Royal Manticoran Marine Corps
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The Royal Manticoran Marine Corps (abbreviated RMMC) is a fictional military organization in David Weber's Honor Harrington series of novels.
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[edit] Overview
The RMMC is one of the Star Kingdom of Manticore's ground military forces, together with the Royal Manticoran Army. The primary duty of the Royal Marine Corps is to serve as ground troops, security elements and boarding parties for the Royal Manticoran Navy. Marine contingents are stationed onboard every Royal Navy ship, the size of these contingents depending on the type of ship.
[edit] Duties
When onboard a Navy ship, Marines are in charge of the ship's security, protection of VIPs and conduct ground combat actions when ordered by the ship's captain. Common tasks for shipboard Marines include boarding actions against pirate vessels or suspicious merchantmen. During combat they fulfill some of the duties of naval ratings, primarily as weapon crews and damage control teams. Since the Marines conduct some of the tasks normally done by naval ratings the RMN is able to carry more Marines than other navies
In addition to shipboard duties, the Marines also act as the spearheading forces during a planetary assault, clearing the path for follow-up Army troops.
[edit] Equipment
Marines are elite infantry troops, and their usual equipment includes battle armor, pulsers, flechette guns, plasma weapons, portable missiles and disrupters.
[edit] Traditions
While onboard a Navy ship, a Marine Captain is always addressed to as "Major"; the senior non-commissioned officer is known as "Gunny", even though the rank of Gunnery Sergeant disappeared after a period when the Marines were merged with the Manticoran Army.
There is a sense of friendly rivalry between the Marine Corps and the Navy, especially within the lower ranks; those in the Navy consider the Marines to be a bunch of jarheads, while Marines think those in the Navy to be effete and incapable of doing the dirty job. Fighting between Marines and Navy personnel is somewhat usual, to the point that some military personnel (such as Navy non-commissioned officer Horace Harkness) consider fighting Marines a hobby.
[edit] Ranks
Officers
- Field Marshal
- General
- Lieutenant General
- Major General
- Brigadier
- Colonel
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Major
- Captain
- First Lieutenant
- Second Lieutenant
Non-Commissioned Officers and Enlisted Personnel
- Regimental Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
- Regimental Sergeant Major
- Battalion Sergeant Major
- Sergeant Major
- Master Sergeant
- Staff Sergeant
- Platoon Sergeant
- Corporal
- Private First Class
- Private
- Recruit
[edit] Famous (and infamous) Royal Manticoran Marines
[edit] Section merged from RCCM page, needs re-writing
RMMC stands for the Royal Manticoran Marine Corps. They are essentially the same as the marines in any reference. The marines are stationed aboard starships and assist in the day-to-day affairs and duties of the Queen's ships. They entertain a certain autonomy from the rest of the crew, however. They have their own separate quarters, mess hall, workout facilities, etc. They seem to form a separate community on board the ship. There is a friendly rivalry between the marines and crews of the RMN (Royal Manticoran Navy) ships: the marines refer to the crews as 'vacuum suckers' and the crews refer to the marines as 'jarheads' (probably form the marines use of heavy battle armor, which encloses the entire body, with a reinforced helmet for protection).