve Marines 

(4) Marine veterans. 

Nonetheless, once one has earned the title, he remains a Marine for life.

Lesson Two: Marine Corps Values

Why are Marines considered the world's premier warriors? What puts the Marine Corps above the rest? Other military services have rigorous training and weapons of equal or greater lethality. So, why do the Marines stand head and shoulders above the crowd? 

The truth lies in the individual Marine. He (or she) did not join the Marines. Roughly 40,000 try each year. Those who survive the crucible of Marine basic training have been sculpted in mind and body. They have become Marines. 

Once he has earned the title and entered the Brotherhood of Marines, a new warrior must draw upon the legacy of his Corps. Therein lies his strength. In return, the strength of the Corps lies in the individual Marine. The character (often defined as "what you are in the dark") of these warriors is defined by the three constant Corps Values: honor, courage, and commitment. 

Honor: Honor requires each Marine to exemplify the ultimate standard in ethical and moral conduct. Honor is many things; honor requires many things. A Marine must never lie, never cheat, never steal, but that is not enough. Much more is required. Each Marine must cling to an uncompromising code of personal integrity, accountable for his actions and holding others accountable for theirs. And, above all, honor mandates that a Marine never sully the reputation of his Corps. 

Courage: Simply stated, courage is honor in action -- and more. Courage is moral strength, the will to heed the inner voice of conscience, the will to do what is right regardless of the conduct of others. It is mental discipline, an adherence to a higher standard. Courage means willingness to take a stand for what is right in spite of adverse consequences. This courage, throughout the history of the Corps, has sustained Marines during the chaos, perils, and hardships of combat. And each day, it enables each Marine to look in the mirror -- and smile. 

Commitment: Total dedication to Corps and Country. Gung-ho Marine teamwork. All for one, one for all. By whatever name or cliche, commitment is a combination of (1) selfless determination and (2) a relentless dedication to excellence. Marines never give up, never give in, never willingly accept second best. Excellence is always the goal. And, when their active duty days are over, Marines remain reserve Marines, retired Marines, or Marine veterans. There is no such thing as an ex-Marine or former-Marine. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Commitment never dies.

The three Corps Values: honor, courage, commitment. They make up the bedrock of the character of each individual Marine. They are the foundation of the Corps. These three values, handed down from generation to generation, have made the Marines the Warrior and Elite. The Marine Corps: the most respected and revered fighting force on earth.

Lesson Three: The Phonetic Alphabet

The phonetic alphabet assigns code words to the letters of the English Alphabet acrophonetically (Alpha for A, Bravo for B, etc.) so that critical combinations of letters (and numbers) can be pronounced and understood by those who transmit and receive voice messages by radio or telephone regardless of their native language, especially when the safety of navigation or persons is essential. The paramount reason is to ensure intelligibility of voice signals over radio links.

The phonetic alphabet is as follows:

A: Alpha                                                                                                        

B: Bravo

C Charlie

D Delta

E: Echo

F: Foxtrot

G: Golf

H: Hotel

I: India

J: Juliet

K: Kilo

L: Lima

M: Mike

N: November

O: Oscar

P: Papa

Q: Quebec

R: Romeo

S: Sierra

T: Tango

U: Uniform

V: Victor

W: Whiskey

X: Xray

Y: Yankee

Z: Zulu

Lesson Four: Chain of Command

ROTTWEILER - RCC ('Ranger Cadet Combined Corps') Online Training Team; Worldwide Electronic Integration and Learning Enrichment Regiment - , like any military organization, has a strict chain of command. That must be followed whenever you have an issue.

The chain is set up this way so that you have someone to speak with on every level. 

Authority is granted to persons on each level to perform certain functions and deal with problems of certain severity. 

If a problem ever arises that is beyond that persons power, they take it up to the next level on the chain of command. 

An issue will continue to be passed up the chain until it has reached a person who can deal with the situation. The last step in that chain is the Commandant, who has authority over all matters in ROTTWEILER. 

There are very few times one is allowed to bypass any part of the chain.

If your immediate superior is the problem (i.e. you have a complaint against the Section Leader, for example) you skip to the next link in your chain of command.

If the situation is of a severe nature (harassment or abuse in ANY form) you may go directly to the Divisional Officer.

These occurrences go directly to the Commandant of ROTTWEILER, who will give strong consideration to the situation and arrange for trials. 

Let's start our way at the bottom and work up!

• Cadet: The Cadets in the division are at the bottom of the chain. They are busy doing their unit-related tasks and have no major responsibilities outside of that. They are also viewed as being at the top as well, because without the cadets, we wouldn't have a Regiment!

• Section Leader: A Section Leader is the person who is directly responsible for the cadets. They will email cadets from time to time to see who is active, pass on messages and relay orders from higher up on the chain. They are the first person you speak to.

• Divisional Senior NCO: A division is made up of 2 or 3 sections. The Divisional Senior NCO is second-in-charge of a Division, and is the superior of all Section Leaders. The Divisional NCO works directly with the Divisional Officer as well as the Corps Senior NCO.

• Divisional Officer: The DivO is the officer in charge of your division. He or she ensures that all the paperwork is done including monthly reports and evaluations. They will be the one who helps mentor Senior NCOs and reports to the Executive Officer.

• Corps Senior NCO: Somewhere in the mix is the CSNCO. The CSNCO is the most senior Non Commissioned Officer in the Corps. He or she is the Commandant's representative to the NCOs, as well as the NCOs' representative to the Wardroom/Officers Mess. The CSNCO also helps to ensure that all Divisional Senior NCOs are running at maximum efficiency and assist where possible.

• Executive Officer: The XO is the second in command of the ROTTWEILER. Should the Commandant ever have to leave, the XO assumes command of the Corps until the Cmdt comes back. The XO is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Corps and reports to the Cmdt. He or she is also ultimately responsible for discipline within the Corps.

• Commandant: The Cmdt is the elected leader of ROTTWEILER. He or she holds authority over all things in the Training Team/Regiment. Lets just say, if you're ever in his office, and not getting a medal, just pack your bags right now! The Commandant provides the Corps direction, and uses his or her term to put in place a vision for ROTTWEILER that will hopefully allow it to progress and grow. The Cmdt is also responsible for the traditions of the Corps, and ensuring that our history lives on!