Editing Colonial Marine Corps

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[[File:Khaki litmus.JPG|thumb|Sgt. [[Hadrian]], a Marine non-commissioned officer, flanked by two Marines in standard uniform.]]
The '''Colonial Marine Corps''' is a branch of the [[Colonial Fleet (TRS)|Colonial Forces]] tasked with ground combat operations and ship-board security.

== First Cylon War Service ==

During the [[First Cylon War]], the Colonial Marine Corps conducted extensive ground operations against [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] forces across multiple theaters. Marine units were deployed for reconnaissance missions, facility infiltration, and special operations in enemy territory.

=== Reconnaissance Operations ===

The Corps utilized specialized Marine Recon units for deep penetration missions behind enemy lines. These units typically consisted of fifty-person teams led by experienced officers such as [[Ramirez|Captain Ramirez]], who commanded a reconnaissance force on [[Djerba]] during the tenth year of the war.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_ramirez_unit">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=70}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 69</ref> These operations were extremely hazardous, with entire units sometimes lost to new Cylon weapons and tactics, including [[Cython|experimental creatures]] designed specifically to hunt Colonial forces.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_cyborg_attack">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=70}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 69</ref>

Technical Sergeant [[Xander Toth|Elias Toth]], a demolitions specialist, exemplified the specialized skills required for these missions, combining expertise in explosives with extensive knowledge of Cylon technology and defensive patterns.<ref name="blood_chrome_script_toth_demolitions">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=70}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 69</ref>

=== Combat Documentation and Culture ===

During the prolonged conflict, Marines developed informal networks for sharing combat footage, referred to as "[[war porn]]" by personnel. This material, consisting primarily of gun camera recordings and sniper footage of Cylon kills, was traded among units "like kids with [[Pyramid (RDM)|Pyramid]] cards."<ref name="blood_chrome_script_war_porn">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=8}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 7</ref> The practice generated controversy within the military, with some personnel viewing it as inappropriate voyeurism of combat violence.

=== Equipment and Tactics ===

Cylon War-era Marines utilized specialized weapons designed for anti-machine warfare, including combat shotguns marked with slogans such as "This machine kills machines."<ref name="blood_chrome_script_machine_killer">''[[Blood & Chrome]]'' [{{fullurl:File:B&C Pre-Production Draft - 11-30-10 - Version 01.FDX.pdf|page=70}} Pre-Production Draft, 11/30/10], pg. 69</ref> Marines also demonstrated adaptation to new threats, developing tactics specifically for combating Cylon creatures and automated defensive systems.

== Post-Fall of the Twelve Colonies ==
''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' initially had about thirty Marines left, although there are no snipers among them {{TRS|Bastille Day}}. This number increased drastically with the addition of the battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' to the Fleet.

Between "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]" and "[[Exodus Part II]]", it is estimated that ''Galactica'' had at least 100 marines considering the arrival of ''Pegasus''. The crew transfers might suggest some Marines from ''Pegasus'' were integrated into the crew of ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' since there were Marines being trained aboard ''Pegasus'' {{TRS|Razor}}.

After ''Pegasus'''s [[Battle of New Caprica|destruction]], a number of Marines are integrated into ''Galactica''{{'|s}} crew. During a briefing between Colonel Tigh and Admiral Adama, Tigh says "A hundred Marines too weak to work, two hundred more about to drop," which implies that at least three hundred Marines were aboard following the exodus from [[New Caprica]] {{TRS|The Passage}}.

A Marine's duties include guarding the [[CIC]] and the [[brig]], as well as other critical areas on the ship, and assisting the [[Master-at-Arms]] {{TRS|Litmus}} and are part of [[Raptor]] boarding parties {{TRS|Bastille Day|Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II|Resistance (episode)|Pegasus (episode)}}. Naturally, they are also responsible for repelling enemy boarding actions {{TRS|Valley of Darkness}}. Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]]'s quarters are constantly under Marine guard, and the same is true for President [[Laura Roslin]] when she is aboard ship. A Marine, Sergeant [[Stewart Jaffee]], is also tasked with serving Admiral Adama's food {{TRS|A Day in the Life}}. 

Very few Marine officers appear to be stationed on ''Galactica'', likely as the ship was meant to be decommissioned prior to the Fall; when they are shown on missions, usually Fleet officers command the Marine units. Lieutenant [[Alex Quartararo]]'s actions on Kobol {{TRS|Fragged}} suggest that Fleet officers are cross-trained in conducting ground operations. The only Marine officers shown so far are Lieutenant [[Terry Burrell]] {{TRS|Sacrifice}} and an [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine Lieutenant|unnamed lieutenant]] in "[[Escape Velocity]]".

Marines are evidently untrained in crowd control, as the actions aboard both ''[[Scylla]]'' and ''[[Gideon]]'' demonstrate. In each of these situations Marines react with little discipline to enraged crowds {{TRS|Razor|Final Cut}}. Marines are also present enforcing an order restricting public congregation {{TRS|Escape Velocity}}.

Colonial Marines are also called "[[Wikipedia:Military slang#J|jarhead]]s". Like the Colonial Fleet, the Corps has a reserve component {{TRS|Final Cut}}. Active detachments aboard a battlestar, referred to as {{inlineref|mardet|mardets}} (shorthand for "marine detachment"), are responsible for off-ship missions and military policing duties. Their role is expanded following the Fall, beginning with Roslin's request for Marines to quell an uprising aboard a ship following the water situation {{TRS|Water}} and repeatedly to handle policing due to deficiencies in civilian law enforcement {{TRS|The Woman King|Escape Velocity|A Disquiet Follows My Soul}}. 

The last act of the Colonial Marine Corps occurs during the [[Battle of The Colony]]. Unlike their normal patrol and guard duties, they seem to be very heavily armed and well equipped with machine guns, ammunition, grenades, and flight suits {{TRS|Daybreak, Part II}}.

== Rank Structure ==

Only the ranks of the enlisted crew have been established in detail, but it is known that the rank of lieutenant exists. See ''[[Military Ranks (RDM)|military ranks]]'' for details.

==Known Marines==

===[[First Cylon War]]-Era===
{|class="messagebox" style="width:100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" align="center"
|- class="infoboxheader"
!Rank              !! Name                 !! Status
!Notes
|-
|Captain || [[Ramirez]]    || Killed in action on [[Djerba]], {{BCH|42}}
|Marine Recon commander leading fifty-person unit. Killed by Cylon cyborg creatures before main story begins.
|-
|Technical Sergeant || [[Xander Toth]]     || Killed in action on [[Djerba]], {{BCH|42}}
|Demolitions specialist, sole survivor of Ramirez's unit. Killed defending ski lodge from Cylon attack.
|}

===Post-Fall of the Twelve Colonies===

==== Deceased ====
{| class="messagebox" style="width:100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" align="center"
|- class="infoboxheader"
!Rank              !! Name                 !! Death
|-
|Sergeant Major (retired)|| [[Socrata Thrace]]    || 6 years prior to "[[Maelstrom]]" (Cancer)
|-
|Unknown
|[[Dasilva]]
|Killed in action during "[[Razor]]"
|-
|Gunnery Sergeant  || [[Erin Mathias]]     || [[The Road Less Traveled]] ([[Heavy Raider]] explosion)
|-
|Sergeant          || [[Omar Fischer]]    || [[Rapture]] (KIA)
|-
|Lance Corporal         || [[Eduardo Maldonaldo]]     || [[The Oath]] (Execution)
|-
|Private           || [[Twinam]]           || [[Valley of Darkness]] (KIA)
|-
|Private           || [[Collishaw]]        || [[Valley of Darkness]] (KIA)
|-
|Private           || [[Stewart Jaffee]]   || [[The Oath]] (Murder)
|-
|Unknown           || [[Henry Cheadle]]           || [[The Son Also Rises]] (Bomb attack)
|-
|Unknown           || [[Parr]]          || [[Blood on the Scales]] (Murder)
|}

==== Status Unknown After [[Second Exodus]] ====
{| class="messagebox" style="width:100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" align="center"
|- class="infoboxheader"
!Rank              !! Name                 !! Last Seen
|-
|Lieutenant        || [[Terry Burrell]]    || [[Sacrifice]]
|-
|Staff Sergeant    || [[Hadrian]]          || [[Valley of Darkness]] (mentioned)
|-
|Corporal          || [[Madsen]]           || [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]
|-
|Private First Class || [[Scott Kelso]]      || [[Final Cut]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Bonnington]]       || [[Valley of Darkness]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Hollis]]           || [[Scattered]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Wenzler]]          || [[Scattered]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Riggs]]          || [[Razor]]
|}

==== Status Unknown After the [[Gaeta's Mutiny|Mutiny]] ====
{| class="messagebox" style="width:100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" align="center"
|- class="infoboxheader"
!Rank              !! Name                 !! Last Seen
|-
| Lieutenant           || an [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine Lieutenant|unnamed lieutenant]] || [[The Oath]]
|-
|Sergeant || [[Allan Nowart]]           || [[The Oath]]
|-
|Sergeant          || [[Brandy Harder]]    || [[Revelations]]
|-
|Corporal          || [[Venner]]           || [[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]
|-
|Corporal          || [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Adama's Corporal|Unnamed ("Adama's Corporal")]] || [[A Disquiet Follows My Soul]]
|-
|Private           || [[Sykes]]            || [[Rapture]]
|-
| Unknown       || an [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine guard|unnamed guard]] || [[Escape Velocity]]
|-
| Unknown       || an [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Zarek's guard|unnamed guard]] || A Disquiet Follows My Soul
|-
|Unknown           || [[Ditko]]            || [[The Eye of Jupiter]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Griggs]]           || [[The Eye of Jupiter]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Henick]]           || [[The Eye of Jupiter]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Varrick]]          || [[The Eye of Jupiter]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Danelli]]          || [[A Measure of Salvation]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Smith]]           || [[The Hub]]
|-
|Unknown           || [[Nathanson]]           || [[Someone to Watch Over Me]]

|}

==== Status Unknown After the [[Battle of the Colony]] ====
{| class="messagebox" style="width:100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" align="center"
|- class="infoboxheader"
!Rank              !! Name                 !! Last Seen/Mentioned
!Notes
|-
| Unknown           || {{Inlineref|Rangel|bold=N}}|| [[Daybreak, Part II]]
|Participant in incursion of [[the Colony]] to rescue [[Hera Agathon]], and returns to ''[[Galactica (TRS)|Galactica]]''. {{callsign|Lee Adama}} orders Rangel and Peters form up as they bypass the choke point that [[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Caprica-Six]] held.
|-
|Unknown
|[[Peters]]
|[[Daybreak, Part II]]
|Participant in incursion of [[the Colony]] to rescue [[Hera Agathon]], and returns to ''[[Galactica (TRS)|Galactica]]''. {{callsign|Lee Adama}} orders Rangel and Peters form up as they bypass the choke point that [[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Caprica-Six]] held.
|}

==Real life costuming notes==

The Colonial Marine Corps battle [[Uniforms (RDM)|uniforms]] appear to be based on those of the U.S. Army's [[Wikipedia:Delta Force|Delta Force]] or the counter-terrorist branch of the British Army's [[Wikipedia:Special Air Service|Special Air Service Regiment]]. Besides their black combat uniforms, the weapons and personal combat equipment of the Marines are similar to what today's police SWAT teams and anti-terrorist special forces units utilize.

[[File:Marine_cic_standing01.jpg|180px|right|thumb|A Colonial Marine stands watch in ''Galactica''{{'|s}} CIC]]

To date, the Marines have appeared in either an all-black BDU (aboard ship) or an olive-drab/green BDU (planetside, as in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]"). There is evidence that the Colonial Marine Corps do utilize digital camouflage uniforms like the real-life [[Wikipedia: United States Marine Corps | United States Marine Corps]] with their [[Wikipedia: MARPAT | MARPAT]] digital camouflage uniforms, but it appears that the wearing of digital camouflage uniforms are restricted to regular Colonial Marine Corps forces while the Marines serving as security personnel on the warships of the [[Colonial Fleet (TRS)|Colonial Fleet]] are issued solid-color combat uniforms in black, khaki, and olive-drab. One piece of evidence that the Colonial Marine Corps do utilize digital camouflage uniforms can be seen the in the episodes "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]" and "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|Part II]]" when the rescue team that is deployed to Caprica have "woodland" digital camouflage backpacks on their backs. Furthermore, in one of the [[Razor Flashback]] episodes, two Colonial Marine medics are wearing "woodland" digital camouflage uniforms on ''Galactica'''s hangar deck. Digital camouflage is also used by the landing party on Kobol in "[[Home, Part II]]" (by both William and Lee Adama), as well as the [[:Image:SP Scattered.JPG|Shore Patrol]] personnel in "[[Scattered]]".

Colonial Marines are lightly armed and armored by modern warfare standards. When {{callsign|Lee Adama}} is rescued by a Marine fire, team when one of them fires an explosive round from his sidearm. He tells Adama that the [[Centurions]] can only be destroyed with explosive round and that was their last one. If the fire team had destroyed at least one Centurion that may imply that they carry only one explosive round. It is also seen that the Marines do not carry grenades other than the flash bang {{TRS|He That Believeth in Me}}. Marine detachments aboard ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'' do not appear to have body armor or kevlar plating in their combat vests, or that such armor is insufficient against Cylon munitions.

To outfit the Marines, the show's costume department appears to use the following real-world items:
* Helmet
**[[:Image:Ski helmet.jpg|Giro Bad Lieutenant snowboard/ski helmet, black]] &mdash; Far less heavy and less expensive than the US/UN [[Wikipedia:Personnel_Armor_System_for_Ground_Troops_Helmet|PASGT helmet]].
* Goggles
** Either [[:Image:Paulson-tactical-goggle.jpg|Paulson 510T Tactical Goggles]] or [[:Image:Paulson 510TF ATAC "Frag" Goggles.jpg|Paulson 510TF ATAC "Frag" Goggles]], depending on what the costume department was budgeted for or paid for them. The closures, hinges, and "face gasket" are the giveaways.
* Small Arms
:See the article ''[[Small arms]]''
* Combat Vest
** [http://www.pointblankarmor.com/spider.asp PBBA SPIDER] &mdash; Offered by a company called Point-Blank Body Armor, Inc., the vests appear to be one of these models, with a "modular grid attachment system" based around snaps (the telltale characteristic looking at a Colonial Marine's back) and velcro. This affords the costume department the option to attach whatever they want to the vests, regardless of compatibility, since all they need to do is stitch on some velcro. As to whether is the SPIDER specifically that is being used, or one of the following models, or a model offered from another manufacturer, has yet to be confirmed, but substantial research points towards this being the vest used in the series.
** [http://www.pointblankarmor.com/mrv.asp PBBA MRV+ SWAT] &mdash; "heavier" vest variant
** [http://www.pointblankarmor.com/swatcertplus.asp PBBA SWAT Cert+] &mdash; higher-collared variant
** [http://www.pinnaclearmor.com/body-armor/tactical.php Pinnacle Armor Tactical Vest] &mdash; It more than likely is this one in the "modular grid base" unit. It makes the most sense, since it would be most cost effective to get the unlined, unarmored modular vest, with the velcro and snaps, and just attach whatever needed to it.
* Knife 
** [[:Image:M7Bayonet.jpg|M7 bayonets]] &mdash; Although they have never been drawn, bayonets carried by the Marines appear consistent with M7s' sheath and handle.
* Jackets
** [[Wikipedia: M-1965 field jacket|M-65 field jacket]] &mdash; The rescue team that is sent to {{RDM|Caprica}} in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens]]" is wearing olive-drab green M-65 field jackets.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Military]]
[[Category:Colonial Military (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Military (BAC)]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:BAC]]
[[Category:Lists]]

[[de:Koloniales Marine Corps]]