Reserve, Marine Corps

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve was officially established on August 29, 1916, as part of the Naval Appropriations Act. Intended to increase American naval preparedness and place the Marine Corps on a firmer footing as an independent branch, the act provided for the wartime expansion of the Marine Corps in the event of national emergency. Marine auxiliaries were to be composed of several elements, including a Fleet Marine Corps Reserve, a Marine Corps Reserve, a Volunteer Marine Reserve, and a Marine Corps Flying Reserve.

With the exception of Vietnam, the Marine Corps Reserve has played a significant role in every major American conflict of the 20th century. In World War I, reserves constituted a significant number of the nearly 32,000 marine officers and enlisted men who ...