The United States Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) are combined general and special forces within the United States Department of the Navy that perform offensive amphibious or expeditionary warfare and defensive maritime employment.

The Fleet Marine Force (FMF) was established on 7 December 1933 by Secretary of the Navy Claude A. Swanson's General Order No.

241, which defined the organization and its relationship with the Navy,[1] on the recommendation of the Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps, John H.

Because of the demands of World War I, where Marines fought in conventional land warfare, the Advanced Base Force no longer existed as of 1917.

The Marine Corps Schools at Quantico further developed the landing force doctrine based on lessons learned from the Gallipoli campaign of World War I, and in the early 1930s the Roosevelt administration ending the occupation of countries in Latin America freed up significant numbers of Marines from overseas duties.

[2] In the mid-1920s, the East Coast Expeditionary Force had about 3,000 personnel at Quantico, Virginia, with the exception of one battalion that was stationed at Guantanamo Bay.

John Lejeune, as the Commandant of the Marine Corps, wrote in 1926 that the two expeditionary forces could be described as training centers during peacetime.

Holland remained in command and much of the year was spent training the Army division for amphibious purposes.

[7] In September 1942, Holland Smith and his staff arrived on the West Coast when it became apparent that the amphibious warfare would be taking place in the Pacific.

Air units were designated as part of this structure as Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.

For service in the Fleet Marine Force, the United States Department of the Navy issues the FMF Enlisted Warfare Specialist Insignia and the FMF Qualified Officer Insignia (formerly, the Fleet Marine Force Ribbon was issued).

Navy Fleet Marine Force personnel, usually Corpsmen, Religious Program Specialists,Logistics Specialists or Naval Gunfire Liaison Officers who participate in amphibious assaults, are also eligible to receive the FMF Combat Operations Insignia to certain service medals and ribbons.