Since its inception, the United States has been led by 31 men who have served in the U.S. military on active duty, in the reserve or National Guard, in war and during peacetime. Of the 31 men who served as the commander in chief, 12 made it to the general officer ranks before they held the highest position in the U.S. military and served as president of the United States.

Here’s our list of presidents who were generals.

Presidents Who Were Generals in the Revolutionary War

In June 1775, George Washington was selected to lead the nascent Continental Army in the War of Independence. He was commissioned in the rank of major general. Although he wasn’t a great military mind, Washington knew how to lead and he led his underequipped Army to victory.

After the war, Washington retired to his plantation in Virginia, but not long after he was called to duty once again when he was unanimously voted into the presidency. He served two terms before returning to Mount Vernon.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford promoted Washington to “General of the Armies of the United States,” out-ranking all past and present officers in the U.S. Army.

Presidents Who Were Generals in the War of 1812

Andrew Jackson was tied to the U.S. military from an early age. During the Revolutionary War, he was a teenage courier. In 1781, he and his brother were captured by the British. During his captivity, Jackson was ordered to shine the boots of a British officer. Jackson refused and in retaliation for the insubordination, the British officer cut Jackson’s hand to the bone and slashed his head, scarring him permanently. The captivity would cost Jackson’s brother his life.

Jackson was definitely a guy that loved a good fight. During his life he was in several public brawls and duels, but it was his service during the War of 1812 that gave him the most notoriety. Then a major general, he led an assault against the British at the Battle of New Orleans that would earn him the nom de guerre, “Hero of New Orleans.”

His military service, especially his wartime performance would no doubt pave the way to the White House 14 years later.

William Henry Harrison’s family had deep American roots. His father, Benjamin Harrison V, signed the Declaration of Independence. It came as no surprise that a son of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence would want to etch his name into the history books. During the War of 1812, Harrison did just that fighting against British and Native American forces. In the war, Harrison was given command of the Army in the Northwest with the rank of brigadier general. At the Battle of the Thames, north of Lake Erie, in 1813, he defeated the combined British and Indian forces, and killed Tecumseh.

In 1836, Harrison was nominated as a presidential candidate for the newly-formed Whig party, but he lost that election to Martin Van Buren. In 1840, Harrison returned to defeat Van Buren. Not long after Inauguration Day, Harrison fell ill and died about a month after becoming president.

Presidents Who Were Generals in the Mexican American War

Zachary Taylor was commissioned as an officer in 1808 and he fought in nearly every American conflict until he became president. He spent approximately four decades wearing an Army uniform.

Taylor was a major in the War of 1812, a colonel in the Black Hawk War in 1832, and a brigadier general in the Seminole War from 1836 to 1837. It was his success as a general in the Mexican-American War that made him a national hero and made him an unlikely presidential candidate.

Taylor defeated another former general, Lewis Cass, in the election. Like Harrison, Taylor did not serve as president for very long. He passed away a little more than a year after becoming president.

Franklin Pierce, like Harrison, had deep American roots in his family. His father was a militia leader in the American Revolution and that service helped him become governor of New Hampshire. Following in his father’s footsteps, Pierce entered politics and became a U.S. representative in 1833 and a U.S. senator in 1837.

When the Mexican-American War erupted in Texas, Pierce joined the army as private in 1846. Then, in what is undoubtedly the fastest ascension in rank known to the U.S. military, about a year later Pierce was commissioned as a brigadier general mostly due to his connections with President James K. Polk and other politicians.  

As a brigadier general in combat, Pierce didn’t do much in war. At the Battle of Contreras, Pierce was seriously injured in the leg after falling from his frightened horse. As a president, Pierce once again did not achieve too much. Historians have ranked Pierce as one of the worst presidents ever.

Presidents Who Were Generals in the Civil War

Not surprisingly, the Civil War produced six presidents who were formerly general officers. The problem is that in many cases, some of these “generals” commanded volunteer militias, so some might argue that technically, they were not commissioned officers in federal service.  

For example, Andrew Johnson was a U.S. senator at the onset of the Civil War. Although he was pro-slavery, he was against secession and he remained in office during the war. This political move made him popular in the north, but branded him a traitor in the south.

In 1862 President Abraham Lincoln appointed him Military Governor of Tennessee (brigadier general). In 1864, he became vice president and later rose to the presidency after Lincoln’s assassination.

Ulysses S. Grant was the Civil War’s greatest military hero and his military leadership as the Union general in command of all Union forces during the Civil War launched his political career.

Grant’s combat experience began in the Mexican-American War and he served in various assignments as an Army officer, steadily working his way up the ranks. However, it was his success as the general of all Union forces and his defeat of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that cemented his political appeal for Americans.

Grant served two terms as president. After serving as commander in chief, Grant was financially broke and turned to writing to earn a living. He completed his memoirs and died in 1885, providing financial security for his family thanks to the success of his books.

Rutherford B. Hayes enlisted as a volunteer in Ohio when the Civil War broke out despite being nearly 40 years old and being a Harvard-trained lawyer. Like others, his political connections paid off and he eventually rose to the rank of brevet major general.

While serving, he was wounded four times and much like the other men of his time who served with distinction, military service propelled Hayes and he was elected as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and he later served as the governor of Ohio.

In 1876 Hayes defeated Samuel J. Tilden in a highly disputed presidential election. He oversaw the end of reconstruction and served one term.

Another Ohioan, James A. Garfield, would also hear the call to duty during the Civil War. Garfield was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1859 as a Republican. In 1862, when Union military victories had been few, he successfully led a brigade at Middle Creek, Kentucky, against Confederate troops. At 31, Garfield became a brigadier general, two years later a major general of volunteers. He fought bravely in battles such as Shiloh, Middle Creek, and Chickamauga.

Meanwhile, Ohioans elected him to the U.S. Congress. President Lincoln persuaded him to resign his commission and he repeatedly won reelection for 18 years. Garfield was elected as the 20th President in 1881, after nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. His Presidency was impactful, but cut short after 200 days when he was assassinated.

Chester A. Arthur was appointed by the New York governor and served as the Quartermaster General of the State of New York during the Civil War. In this position, Arthur was responsible for supplying and housing New York’s troops, the state’s militia. After a few years of military service, without having seen any combat, Arthur retired from the Army and returned to his lawyer practice.

Politically connected, like many former general presidents before him, Arthur was Garfield’s vice president and upon Garfield’s assassination, Arthur succeeded him as president. Arthur died just two years after leaving office. His presidency is often overlooked.

Benjamin Harrison is the only president who is a grandson of another president. Earlier we mentioned William Henry Harrison, well, Benjamin Harrison, like others in his family before him, entered military service and later entered the political arena.

During the Civil War, Harrison rose through the ranks to become a brigadier general by 1865.

Like so many others before him, after his service in the military and in the Civil War, Harrison entered politics to continue his service. He ran unsuccessfully for governor of Indiana in 1876, but he won a U.S. Senate seat in 1880.

In 1888, Harrison was nominated as a presidential candidate and despite losing the nation’s popular vote, Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland. In 1892, Cleveland would return and beat Harrison.

Presidents Who Were Generals in the World Wars

Dwight D. Eisenhower was one of three career military men to become president (Taylor and Grant). Like Grant who had helped preserve the union, Eisenhower helped save the world by leading allied forces in Europe during World War II. It would be hard to overlook a guy who helped free the world of tyranny.

Eisenhower was a West Point grad and got commissioned in 1916. He and Grant are the only men on this list to earn their officer commissions and not have it bestowed because of political connections or popularity.

Eisenhower is the last on our list of presidents who were generals.

National Guard Beginnings

The 369th Infantry Regiment was formed in 1913 as the 15th Infantry Regiment. It was a New York Army National Guard infantry unit and one of the first few U.S. Army regiments to have African American officers in addition to an all-African American enlisted corps. Known as the Harlem Hellfighters, the 369th was one of a few black American combat units during World War I.

Once the United States entered World War I, the 15th New York Infantry Regiment was called into federal service and redesignated the 369th Infantry Regiment. The 369th Infantry was assigned to the 93rd Division, which was one of two divisions comprising African Americans.

The unit reflected the racial discrimination and segregation both in American society and within the Army. U.S. Army Gen. John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, assigned the Harlem Hellfighters to the allied French Army in order to avoid placing African-American units alongside of white Army units.  

In March 1918, Pershing assigned the Harlem Hellfighters to the French who desperately needed combat troops and had deployed their own Black colonial troops. American leaders warned the French not to use the Harlem Hellfighters in the same manner as white troops, but the French ignored the advice and welcomed the Harlem Hellfighters into their fighting force. After training the Harlem Hellfighters on French tactics and weapons, the Harlem Hellfighters were sent to the Argonne Forest in the Champagne region.

During its service in World War I, the Harlem Hellfighters are credited with participation in the Champagne-Marne, Meuse Argonne, Champagne 1918, and Alsace 1918 campaigns. The 369th spent 191 days fighting in frontline trenches and earned a regimental French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star and Streamer embroidered Meuse-Argonne.

Henry Johnson Medal of Honor Recipient

Perhaps the most notable of the Harlem Hellfighters was Pvt. William Henry Johnson. He was an African American born in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He moved to New York as a teenager, where he worked in various jobs as a chauffeur, soda mixer, laborer in a coal yard and a porter at Albany’s Union Station.

Two months after the U.S. Congress declared war on Germany, June 5, 1917, Johnson enlisted and was assigned to Company C, 15th New York (Colored) Infantry Regiment, which would later become the 369th Infantry Regiment of the 93rd Division, American Expeditionary Forces. The unit would earn their nom de guerre, the Harlem Hellfighters, in combat against the Germans.

The Harlem Hellfighters deployed to France the following year. Johnson and his unit were brigaded with a French army colonial unit in front-line combat on the western edge of the Argonne Forest in France’s Champagne region.

Johnson and Pvt. Needham Roberts were on nocturnal sentry duty in the vicinity of the Tourbe and Aisne Rivers, northwest of Saint Menehoul, May 15, 1918.

A German raiding party of at least a dozen soldiers approached their forward position. As the Germans snipped concertina wire to breach the defensive position, Johnson and Needham fired illumination flares. When they did, the enemy opened up with intense small-arms fire and grenades.

Johnson and Needham were both shot and suffered from grenade wounds, but they both mounted a brave retaliation resulting in several enemy casualties, according to a 2015 White House Medal of Honor announcement for Johnson.

Although badly hurt himself, Johnson ignored the pain and bleeding to assist his fellow wounded soldier, who was in immediate danger of being taken prisoner. “Johnson exposed himself to grave danger by advancing from his position to engage an enemy soldier in hand-to-hand combat,” the White House announcement said.

At the time, Johnson was wielding a bolo knife, which he used to engage the Germans after firing all the rounds from his rifle. Johnson killed an enemy soldier with his knife, stabbing him in the head and saving his fellow soldier from being taken captive. He stabbed another who was nearby. Upon seeing the ferocity of Johnson’s actions, the other enemy soldiers fled back to their lines. The French and American soldiers Johnson served with on the battlefield were in awe of him following that epic struggle.

When Johnson and others from his unit returned to the United States, they rode in a victory parade in New York City. About a million people showed up to welcome the soldiers back.

Although Johnson would never live to see his Medal of Honor, he did receive an equivalent award from France, the French Croix de Guerre avec Palme, that nation's highest award for valor. In 1996, Johnson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and in 2002, the Distinguished Service Cross.

When Johnson was discharged from the Army, Feb. 24, 1919, he had attained the rank of sergeant. He returned home to Albany, but was unable to be employed at his pre-war porter position due to the severity of his combat injuries.

He died July 5, 1929, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, in Section 25, Grave 64.

Rattlers and Hellfighters?

The 369th Infantry, whose members called themselves Harlem’s Rattlers, became the most famous all-black regiment to fight during World War I. By the end of the war, 171 of the regiment’s men received individual Croix de Guerre medals for their valor. Several soldiers were also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

The Germans fighting against the 369th Infantry called the men “Hollenkampfer,” German for “hellfighter.” This is how the 369th received the nickname Harlem Hellfighters. Within their own ranks, however, they called themselves Harlem’s Rattlers because of their unit emblem. Some claim the snake was chosen because of the Revolutionary War-era Gadsden flag. Others say it was influenced by a narrative written by Frederick Douglass that likened his master to a snake. Either way, the unit symbol, a coiled snake ready to strike, became the insignia of the Harlem Hellfighters.

During World War I, approximately 380,000 African Americans served in the wartime Army. Approximately 200,000 of these men were sent to Europe. More than half of those sent abroad were assigned to labor and supply battalions, but they performed essential duties nonetheless, building roads, bridges, and trenches in support of the front-line battles. Roughly 42,000 African Americans saw combat.

It should be noted that the Harlem Hellfighters, while an all-black regiment, was under the command of mostly white officers including their commander, Col. William Hayward. In December 1917, when Col. Hayward’s men departed from New York City for the European theater, they had not been permitted to participate in the farewell parade of New York’s National Guard, the so-called Rainbow division. The reason Hayward was given was that “Black is not a color in the Rainbow.”

Upon completion of their tour of duty in Europe, Hayward fought hard and petitioned many politicians to ensure the 369th received a proper homecoming. He lobbied for inclusion and his hard-fighting men got the homecoming they deserved as returning warriors. Sadly though, many of the men would return to a nation that was still heavily segregated and many would return to the unjust and unequal American racial landscape.

Post-War

Congress did not make Armistice Day an official U.S. holiday until 1938. Veterans Day would not be known officially as “Veterans Day” until 1954. However, thanks to the efforts of Hayward, the Harlem Hellfighters returned home to what has become known as the first official Veterans Day parade when the Harlem Hellfighters marched in in New York City on Feb. 17, 1919. The month of February would eventually be set aside as Black History Month.

Roughly a little more than 2 million African Americans registered for the draft during World War I. Most served in the U.S. Army because the Marine Corps would not accept African American enlistees. The U.S. Navy allowed African Americans to enlist, but the few that were allowed to join served in cleaning, cooking and other menial positions.

The contributions of the Harlem Hellfighters to the ranks of the U.S. military are enormous. They showed, as did other all-black units before them, that racial segregation was not needed and that African Americans could serve with just as much dedication to duty and bravery as their white counterparts. Moreover, the men of the 369th showed their gumption by fighting for a nation that would put them at peril for the freedom of others, but would not grant them those same freedoms at home.

The Harlem Hellfighters were also instrumental in helping jazz music spread into Europe when the regiment’s band played overseas, but they also helped usher in some of the most musically artistic periods in American music as jazz spread out from Harlem. In addition, many of the men who served in the famed unit inspired other African Americans to migrate north and find opportunity in other parts of the United States.

The Harlem Hellfighters were instrumental in not just fighting tyranny, they were key to helping African Americans begin to break free of the American societal limitations unjustifiably placed on them.

Today, the New York National Guard's 369th Sustainment Brigade has lineage honors from the Harlem Hellfighters.

There are images that come to mind when one thinks of World War II. Marines raising the flag over Iwo Jima, soldiers landing in France on D-Day, and Rosie the Riveter in her bandana, flexing her muscles. These are just some of the more popular images and symbols of the nation’s effort to combat tyranny in the 1940s.

The image of Rosie the Riveter was created to entice women to join the workforce. It was painted by Norman Rockwell and the image first appeared publicly on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in 1943. In it, a muscular woman enjoys a meal break and her riveting gun branded “Rosie” is nearby and she has her foot on Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. That image would be the basis for an image used later by the federal government to create the “We Can Do It!” posters.

Women, as we know, mobilized on the home front as men joined the armed forces to serve wherever they were needed during the war. As America’s involvement in the war began in two theaters, the war effort required massive amounts of munitions, weapons, ships, aircraft, supplies, tanks and vehicles. With most men entering military service, women across the United States were hired for production jobs. They helped build the hardware that men would use in World War II.

Fact 1: Not Just a Few, But Many

The term “Rosie” was first used in 1942 to refer to female factory workers who entered the workforce by the millions, leaving their domestic lives to help the nation. Often excluded and overlooked by history are women known as “Black Rosies.” Millions of women were Rosie the Riveters. Of that, more than 500,000 African American women also contributed to the effort.

Prior to becoming Black Rosies, the African American women held mostly domestic jobs as housekeepers, cooks, and cleaning ladies. Many in the south were also sharecroppers, according to academics. But joining the workforce for the Black Rosies was not easy. Because of discrimination, many weren’t hired until legislation was passed requiring all government contractors to hire a diverse workforce, including people of color and women.

By the mid-1940s, airplane manufacturers were the largest employers of women in the United States. Vehicle manufacturers came in second. Married women became the largest civilian working demographic in the United States for the first time ever. The number of working mothers increased by 400% and that included Black Rosies.

Fact 2: Discrimination Was Rampant

Black Rosies contributed to the war effort no different than anyone else at the time, but they often faced lower pay and stricter employment rules. Nonetheless, they worked tirelessly in factories, shipyards, and wherever they were needed. History has tended to overlook their contributions. 

Becoming Black Rosies was not only a patriotic opportunity for African American women to aid in the war effort, but it was also a chance for economic empowerment. Employment at these established companies gave the Black Rosies leverage to seek a better life. Serving as part of the war effort enabled the Black Rosies to earn money outside of domestic jobs. It enabled them to pursue a better life in many cases.

Black Rosies made up a large part of the African American workforce during World War II. Of the 1 million African American workers hired during the war effort, nearly 600,000 were women known as Black Rosies.

In addition to working in factories, many learned skilled trades and became experienced electricians, welders, railroad conductors and sheet metal specialists, to name a few. But industrial jobs weren’t the only jobs that Black Rosies performed, they also worked as computer scientists and clerk typists.

Women were paid much lower rates than their male counterparts, despite their important roles. Black Rosies were paid even less. On average, women were paid 10 to 15 cents an hour lower than their male counterparts, despite equal pay regulations.

Black Rosies and their African American male counterparts received fewer benefits and were barred from controlling any union activities. The shipbuilder’s union blocked African Americans from membership altogether. Black Rosies would share after the war that their white co-workers were given frequent promotions or salary increases, but Black Rosies were rarely offered a chance for advancement.

Fact 3: Their Stories Went Untold for Decades

The plight and contributions of Black Rosies have only come to light in the past couple of decades. As the country continues to reconcile the actions of some Americans in the past, many of these stories are surfacing and are being shared as part of the whole history of the United States, rather than just anecdotes of those who have ordinarily controlled the narrative.

Black Rosies are a testament to the contributions of African Americans to the growth and prosperity of this country. Like the African American men who went overseas and fought in World War II for a nation that would not grant them equality in many parts of the country, Black Rosies served their nation and often did so under less than equal conditions. Many of them simply wanted to do their part just like their white Rosie the Riveters.

And it should not be forgotten that African American women also donned the uniform during World War II and served the nation as military personnel. There were all-women African American units that served with distinction and excelled in the limited roles they were given by the government. 

African American women contributed greatly to the World War II effort. Black Rosies are people who have justifiably earned their place in American history.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen?

In January 1941, prior to America’s entry into World War II, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson authorized the formation of an African American pursuit squadron. The 99th Pursuit Squadron was activated just a few months later in March 1941. It would later become the 99th Fighter Squadron.

By November 1941, the unit began training in Tuskegee, Alabama, hence the reason why those who trained and served with the 99th are called “Tuskegee Airmen.” It is important to note that all personnel associated with the Tuskegee program are considered Tuskegee Airmen, including air and ground crews. The unit was originally equipped with and trained on Curtiss P-40s.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen that deployed in World War II?

The 99th Squadron was eventually sent to French Morocco in April 1943 and it conducted combat operations from bases in Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy. In February 1944, the 99th Squadron was joined by three other fighter squadrons, the 100th, the 301st, and the 302nd, and all four squadrons constituted the 332nd Fighter Group, commanded by Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., an African American, who would eventually become a four-star general.

The group converted to Republic P-47s in April 1944 and to P-51s in June. Until the end of the war in Europe, it escorted 15th Air Force bombers and attacked ground targets from its bases in Italy. The group earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for an escort mission to Berlin in March 1945.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen who flew bombers?

In mid-1943, realizing the success of the Tuskegee Airmen program, the U.S. Army Air Forces organized an African American bomber unit, the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium). Activated in June 1943, its pilots were supposed to be trained at Tuskegee. However, that airfield was overburdened with fighter training requirements and was unable to handle the new bomber training program.

The Army Air Force was forced to make a decision and it allowed Tuskegee Airmen to train at all-white training bases for bomber instruction. For the first time, U.S. military flight training had been desegregated. However, the Tuskegee Airmen faced discrimination and were often disrespected and as a result, their operations and training suffered. With mounting delays and difficulties, the group did not become operational until after the war. Tuskegee was the primary school for instruction of black pilots until it closed in 1946.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen who were white?

There were white members of the Tuskegee Airmen since the U.S. Army Air Force wanted white officers to provide oversight of African American airmen. Not only that, but there weren’t any seasoned African American aviators to lead the unit. Lt. Col. Noel F. Parrish led the training of African American pilots and ground crews at Tuskegee Airfield starting in 1941. It is a position he held throughout World War II and at one point he commanded approximately 14,000 personnel. His trainees would deploy to the European theater and serve with distinction.

Parrish was a career Army Air Force pilot, and he was known for providing inspiring leadership and taking a genuine interest in promoting African American involvement in military aviation. He was an ardent supporter of Tuskegee Airmen. Parrish led the training program throughout World War II. He would eventually earn the rank of brigadier general. The success of the Tuskegee program is said by military historians to have helped President Harry S. Truman decide to desegregate the military.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen in combat?

Without a doubt, one of the most famous, if not the most famous of the Tuskegee Airmen is Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Davis led the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II in air combat over North Africa and Italy and later flew long-range bomber escort missions over Nazi Germany. Davis was the son of a U.S. Army general and a 1936 graduate of West Point. He was a member of the first class of five cadets to earn their wings at Tuskegee and later he was selected to lead the new 99th Pursuit Squadron.

Davis led the 99th and later the 332nd Fighter Group in Europe during World War II. According to U.S. Air Force historical reports, the 332nd had 94 aerial victories from 1944 to 1945. In addition, the 332nd, Tuskegee Airmen, lost significantly less aircraft than other fighter groups. For example, 27 bombers protected by the 332nd were shot down by enemy aircraft. The average number of bombers shot down under the escort of the other groups of the 15th Air Force was 46.

In all, the 332nd flew 311 missions and 179 of those were bomber escorts missions. After the war, Davis continued his military career in the newly independent and integrated U.S. Air Force. He achieved the rank of lieutenant general and played a key leadership role during the Korean and Vietnam wars. He retired from the Air Force in 1970. In 1998, he was promoted to general by President Bill Clinton years after his retirement.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen who were almost aces?

Lee Andrew Archer, Edward L. Toppins, and Joseph D. Elsberry were the top three Tuskegee Airmen to shoot down the most enemy aircraft during World War II. Each man had four aerial kills.

For decades there were rumors that the U.S. military had intentionally rotated the men back to the states to prevent any African American from becoming an ace (shooting down five enemy aircraft), but Air Force research conducted in 2011 concluded that racism was not likely the reason. The aviators had simply completed their tours of duty and were rotated back to the states, having flown their requisite missions. In fact, many of the men were lauded in the ranks and decorated for their performance.

Who were the Tuskegee Airmen to first down an enemy aircraft?

Hoosier Charles Hall was the first Tuskegee Airman to down an enemy aircraft while he was on an escort mission in July 1943. He shot down a Nazi FW-190.

About six months later, 10 Tuskegee Airmen would shoot down 10 enemy aircraft and usher in an era of African Americans fighting in the skies above Europe. The Tuskegee Airmen’s aircraft were marked with red tails and in recent years the U.S. Air Force announced that the T-7A, marked with a red tail, will become the Air Force’s latest trainer aircraft.

In the past couple of years, the U.S. Marine Corps has experienced some upheaval as the Corps is recalibrated and dramatic changes are made to its ranks. Most notably, the Corps got rid of its armor assets and tanks are no longer a thing in the Marines as the force returns to its agile and light structure. Armor support for Marines will now come from the U.S. Army.

While roughly 12,000 were severed from the ranks of the sea’s premier infantry service, there was an addition with the activation of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR). Activated in 2022, the 3rd Marine Regiment, now an MLR, is a major pivot in the manner in which the Marine Corps operates in the Pacific.

A Marine squad typically consists of 13 Marines divided into three fire teams of four led by a squad leader. Under the new 3rd Marine Regiment MLR model, a squad will be 14 people, split into two fire teams of six Marines, with a squad leader and assistant squad leader. The fire teams in the 3rd Marine Regiment new MLR model will have a team leader. 

The MLR is one part of the larger force design intended to remedy challenges created by the continued evolution of the character of warfare – specifically the proliferation of the Mature Precision Strike Regime.

The 3rd Marine Regiment MLR model is now a self-deployable, multi-domain force optimized for the contact and blunt layers. It will persistently operate to support the Joint Force’s role in assuring allies and partners, deterring adversaries, conducting and enabling Joint Force contact, blunt, and surge activities.

The 3rd Marine Regiment, and other MLRs like it, are designed as a naval formation, including capabilities to enable maneuver and operations in the maritime domain. It will be a stand-in force: mobile, low-signature, persistent in the contact to blunt layers, and relatively easy to maintain and sustain as part of a naval expeditionary force.

The 3rd Marine Regiment as an MLR will leverage the full ability of amphibious platforms, connectors, and boats. Significantly, the Navy and Marine Corps will field a Light Amphibious Warship to enhance MLR mobility and sustainment.

The 3rd Marine Regiment, and other MLRs, will be capable of the following missions:

• Conduct Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations
• Conduct Strike
• Coordinate Air and Missile Defense Actions
• Support Maritime Domain Awareness
• Support Surface Warfare
• Support Operations in the Information Environment

The 3rd Marine Regiment as an MLR is the first of its kind in the Marine Corps. Subsequent MLRs will potentially be based in other Pacific theater locations.

The MLR will employ three subordinate elements: a Littoral Combat Team (LCT); a Littoral Anti-Air Battalion; and a Combat Logistics Battalion.

The LCT will be task organized around an infantry battalion along with an anti-ship missile battery. It is designed to provide the basis for employing multiple platoon-reinforced-size expeditionary advanced base sites that can host and enable a variety of missions such as long-range anti-ship fires, forward arming and refueling of aircraft, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance of key maritime terrain, and air-defense and early warning.

The Littoral Anti-Air Battalion is designed to provide air defense, air surveillance and early warning, air control, and forward rearming and refueling capabilities.

The Combat Logistics Battalion provides tactical logistics support to the MLR by resupplying expeditionary advanced base sites, managing cache sites, and connecting to higher-level logistics providers. It provides expanded purchasing authorities, limited Role II medical forces, distribution of ammunition and fuel, and field level maintenance.

The MLR, like the 3rd Marine Regiment commands and controls these subordinate organizations via a robust regimental headquarters with enhanced signals and human intelligence, reconnaissance, communications, logistics planning, civil affairs, cyber, and information operations capabilities.

The approximate size of the 3rd Marine Regiment and other MLRs is anticipated to be between 1,800 – 2,000 Marines and Sailors.  By comparison, 3rd Marines (with three infantry battalions, a Combat Assault Company, and regimental headquarters) has approximately 3,400 Marine and Sailors.

The establishment of the 3rd Marine Regiment as an MLR in Hawaii will give the Marine Corps an initial operational capability to conduct sea denial operations in the Indo-Pacific Theater starting in 2023. This initial MLR will also serve to test and validate concepts and inform structure refinements before subsequent MLRs are established elsewhere within III Marine Expeditionary Force.

The majority of the Hawaii-based MLR was created using units that already exist there in the 3rd Marine Regiment. The unit was activated before all the personnel and equipment flowed in.

The 3rd Marine Regiment now as an MLR is tailored to integrate with naval forces and serve as a key enabler for joint forces, allies, and partners. Its low signature in the electromagnetic spectrum will help the MLR remain difficult to detect, allowing it to function within range of the adversary’s weapons systems.

From there, the MLR will integrate communications, sensor networks, and weapons systems to strengthen joint kill webs and increase the joint force’s ability to detect and target adversary forces. These actions will complicate an adversary’s decision-making process while providing additional options for friendly forces. Further details of how the MLR will operate are still in development and will continue to be informed by experimentation.

The Marine Corps administratively redesignated the 3rd Marine Regiment to the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment in a ceremony in March 2022. That occasion marked the establishment of the first MLR in the Marine Corps.

The redesignation of the storied 3rd Marine Regiment is an important chapter in Marine Corps history and builds on its reputation as a versatile, agile, and lethal warfighting organization.

“Marines on the leading edge of change is nothing new,” said Maj. Gen. Jay Bargeron, commanding general of 3rd Marine Division in a Marine Corps news article. “Adapting and overcoming challenge is part of our history and a critical component of our maneuver warfare philosophy. Marines have always been at the forefront of change when required, generating innovative solutions to challenging operational problems.”

While the 3rd MLR is not envisioned to be fully operational for several years, its establishment demonstrates progress in the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 modernization effort.

The administrative redesignation to the 3rd MLR sets key personnel in place and allows the unit to manage existing facilities and equipment previously managed by the 3rd Marine Regiment. The redesignation also facilitates wargaming and experimentation to better define unit requirements and employment concepts in support of the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 modernization goals.

As designed, the 3rd MLR is comprised of a headquarters element and three subordinate commands.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This post was written extensively using Marine Corps press releases and Marine Corps government news stories available as public information.)

Patriotic apparel is not only fashionable, but it is also a great way to show your American pride and love of country. Service pride is something that can easily be displayed by the wearing of patriotic apparel. Patriotic shirts, are definitely the best way to show everyone your patriotic side.

While some people might argue that patriotic shirts that have a U.S. flag on it is not patriotic since it violates U.S. Code, in particular rules about the U.S. flag, there are easy workarounds if you want to show love of country and service loyalty. Here are some ideas for patriotic shirts.

Patriotic Shirts

Whether it is a custom polo shirt, or an off the rack t-shirt, military shirts make great patriotic shirts, and they can be worn in a variety of situations. Patriotic shirts can be worn for Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day. In addition to the days previously mentioned, if you are a member of a veterans’ service organization, these are great to wear to meetings and organizational events.

If you’re still on active duty, the Guard or reserve, consider buying something that shows your esprit de corps in your specialty. Polo shirts are great for more formal unit events like community service, golf outings or even casual off-duty unit functions. T-shirts are certainly more casual, and you can wear those to unit barbecues or other similar outdoor type of functions.

Polo Shirts

Nicer patriotic shirts are polo shirts. Much like the custom rank hats, these can be customized to order with name, rank, and rank insignia. Put as little or as much as you like on this performance clothing item. It won’t disappoint and it is a popular patriotic shirt. This item is great for golfers or if a unit wants a to sport a uniform look at events, like a cookout or a community service project.

If you are shopping for a service member because they expressed interest in patriotic shirts, the key is to know what they will like. Customized and personalized patriotic shirts are great for those who are serving because it enables them to show their pride while still in uniform. For veterans or retirees, the patriotic shirts enable them to show their service pride, but it also reconnects them to a significant part of the lives. Customized patriotic shirts make great gifts.

T-Shirts

You’ve heard the phrase, been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Well, you can actually get a great patriotic shirt that allows you to show everyone where you’ve been and what you’ve done. USAMM has a wide selection of t-shirts from service branch specific to military occupational specialties. 

Hoodies

Okay, hoodies might not be patriotic shirts, but the rise of hoodies as a fashionable clothing item cannot be denied and we thought it was important to include hoodies in this post given the hoodie is now one of the most popular clothing items around. Like patriotic shirts, hoodies can be customized in some cases, but there are also plenty of choices to help you show your patriotism, including hoodies that show occupational loyalty like infantry, aviation, armor, military police, etc.

Sweaters

A lot of sweater manufacturers make patriotic apparel. High-end brands known for using the American flag as an attractive symbol to lure consumers are popular. As mentioned, 4 U.S. Code subsection 8 outlines what can/can’t be done with the American flag, but the American public seems flexible about how the flag is used.

For example, did you know that the U.S. flag cannot be carried flat, but in many professional sporting events giant flags are carried flat onto the field for the National Anthem, and many times they are carried by military personnel. The intent of the sporting event isn’t to desecrate or dishonor the flag, so that is likely overlooked by many Americans. The same goes with clothing. While having an American flag on an item of clothing is technically illegal, most companies create the clothing items to celebrate America and her freedoms.

To arm you with knowledge, we are providing the U.S. Code as it applies to the American flag just in case that’s a line you don’t want to cross.

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

Ever wonder whose job it is to name military operations? Who was responsible for naming those kick-ass operations like Operation Urgent Fury, Operation Overlord, Operation Desert Storm? All of those names evoke a sense of unbridled power and as those names are released to the public, it is probably pretty intimidating to be an enemy of the United States.

The practice of naming military operations can be attributed to the Germans and they started doing it during World War I. The practice spread and eventually in World War II, Winston Churchill, who named the Normandy invasion, warned that care needed to be taken in naming military operations.

Churchill wrote a memorandum that said: “Operations in which large numbers of men may lose their lives ought not to be described by code words which imply a boastful or overconfident sentiment...They ought not to be names of a frivolous character...the world is wide, and intelligent thought will readily supply an unlimited number of well-sounding names which do not suggest the character of the operation or disparage it in any way and do not enable some widow or mother to say that her son was killed in an operation called ‘Bunnyhug’ or ‘Ballyhoo.’”

But in military history, apparently some did not get the memo and there have been some strange names assigned to military operations. The names assigned to the following military operations might leave you scratching your head and wondering, could they not have named these military operations something else?

Below is a list of some of the weirdest military operations (names) in military history.

Operation Vittles

We’ll be honest. This one kind of makes sense, but it sounds cutesy and we wonder if this operation’s name was coined by a good old American boy, but the mission itself was immensely effective and one of the bright spots for the new U.S. Air Force.

In 1948 the Soviet Union blockaded western sectors of Berlin. Faced with starving German citizens, President Harry Truman authorized the operation that would become more popularly known as the Berlin Airlift. Much needed food supplies were flown in until about a year later, the Soviet Union removed their blockades and allowed access.

Operation Barbarossa

You have to know a little Italian in order to appreciate this military operation's name. In 1941, the German military was on a mission to destroy Joseph Stalin’s forces by invading the Soviet Union. The military operations for that objective were called Operation Barbarossa.

Germans were supposed to invade, take control of the western Soviet Union and occupy the region. Instead, they got their butts handed to them. But what does Barbarossa mean? It is Italian for “Red Beard.” The name comes from Frederick I who was the king of Germany in 1155. He died in Asia Minor and believed in expanding Germany’s imperialistic empire.

Operation Mincemeat

While the name doesn’t sound appetizing, the outcome was certain. This was one of those military operations where a multitude of moving parts all contributed, so it is unknown whether Operation Mincemeat was a success as a standalone operation, but one thing is certain, its goal, to disguise the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, must have worked because the Allies took Sicily faster than expected, and with fewer casualties.

At its core, Mincemeat was a deceptive operation where false military intelligence was placed on the body of a Welsh homeless man who was found dead in England. The British military and intelligence communities dressed him in a British military uniform, planted fake identification credentials and intelligence on his body, and set him adrift to be picked up by the Nazis. Spanish fishermen pulled him from the ocean and turned over the body to the Germans. The rest is history and this is one of those military operations that many don’t know about.

Operation Barroom

Nope, that’s not “bar room,” it is barroom, as in the sound of a really huge fart. This flatulent-named operation was eventually made into a Disney movie titled Operation Dumbo Drop (a fictitious title since the real name would likely not be well received by a non-military audience). The name Barroom came from the sound an elephant makes when it farts.

The real-life operation took place in 1968 in Vietnam and involved American Special Forces personnel moving two pachyderms 300 miles in C-130s and then moving them another 60+ miles into the jungle via helicopters. Villagers needed the elephants to help run a sawmill the Special Forces soldiers had helped them purchase and establish. The lumber made at the mill would help build training camps where SF personnel could train the indigenous forces.

Operation Magic Carpet

We aren’t being critical, but we think this operation should have been named something like Operation Hero Homecoming or Operation Yellow Brick Road. This military operation was a heavy lift and brought more than eight million American service members home from the various theaters of World War II. It took about 15 months to get folks home and just about every ship was utilized to bring home American service members.

After the Vietnam War, the Defense Department took a hard look at its operational naming guidelines and it cautioned military leaders to not use names for military operations that were “inconsistent with traditional American ideals or current foreign policy,” and that names should not be offensive or derogatory. The guidance stated names should not employ exotic words or well-known commercial trademarks. The Pentagon mandated that all military operations have two words and the word operation.

In 1975, computers were added to validate and store operational names. Today, each U.S. military command is given a series of two-letter prefixes. They are assigned blocks of the alphabet, say from AA to AD, from which they can choose two-word names. The first word of every operational name must start with one of those prefixes.

Military promotions are earned. Service members are required to have a certain amount of time in grade, time in service, and an attained level of skill in their military occupational specialty.

The first few ranks, regardless of how they are attained, are relatively simple to explain. Graduation from warrant officer or officer candidate school might be needed to make O-1, and graduation from basic training is usually required to be an E-1. As a service member progresses up the ranks, the requirements to earn rank get more rigid and rank is harder to attain.

That makes military promotions something special. If you are the loved one of a military service member, naturally you want to get something special to mark the occasion.

Gifts for military promotions aren’t too hard to buy as long as you go into it knowing what your service member likes or doesn’t like. Clearly your gifts for military promotions can be simple, like taking the person out to dinner or buying them a drink (even though military tradition stipulates that the person getting promoted buys the drinks), but if you prefer getting the person a more traditional military gift. We’ve got some ideas.

Here is USAMM’s list of gifts for military promotions.

Battle Mug

The Battle Mug is a military favorite. This is one of the best gifts for military promotions you can buy. If the recipient belongs to an infantry unit or works in a military profession that carries a rifle, they will love this gift. The Battle Mug is fully customizable. Not only can you put their name, new rank, and unit information on it, or anything else that you think belongs on there, but you can also add a rifle-like handle, railings, and their ribbon rack to it. This isn’t one of those military going away gifts that they will set aside and place on a shelf. This rugged mug will get used regularly and will be a career heirloom for whomever receives it. Your departing friend will likely use this thing a lot at his/her assignment and often think about the times you guys had together.

Alder Plaques

The Alder plaques are unique gifts for military promotions that can capture a service members entire career or just a snapshot of it. In other words, if you have someone who was recently promoted, these are super affordable and really nice. These are great gifts for military promotions because there is plenty of room on the high-quality wood’s surface to include a career’s worth of military awards and badges, or just limit it to awards or badges earned during a specific period, like the period of time a person held a particular rank. Either way, these fully customized Alder plaques are colorful and ideal military going away gifts.

Navy Custom Ship 3D Laser Engraved Plaque

There are a lot of choices for gifts for military promotions for sailors or old sea dogs. One of our favorite gifts for military promotions are the ship 3D laser engraved plaques. They make wonderful gifts for military promotions because the sailor/former sailor can select his/her ship class, name, and hull number, and it will all be custom engraved. These are great for quarters, offices or man cave or she shed.

Shadowboxes

Shadowboxes will always be incredible gifts for military promotions, but these tend to be presented upon retirement from the U.S. military. This is a go-to gift which obviously can be personalized by adding the individual’s awards, badges, and mementos. They can also be customized by having a brass plaque engraved and placed inside the box which has the recipient’s name and military information on it. To do this right, make sure you work with the service member’s family and the human resources team to ensure all the right medals, badges, ribbons, are included in the shadowbox.

Custom Navy Caps

Caps make great gifts for military promotions because like the 3D laser plaque, they can be customized to the liking of the wearer. They can proudly display the ship of the person who was promoted and the sailors can rock these caps at veteran events and patriotic holidays. Great gifts for military promotions are ones that the recipient can wear.

Custom Rank Hats

Whether the person you are shopping for is enlisted, warrant or commissioned officer, they will love a Custom Rank Hat. These make great gifts for military promotions because they include the person’s name and new rank and they come in multi-cam and coyote colors.

Navy Ship Wrapped Canvas

Customizable Navy ship class wrapped canvas prints are unique gifts for military promotions because they are artwork that will bring color to any room or office. Much like their 3D engraved plaque cousins, the recipient can customize their print to any ship class and hull number. And they cost much less than the plaques, but like the plaques, they are still very affordable for a quality customized product.

Drinkware

Water bottles, mugs, flasks, and steins can all be customized and make great gifts. Name, new rank, and other personalized information can be placed on these items and consider including the unit’s emblem.

Custom Canvas

Consider a custom canvas as a type of soft plaque. These come in various colors, including an OCP pattern, and different items and wording can be placed on it to customize it for your service member. These can also make great gifts for military promotions.

Gift Cards

Hard copy gift cards are super easy to give and digital cards are even easier. You can just e-mail them to the lucky recipient and they can use the funds to buy their new rank and make changes to their uniform.