• Gunmaker Heckler & Koch is fulfilling a contract to supply the US Marine Corps with new M27 rifles for infantry.
• The gunmaker is also have some fun at the Marines' expense.
• The Marines seem to be taking it in good spirits.

Heckler & Koch may be making and delivering thousands of M27 infantry automatic rifles to the Marine Corps, but that's not going to stop the company from taking a few jabs at jarheads.

The US branch of the German weapons maker is executing a contract, inked in April 2018, to deliver up to 15,000 M27s to the Marine Corps. The rifles, previously fielded in smaller quantities to replace the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, are now replacing M4 carbines for many infantry Marines.

Most Marines love the fully automatic, more accurate M27. But the feeling may not be completely mutual, judging from a post Tuesday on the H&K Facebook page.

"A fresh batch of M27 rifles leaving Georgia headed to the Devil Dogs," the post read, alongside photographs of rows of the guns ready for shipping. "If any of you crayon eaters are reading this, please treat them nice, even though we built them to be Marine proof."

In fewer than 24 hours, the post went viral, with more than 19,000 shares and 26,000 reactions. The author of the post, who identified herself as "Social Media Girl," returned multiple times to pile on in the comments section.

"FYI, this was not a challenge to try to break them, we know reading comprehension is [not] a strong suit," she wrote later.

Others, picking up on the cherished stereotype of Marines as tough but none-too-smart crayon-eaters, added their own takes.

"As a Marine veteran, I can't read what that said, but looked at the picture," one commenter wrote.

H&K's social media wisecracker had a comeback ready.

"We wrote out a training manual that used no words over 6 letters, we were told we didn't use enough pictures," she wrote. "By the time we submitted a manual that was approved, it was literally nothing but pictures ..."

As the post picked up steam hours after publication, Social Media Girl voiced tongue-in-cheek worries that she would be "pulled into a meeting" for ragging on Marines.

Later, though, she said her bosses were in total support of her sentiments "right up until the Commandant calls us and says that hundreds of M27 rifles have been drug behind jets, thrown out of helicopters and ran over by tanks by a bunch of leathernecks trying to prove a point."

H&K did not immediately respond to an emailed question from Military.com on Wednesday.

It's clear, though, that Marines don't mind a bit of friendly abuse — as long as they can train and fight with high-quality weapons.

"[The M27 is] the best infantry rifle in the world, hands down," then-Chief Warrant Officer 5 Christian Wade told Military.com in 2016. "Better than anything Russia has, it's better than anything we have, it's better than anything China has. It's world-class."

— Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.

SEE ALSO: These are the US military's 6 favorite automatic weapons from the last 100 years

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NOW WATCH: Watch the US Marines place a temporary bridge across the Colorado River

• The Marine Corps is looking into reports of a Marine with neo-Nazi ties.
• The probe comes shortly after the arrest of a Coast Guard officer and one-time Marine in relation to drug and firearm charges.
• Recent incidents have lawmakers worried the military isn't paying attention to white-supremacy issues in its ranks.

The recent arrest of Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Hasson, a former Marine who investigators say was a longtime white nationalist, has lawmakers worried that military leaders may not be adequately tracking white supremacy issues within the ranks.

Hasson was arrested on Feb. 15 on drug and firearms charges, but investigators allege he was planning an attack against political and media targets.

Hasson’s arrest underscores a potential threat emanating from the armed forces — the infiltration of the military by violent hate groups or white supremacist organizations seeking to recruit service members with firearms and explosives training.

The FBI sounded the alarm over this issue in an investigation concluded in 2008, which warned that “the military training veterans bring to the movement and their potential to pass this training on to others can increase the ability of lone offenders to carry out violence from the movement’s fringes.”

Several Marines over the past few years have been booted from the Corps for alleged ties to white supremacist groups. Now, it appears another Marine may have been exposed for publicly supporting neo-Nazi views.

Social media was abuzz over the weekend as several internet sleuths outed a Twitter account posting racist, anti-Semitic and Nazi propaganda.

The account is allegedly tied to an infantry Marine stationed in Hawaii.

The Twitter handle @Jacobite_Edward, allegedly run by Lance Cpl. Mason Mead, a Marine with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, based out of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, included scores of Nazi propaganda and even depicted military explosives placed in the shape of a swastika.

One Tweeted photo shows a Marine, apparently just back from a field training exercise, with dark camouflage paint on his face captioned “Hello, fellow black men.” It is unknown if the Marine in the photo is Mead.

Capt. Joseph Butterfield, a Marine spokesman, told Marine Corps Times that the Marine’s chain of command had been contacted and was addressing the posts.

“The Marine Corps is aware of the derogatory online comments attributed to a Marine with 1st Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division,” III Marine Expeditionary Force told Marine Corps Times in an emailed statement. “NCIS [Naval Criminal Investigative Service] is thoroughly investigating this situation and the command will address any misconduct at the appropriate judicial or administrative level.”

Naval Criminal Investigative Service told Marine Corps Times that it would not comment on an ongoing investigation.

“Misconduct and hateful messaging on social media is incongruent with our core values and violates our policy,” Butterfield said.

The Twitter account associated with @Jacobite_Edward has since been taken down.

But, the account included numerous tweets referencing the crusades and Nazi images and propaganda.

One photo of German troops in World War II was captioned “Wehrmacht soldiers at Holy Mass on the eve of the great crusade against bolshevism.”

Tweets and photos on social media referenced Mead’s unit and some photos showed parts of his name tapes on military gear and his camouflage utilities.

Mead has not responded to messages from Marine Corps Times.

The Corps has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to Marines actively participating in hate groups — a policy recently updated and codified in its Prohibited Activities and Conduct Prevention and Response Policy, also known as the PAC order.

SEE ALSO: US and European militaries are trying to keep neo-Nazis out of their ranks

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NOW WATCH: Neo-Nazi groups let a journalist in their meetings and rallies — here's what he saw

• US Marines and sailors in Iceland this fall seriously depleted the beer supply in the capital city, Reykjavík.
• US service members don't always mix well with alcohol, but things were pretty calm this time around.

It’s not uncommon during deployment for Marines and sailors to get into a bit of trouble when ships pull into port in for a bit of down time.

As was the case for the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s deployment when the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock New York docked in Gaeta, Italy, in April 2018, or when the UK’s newest aircraft carrier ported in Naval Station Mayport, Florida, in September, following weeks of traversing the Atlantic Ocean on its maiden voyage.

During those visits, alcohol was a key culprit that got Marines and sailors in hot water with commands. Excessive drinking and underage consumption of alcohol resulted in service members getting arrested or partaking in stupid games that in one case resulted in vandalism of property.

So imagine the shenanigans that occurred in Iceland following a media report from Iceland Magazine that bars in the capital city of Reykjavík were struggling to keep up with the demand of the heavy beer consumption of American service members in town for the NATO-led exercise Trident Juncture.

Well, surprisingly not a whole lot happened, at least for Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, who ported in Iceland for training and preparation for the large-scale NATO exercise.

The Marines were on their best behavior.

Only one lance corporal was disciplined for bad behavior during the MEU’s stay in Iceland. According to a charge sheet obtained by Marine Corps times, the Marine was charged with excessive drinking in violation of the MEU’s liberty policy and being wrongfully drunk and disorderly conduct.

The incident occurred on Oct. 18 in Reykjavík, the charge sheet detailed.

The Marine was busted down to private first class, placed on restriction for 60 days and lost a half-month's pay for two months.

The only other incident to befall the 24th MEU during Trident Juncture happened in Norway around Nov. 8, when a lance corporal “wrongfully misappropriated” a Norwegian medical kit. That Marine was also reduced in rank to private first class.

“Our Marines and Sailors also executed their liberty periods successfully thanks to the leadership of our noncommissioned officers," Capt. Clay Groover, a spokesman for the 24th MEU, told Marine Corps Times in an emailed statement. "We appreciate the hospitality of our hosts in Iceland and Norway as they graciously greeted us and made us feel welcome in their countries.”

NATO’s Trident Juncture was one of the largest NATO exercises in over a decade that saw thousands of US and allied partners partake in cold weather training and exercises to prepare for war in the European high north against a near-peer threat.

“The 24th MEU accomplished their mission of deploying, employing, and redeploying as a sea-based MAGTF [Marine air-ground task force] in support of II MEF during Trident Juncture,” Groover added.

SEE ALSO: Norway says it has proof that Russia messed with GPS signals during NATO's largest military exercise in decades

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NOW WATCH: The Pilgrims actually stopped at Plymouth Rock because they were running out of beer

• A bride has revealed how she asked a wedding guest to leave because he turned up in his marines uniform.
• The wedding was supposed to be black tie, and the bride felt the man was drawing attention to himself.
• The story has gone viral on Reddit, and people are divided over who was in the wrong.

A bride has divided the internet after explaining how she kicked a guest out of her wedding for turning up in military uniform. 

Writing on Reddit's "Am I The A------" forum, the newlywed said she "felt kind of bad" for asking him to leave, "but it just didn't feel right for him to be there like that."

The man in question was the son of one of the groom's family friends.

He arrived at the wedding in his marines formalwear, complete with all his medals, and it did not go down well with the bride.

"Now, I have nothing against anyone in the military but this was a black tie optional wedding and frankly it felt very out of place and it seemed like he was just trying to show off," the bride wrote.

"My wedding had over 300 guests and nobody else felt the need to wear something to make them stand out."

Read more: A bride told her heavily pregnant bridesmaid to stop 'showing off' her belly in the wedding photos, and she wasn't happy about it

The woman admits that he acted perfectly politely at the ceremony, and "graciously agreed" to have his photo taken with some of the female teenage guests who were excited to see him.

But the bride was not thrilled about how he was drawing attention.

"Many people were thanking him for his service, and frankly it just felt like the only reason he wore that was to be in the spotlight and make it about him, which I don't think you are supposed to do at someone else's wedding," she said.

"If he wants to wear that to his own wedding then fine, but the whole point of having a dress code at a wedding is so that no one guest will stand out too much.

"I felt that he should have known this, since the whole point of uniforms in the military is so that you don't stand out from everyone else!"

Read more: A bride asked the married women at her wedding to wear their own bridal dresses, and the photos are amazing

People in the forum were divided over whose side to take.

Some people pointed out that the marines formal uniform "looks classy and black tie," but others argued it was "extremely disrespectful."

The majority agreed that both the bride and the guest behaved badly.

As a former army sergeant pointed out: "Wearing formal military wear at formal civilian events is allowed per regulations (Army is AR 670-1, no clue for marines), but you have to be a special kind of a------ to wear it to a non-military wedding without specific permission of the couple.

"The reason for this is the same as wearing white to a wedding — this puts you in competition with the bride. He should have dressed in civilian-wear, or at very least, checked with the couple getting married."

As for the bride's decision to ask him to leave, the former sergeant said that "icking him out of the wedding was a bit much."

"It's your special day, but you shouldn't forget that you play dual roles — you are both the host and the one fêted. Don't forget that former role.

"You probably should have grimaced and just gone with it along with other faux pas such as Uncle Larry puking in the bushes and cousin Jenny making out with the DJ. With 300 guests, one person in uniform isn't going to kill your day."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything we know about Samsung’s foldable phone

• Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman was among three Marines killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan this week.
• Slutman was also a veteran of the New York City Fire Department, decorated five years ago for saving a woman from a burning high-rise.

NEW YORK (AP) — A US Marine killed this week in Afghanistan was honored five years ago for rescuing a woman from a burning high-rise while serving with the Fire Department of New York, the city's mayor and fire commissioner said on Tuesday.

Christopher Slutman, a 15-year FDNY member, was among three American service members killed by a roadside bomb Monday. He leaves behind his wife, Shannon, and three daughters.

"Firefighter Slutman bravely wore two uniforms and committed his life to public service both as a New York City firefighter and as a member of the United States Marine Corps," Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said in a written statement.

"The decorated 15-year-veteran of the department is truly one of New York City's Bravest — running into danger to protect and defend others, both in New York City and in combat overseas," Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote.

"Christopher was a distinguished firefighter who had a profound impact on both of his firehouses, Ladder Companies 27 and 17," wrote Gerard Fitzgerald, president of the FDNY-UFA Firefighters Association. "Together, all firefighters grieve the loss of our brother, Christopher, who dedicated his life to protecting the people of this city and our nation."

In 2014, Slutman received a medal for pulling an unconscious woman from a high-rise apartment fire in the Bronx.

Slutman and fellow firefighters "forced open the door to the fire apartment and were met with a high heat condition and dense, black smoke, from floor to ceiling," the department said when his medal was awarded. They crawled along the apartment floor, and Slutman found the woman in a bedroom. He and another firefighter "dragged the woman past the fire" to emergency medical workers.

Slutman saved the woman "at peril to himself," a battalion chief wrote in endorsing his honor. Slutman was the fourth FDNY member to die while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003, the city said.

He also is being remembered in Maryland, where he had served with the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department.

"Through this trying time, we will remember Chris for the father, husband, brother, son and friend that he was, the moral character he displayed daily, and the courage and conviction to serve his fellow Americans, both at home and abroad," Chief Oleg Pelekhaty wrote on Facebook. "We ask for your thoughts and prayers for his firehouse brothers, his fellow Marines, his friends — but most of all, his family."

___

This story and headline has been corrected to show that Slutman was a member of the Marines, not the Army.

SEE ALSO: A contractor listed as killed in a car-bombing in Afghanistan on Monday is actually alive, the US says

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• The Marine Corps says service-life expiration and breakage may soon deplete its stock of rifle sights for recruits at training centers.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

The Marine Corps may soon run out of rifle combat optic sights for young recruits to train with at Parris Island and other entry level training centers, according to a recent Marine administrative message.

The Marine rifle combat optic, or RCO, is the standard 4X magnification sight Marines use for M16A4 rifles and M4 carbines. The sea service is now experiencing "RCO shortages due to a combination of service life expiration and breakage," according to the message, which describes the findings of the Marines' recent 2019 Combat Marksmanship Symposium.

"Based on the current sustainment model, the shortfall will have a critical impact on both Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and The Basic School within 6 months and Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Edson Range within 12 months," the message states.

The Combat Marksmanship Symposium, or CMS, was held Oct. 1-5, bringing decision-makers together to discuss issues affecting combat marksmanship and recommend possible solutions for the future, according to the message.

Military.com reached out to the Marine Corps for more details on the shortfall, such as how many RCOs the service is lacking, but did not receive an answer by press time.

The RCO is a version of Trijicon's advanced combat optical gunsight, or ACOG. It relies on a dual-illumination technology that uses a combination of fiber optics and self-luminous tritium, which results in a continuous illumination of the aiming point without the need for batteries, according to Trijicon's website.

"The unique reticle pattern provides quick target acquisition at close combat ranges while providing enhanced target identification and hit probability out to 800 meters," the website states.

The Marine Corps is considering redistributing RCOs "across the total force" to "reduce the immediate training impact."

"This highlights a need to develop a use and care policy for [entry-level training] in order to reduce shortfalls and a long-term sustainment model for the total force," the message states.

— Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

SEE ALSO: The Marine Corps' brief experiment with integrating women recruits into an all-male unit is over, and the Corps doesn't know if it'll do it again

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NOW WATCH: Step aboard the USS Kearsarge, the US Navy workhorse that takes Marines to war

• Sexual assaults in the military are on the rise, according to a Department of Defense report released on Thursday.
• Between 2016 and 2018, there was an almost 38 percent increase, the report found, with young women most at risk of experiencing sexual assault.
• The Department of Defense plans to implement new measures to confront 
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

A Department of Defense report released on Thursday paints a troubling picture of sexual violence in the US military, with an almost 38 percent rise between 2016 and 2018, according to a Pentagon survey reviewed by INSIDER.

The report, which surveyed men and women in the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force, reported that around 20,500 service members experienced sexual assault in the past year — a significant leap from around 14,900 members in 2016, when a similar survey was conducted.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan called the prevalence of sexual assault in the military "unacceptable" in a memorandum sent across the Department of Defense, and reviewed by INSIDER.

"To put it bluntly, we are not performing to the standards and expectations we have for ourselves or for each other," Shanahan wrote. "We must improve our culture to treat each other with dignity and respect and hold ourselves, and each other, more accountable."

The Pentagon has grappled with preventing sexual assault in the ranks for decades, and the latest survey shows their policies have failed to stem the problem as more troops report sexual abuse, nearly 90 percent of which was reportedly perpetrated by another member of the military.

Women in the military, and particularly young women between the ages of 17 to 24, are most at risk of experiencing sexual assault, the report found. Sexual assault rates for women were highest in the Marines, followed by the Navy, Army, and Air Force. The rates among men remained similar to the 2016 report.

"The results are disturbing and a clear indicator the Marine Corps must reexamine its sexual assault prevention efforts," the Marine Corps said in a statement in response to the findings.

The survey also found increases in sexual harassment and gender discrimination compared to 2016, behavior that could ultimately lead to sexual assault.

The memo described a list of steps that the Department of Defense plans to implement in response to sexual assault, such as launching a Catch a Serial Offender (CATCH) program so members can confidentially report offenders, bolstering recruitment efforts, and better preparing enlisted leaders and first-line supervisors to properly respond to sexual misconduct reports.

The Pentagon also established a sexual assault accountability task force last month, at the urging of Arizona Sen. Martha Mc Sally, the GOP lawmaker and 26-year military veteran who revealed in March that she had been raped in the Air Force by a superior officer.

"As a result of this year's report, the Department is reevaluating existing processes used to address sexual assault and taking a holistic approach to eliminate sexual assault, which include taking preventative measures, providing additional support and care for victims, and ensuring a robust and comprehensive military justice process," Department of Defense spokesperson Jessica Maxwell told INSIDER.

Lack of confidence

Thursday's report hints at a culture in which members may be hesitant to come forward about their assaults, especially as the majority of alleged perpetrators are also in uniform.

In total, 89 percent of alleged offenders were service members, the report found, and 62 percent of assailants had been friends or acquaintances with the victim. Alcohol was involved in 62 percent of sexual assault situations.

For service members who did come forward to report sexual assault, 64 percent described a perceived negative experience or retaliation for speaking out. Maxwell, the spokesperson, told INSIDER that there were 187 allegations of retaliation against victims who reported sexual assault in the past year.

"No one in the Department of Defense should have to fear retaliatory behavior associated with a sexual assault report," she said, adding that measures are being taken by the department to better respond to retaliation.

While sexual assaults in the military had been on the decline since 2006, when more than 34,000 members had reported misconduct, a 35 percent increase in assaults between 2010 and 2012 led military leaders in 2013 to declare "zero tolerance" for sexual abuse in the ranks. While the percentage of sexual assaults did decline in 2016, that trend reversed course in 2018.

"Collectively, we must do everything we can to eliminate sexual harassment and assault in the military," Shanahan wrote in his memo. "Sexual assault is illegal and immoral, is inconsistent with the military's mission, and will not be tolerated."

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• A Norwegian Cruise Line employee sexually assaulted an 11-year-old passenger after using a master key to enter her cabin, a lawsuit alleges

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• Happy Armed Forces Day!
• Established in 1949 by President Harry S. Truman, Armed Forces Day celebrates and gives thanks to the military for their service. It's celebrated on the third Saturday in May.
• So in honor of the holiday, we rounded up 33 of the best pictures taken by military photographers.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories. 

On any given day, dozens of military photographers are capturing the grit and glory of American troops in the field — and in war zones — around the world. 

From leaping out of airplanes to detonating obstacles, even their training can be dangerous.

To celebrate Armed Forces Day, here are 33 captivating images of US troops in action, taken by military photographers.

The Patriots Jet Team performs aerial acrobatics as pyrotechnics provided by the Tora Bomb Squad of the Commemorative Air Force explode, forming a "Wall Of Fire" during an air show on March 18, 2017.

Construction Mechanic Constructionman Matt Adams traverses a mud-filled pit while participating in the endurance course at the Jungle Warfare Training Center in Okinawa, Japan on Feb. 17, 2017.

The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island transits the Arabian Sea on March 3, 2017.

• Breaching a heavily-defended enemy position is a complex and risky operation, one that requires suppressing fire, battlefield obscurants, electronic warfare capabilities, and a physical breach unit built to break through.
• These operations are exceptionally dangerous as the enemy will throw everything it can at those attempting to shatter their defenses.
• The US Army and Marines recently experimented with a new 80-ton robotic assault breacher vehicle made to rip up minefields and clear obstacles without putting their lives at risk.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

Soldiers and Marines have risked life and limb in dangerous breach operations on the battlefield, but new technology will help keep them out of harms way.

"We never, ever want to send another soldier into a breach, so how do we do this completely autonomously?" Gen. Mike Murray, head of Army Futures Command, asked at Yakima Training Center in Washington state recently, Defense News reported.

The answer to the general's question: A monstrous robotic Assault Breacher Vehicle, an 80-ton battlefield bulldozer built to rip up minefields and remove obstacles.

The Army and Marines have been using manned M1150 ABVs for breach operations for nearly a decade.

An Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) is essentially an M1 Abrams tank that has been upgraded with armor improvements and had its turret replaced with either a mine plow or a combat dozer blade able to clear a path for other assets.

These mobile, heavily-armored minefield and obstacle clearing vehicles have traditionally been manned by a crew of two.

The plan is to get those troops out.

"That is a very dangerous point to put soldiers and Marines, especially when dealing with explosive obstacles," 1st Lt. David Aghakhan, ABV Platoon Commander, said in a statement, adding that new robotic variants give "us the option to take the operator out of the vehicle, and still push that vehicle through the lane, creating that mobility for follow-on forces."

The Army and the Marines tested a robotic version of the ABV for the first time out at Yakima Training Center a few weeks ago in a first step toward pulling troops out of the breach.

"This is something we cried from the mountain tops for. Somebody listened," Lonni Johnston, program manager for Army Future Command's Robotic Complex Breach Concept (RCBC) and former assistant program manager for the ABV program, told Business Insider.

During the recent demonstration at Yakima, a prototype was put to the test. "This is the first time this has been used. We've never had a robotic version of this until now," Johnston explained.

The robotic ABVs in the recent test were supported by a robotic Polaris MRZR vehicle capable of creating smoke screens, as well as suppression fire units, which in a real situation could be either manned or unmanned.

"A breach is one of the most complex maneuvers during any type of military operation because there are so many components to it," Johnston explained.

The breach is one of the most dangerous places a soldier or Marine can find themselves.

"The breach is literally the worst place on Earth," Johnston, a retired Army officer, told BI. "It's the most dangerous place on the planet."

"Every gun, every cannon, everything that shoots a missile or a bullet is going to be aimed at that breach," he added. "When you are attacking an enemy force that is hellbent on keeping you out, they are going to do whatever they can to do that."

So, the Army and Marines are looking at robotic systems smash through the breach, which soldiers and manned vehicles can then flow through.

The services have a number of challenges to surmount for robotic ABVs to be effective against a tough adversary.

It's unclear when the robotic ABVs will be ready for deployment, but the Army is envisions fielding six per brigade, four with mine plows and two with combat dozer blades. That is how many the service believes it needs to clear two breach lanes.

Each vehicle would be operated by one person in either a stationary or mobile command and control center.

Challenges include electronic countermeasures, such as jamming technology that could be used by an enemy to incapacitate these vehicles. There are also concerns about what to do if it dies mid-breach, inadvertently becoming just the kind of obstacle it was meant to obliterate.

These are some of the things the services will have to explore as they push forward on this technology.

• Marines are tough, competent, and resilient, all of which makes them a fearsome force for any opponent — from this world or another.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

Marines are a tribe of warriors, plain and simple. When it comes to warfare, there are very few enemies (if any) that Marines couldn't match up against.

No matter the situation, no matter the circumstance, we give the enemy an absolute run for their money and make them remember why we have the reputation we do. Extra-terrestrial invaders are not exempt from this rule.

Marines don't care where their enemies come from — whether it's another continent or another galaxy, these hands are rated "E" for everyone. In fact, some might say we're pioneers of equality when it comes to kicking asses.

Here's why Marines would destroy an extra-terrestrial invasion:

SEE ALSO: This is how a Marine earned a secret Navy Cross for untold heroism during the 2012 Benghazi attack

1. We make do with less

The Marine Corps budget must be the smallest of all the armed forces. At least, that's how it seems when you consider how broken everything we use is.

Still, we care not. If you pick a fight with us, we'll use sticks and stones if we must — and don't even ask what happens when we mount bayonets...

If you think things like plasma weapons and shields will stop Marines from reaping alien souls — you don't know Marines.

2. We're experts at unconventional warfare

Do you think Marines like setting ambushes and using explosives to cripple an enemy just before we dump an entire ammunition store into them?

If you answered with an enthusiastic "yes," you're correct (We would have also accepted "f*ck yeah!"). We love ambushing and we're great at it.

We'll make those alien scumbags regret ever coming into orbit.

3. We exhibit savagery on the battlefield

Marines have made a history of striking fear into the hearts of enemies on the battlefield.

It doesn't matter if we're outnumbered or surrounded — we'll just shoot our way out of it. Cloud of mustard gas? Pfft, slap that gas mask on and mount your bayonet 'cause we're storming the trenches.

Even if the aliens defeat humanity overall — they'll be talking about how scary it was to face off against a battalion of Marines for millennia to come.

4. We're expert marksmen

Every Marine is trained to be an expert marksman. Even our worst shooters are still substantially better than the average soldier Joe with a gun.

Our skill with rifles would sure pay off in a war against alien invaders as their tech might force us to avoid close-quarters engagement.

But our skill with weaponry doesn't end at the stock of a rifle. If they force us into CQC, we'll give them a run for their money there, too.

5. We are resilient

No matter what, Marines will not stop fighting. If we're given a task or a mission, we'll see it through to the very end.

Even if we're beaten at first, we won't give up on the mission — or each other. Conquest-driven aliens may have forced other species to their knees, but they won't find any quit in Marines.

• US Marines spend a lot of their time on their feet, hoofing it over rough terrain and in inhospitable conditions.
• All that time in the wilderness brings with it some expertise on how to adapt.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

One of the most arduous parts of Marine Corps life and training has to be the long-distance rucks.

Covering a lot of miles with a lot of weight on your back may seem like a simple enough proposition, but as time goes by, you start to pick up on a few things that can make an otherwise grueling hike just a bit more pleasant — or at least, a bit less likely to cause you the sort of nuisance injuries that can really make a week in the field feel more like a week in hell.

While the nuts and bolts of a long-distance hike are simple enough (bring adequate food, water, and appropriate emergency gear, then just put one foot in front of the other until you're finished) there are some things you can do before you set out or carry with you on the hike that will pay dividends throughout the hump and after, as your body recovers.

SEE ALSO: 6 things you need to do to prepare for a hike like a Marine

1. Use dry deodorant to manage chafing

Despite how much I've worked out throughout my adult life, I somehow never quite managed to get one of those "thigh gaps" all the girls on Instagram keep talking about, and as such, chafing in my groin and between my thighs has always been a concern on long-distance hikes.

The combination of sweat, the seams of my pants, and my rubbing thunder thighs always conspire to leave my undercarriage raw, which quickly becomes a constant source of pain as I log the miles.

Even with spandex undergarments and an industrial supply of baby powder, chafing can rear its head and ruin your day, but you can relieve a lot of that heartache (or, I suppose, crotch-ache) by rubbing your dry stick deodorant all over the affected area.

The deodorant creates a water-resistant barrier that protects the raw skin as you keep on trucking. This trick has worked for me in the savannas of Africa, the busy streets of Rome, and even in the relentlessly humid Georgia woods. Remember — it's got to be dry stick deodorant. Gel stuff just won't do the trick.

2. Carry a sharpie to keep tabs on bites

Spider and other insect bites can be a real cause for concern on the trail, and not necessarily for the reasons you think. It's not all that likely that you'll get bitten by a spider with the sort of venomous punch to really make you ill, but even an otherwise innocuous spider or insect bite can turn into big problems in a field environment.

Bites create a high risk for infection, and not everyone responds to exposure to venoms, bacteria, or stingers in the same way. That's why it's imperative that you keep an eye on any questionable bites you accumulate along your hike.

Use a sharpie to draw a circle around the outside perimeter of a bite when you notice it, then note the time and day. As you go about your hike, check on the bite sporadically to see if the swollen, red area is expanding beyond the original perimeter. Add circles with times as you check if the bite continues to grow.

If the bite grows quickly beyond that first drawn perimeter, is bright or dark red, and feels warm and firm to the touch, seek medical care for what may be a nasty infection. If you experience any trouble breathing, that's a strong sign that you may be going into anaphylactic shock due to an allergy, and you need immediate medical care.

3. Add moleskin to blister prone spots on your feet before blisters form

If you've done any hiking, you're already familiar with moleskin as a go-to blister treatment, but most people don't realize how handy moleskin can be for blister prevention as well.

If you know that you tend to get blisters on certain spots on your feet during long hikes (the back of the heel and the inside of the ball of the foot are two common hot spots, for instance) don't wait for a blister to form to use your moleskin. Instead, cut off a piece and apply it to the trouble spots on your feet ahead of time, adding a protective buffer between the friction points of your boot and your feet themselves.

It helps to replace the moleskin about as often as you replace your socks, to prevent it from peeling off and bunching up on you (causing a different hiking annoyance), but when done properly, you can escape even the longest hikes pretty blister free.

• Born into a Mexican family in California, Guy Gabaldon went to live with a Japanese family several years before WWII forced them into an internment camp.
• On his own, Gabaldon eventually joined the US Marines, where he used what he learned with his adopted family on the battlefield.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

If you've read the book "Saipan: Suicide Island," watched the movie "Hell to Eternity," or you're a World War II buff, then you may have heard of the heroic actions of Corporal Guy Gabaldon.

However, there are many who don't know about the remarkable, true story of Corporal Gabaldon, a US Marine who earned the Navy Cross after single-handedly capturing around 1,500 Japanese soldiers during the Battles of Saipan and Tinian.

Here is his full story:

NOW READ: 76 years ago, US Marines waded into 'the toughest battle in Marine Corps history' — here are 25 photos of the brutal fight for Tarawa

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NOW WATCH: Startling facts about World War II

• The Marine Corps has been overhauling its infantry squads, and a handful of Marines recently performed field testing alongside autonomous robots developed by DARPA.
• The robots are part of the agency's Squad X experimentation program, which was started to give infantry Marines the same resources that mounted forces have.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

There are #squadgoals, and then there are squad goals— and only one of them includes a potential future accompanied by autonomous murderbots.

Hot on the heels of the Marine Corps's head-to-toe overhaul of infantry rifle squads, a handful of grunts at the Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, California recently conducted field testing alongside a handful of autonomous robots engineered by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Squad X Experimentation program.

The Squad X program was launched in 2016 to give dismounted infantry squads the same "highly effective multi-domain defensive and offensive capabilities that vehicle-assigned forces currently enjoy," but infantry Marines simply can't support with current combat loads, according to DARPA.

But that doesn't just mean robotic mules to hump gear: As autonomous platforms become more integrated into current combined-arms squads, Marines will also face a "steady evolution of tactics," as Squad X program manage Lt. Col. Phil Root said in a DARPA release announcing the field tests.

"Developing hardware and tactics that allow us to operate seamlessly within a close combat ground environment is extremely challenging, but provides incredible value," Root said.

During the early 2019 test, a gang of autonomous ground and aerial systems that provided intelligence and recon support for Marines outfitted with sensor-laden vests as they moved between natural desert and mock city blocks at Twentynine Palms, while ground-based units provided armed security for the primary force.

The autonomous systems "provided reconnaissance of areas ahead of the unit as well as flank security, surveying the perimeter and reporting to squad members' handheld Android Tactical Assault Kits (ATAKs)," DARPA said. "Within a few screen taps, squad members accessed options to act on the systems' findings or adjust the search areas."

The additional recon support and added firepower on squad flanks could prove a major boost to Marine squads as continue to evolve in pursuit of that ever-precious lethality. And don't worry: DARPA has your inevitable SkyNet concerns in mind.

"A human would be involved in any lethal action ... But we're establishing superior situational awareness through sufficient input and AI, and then the ability to do something about it at fast time scales."

SEE ALSO: DARPA found a way to reinvent the wheel

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• The Senate version of National Defense Authorization Act includes $211 million for construction in Darwin, Australia.
• The Marine Corps has a presence in Australia, although there is not a permanent US military installation there.
• Military construction could cause friction with China, with which Australia has a strong economic relationship.
• Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.

The US military is considering investing more than $211 million into construction in Darwin, Australia, according to the Senate's version of the annual defense legislation.

What that money will build is unknown. The Marine and Navy officials Marine Corps Times reached out to have yet to provide a statement.

Australian outlet ABC News reported that secret planning is underway to develop a new commercial port just outside of Darwin that could eventually be developed to house Australia's landing helicopter dock ships or the US amphibious assault ships that ferry Marines around the globe.

While Australia is one of America's most important military allies in the Pacific, the military construction could cause diplomatic headaches for Australia and sour its relationship with China, which over the years has become more economically intertwined.

"Because just like even our best allies, the Australians, they're with us from a military perspective, but economically they're tied to China," Maj. Gen. Daniel Yoo, the commander of the Marine Raiders, told Marine Corps Times in an interview during a May special operations conference in Tampa, Florida.

"And so they have a problem internal to their own country as far as there's some that feel they should be closer to China, because their economic health is dependent upon it."

It's a strategic tightrope act the US military has to walk in the Pacific where China's economic might is changing the US military calculus in the region.

Marines deploy to Australia every year to conduct training with Pacific allies in the region. Marine officials have told Marine Corps Times there are no plans for a permanent Marine presence.

But, there are nearly 1,700 Marines in Australia taking part in training exercises across the Pacific country — it's the largest rotation to date and includes the most robust aviation element thus far.

The Corps slowly has been increasing its footprint in Australia over the past eight rotation cycles. In 2018, nearly 1,500 Marines took part in exercises across Australia; the goal is to bump that number to 2,500 Marines.

Australia is important to America's strategy in the Pacific and to the Corps' plans to move some of its forces off of Okinawa, Japan.

While the Corps doesn't have a permanent presence in Australia, a major US military construction project near Darwin is likely to irk China and complicate delicate efforts by Australian officials to balance its relationship with both heavyweights.

"As economic power shifts, it's unsurprising that nations will seek to play a bigger strategic role in our region. China, in particular, is exercising unprecedented influence in the Indo-Pacific," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a November 2018 speech.

Once more steadfast allies are now having to consider their economic future with China and their traditional military and democratic partnership with America.

"Australia also has a vitally important relationship with China. Trade, tourism and educational exchanges are at record highs," Morrison said in his speech.

"Of course, China is not alone in being a force of change in our world. But China is the country that is most changing the balance of power, sometimes in ways that challenge important US interests," Morrison said. "Inevitably, in the period ahead, we will be navigating a higher degree of US-China strategic competition."

Congress may review the Corps' plan to redistribute its forces across the Pacific.

The Corps kicked off a portion of the Talisman Sabre exercise in Australia around mid-July where Marines, Army and Australian forces carried out a HIMARS rocket artillery raid and captured an airfield.

NOW READ: A Marine general said he'd rather 'his daughter work in a brothel than be a Marine pilot.' A female pilot called that 'unconscionable'

SEE ALSO: The UN is investigating a key US ally for a brutal drug war that's killed an estimated 27,000 people

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• The Marine Corps' new Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle reached full operational capacity earlier this year.
• The new rifle doesn't have the range of others in use by the military, but it is a long-awaited upgrade to the M40 sniper rifle that Marines have used since Vietnam.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The wait is over: The Marine Corps's brand new sniper is officially ready for action.

The Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle reached full operational capacity earlier this year after extensive testing, Marine Corps Systems Command announced on Wednesday. Now, the new rifle is finally available in both scout snipers and recon Marine arsenals.

"Scout snipers are now being fielded a weapon system that makes them even more lethal at distance than they were previously," MARCORSYSCOM project officer Capt. Nick Berger said in a release. "This weapon better prepares us to take the fight to any adversary in any clime and place."

Selected back back in March 2018 as a much-needed and long-overdue replacement for the M40 sniper system that Marines have wielded since the Vietnam War, the Mk13 is chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum and offers an effective range well over 1,000 yards.

While that effective range is nowhere near that of the Army's 1,300-yard M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle and US Special Operations Command's 1,600-yard Precision Sniper Rifle, it far outstrips the M40's comparatively limited reach amid the Pentagon's ongoing emphasis on lethality and precision fires.

"When shooting the Mk13, the bullet remains stable for much longer," MARCORSYSCOM infantry weapons team leader Maj. Mike Brisker said in a release. "The weapon gives you enough extra initial velocity that it stays supersonic for a much longer distance than the M40A6."

The Corps started fielding the a handful of infantry and reconnaissance battalions and scout sniper schoolhouses with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in September 2018, with plans to roll out the new system II MEF and II MEF units.

But according to MARCORSYSCOM, a scout sniper platoon with the "Darkhorse" 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines have been enjoying the Mk13 for "more than a year"— and according to the system's program officers, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

"At our new equipment trainings, the resounding feedback from the scout snipers was that this rifle is a positive step forward in the realm of precision-fire weapons," Berger, the MARCORSYSCOM project officer, said in the release. "Overall, there has been positive feedback from the fleet."

SEE ALSO: These soldiers are going airborne with the Army's newest sniper rifle

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NOW WATCH: Former Navy SEAL sniper reveals how staying focused is the key to success

• Marines with the 1st Marine Division were arrested Thursday during a battalion formation at Camp Pendleton in California.
• The arrests were in relation to alleged involvement in crimes ranging from human smuggling to drug-related offenses.
• The arrests reportedly stemmed from information collected after 2 other Marines from the same unit were arrested in relation to an attempt to smuggle undocumented immigrants into the US for financial gain.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Sixteen Marines with the 1st Marine Division were arrested Thursday in relation to crimes ranging from human smuggling to drug-related offenses, the Marine Corps announced.

The arrests, which were precipitated by information gained from a previous human-smuggling investigation, took place during a battalion formation at Camp Pendleton in California. Eight other Marines were taken in for questioning for their alleged involvement in drug-related activities, the Corps said.

"1st Marine Division is committed to justice and the rule of law, and we will continue to fully cooperate with NCIS on this matter. Any Marines found to be in connection with these alleged activities will be questioned and handled accordingly with respect to due process," the statement explained.

Thursday's arrests are linked to the arrest of Marines Lance Cpl. Byron Law and Lance Cpl. David Javier Salazar-Quintero, members of the same unit targeted in the latest round of arrests, Task & Purpose reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Law and Salazar-Quintero were arrested on July 3 and charged with attempting to smuggle undocument immigrants for "financial gain" after they were caught by US Border Patrol agents transporting three Mexican citizens without the proper paperwork near the US-Mexico border.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service pulled information from the Marines' phones, triggering the arrests that occurred Thursday, Task & Purpose reported.

The Marine Corps said that none of the 16 service members arrested were part of the ongoing mission on the southern border.

SEE ALSO: US troops in South Korea only made it a month without curfew before a soldier got drunk and stole a taxi

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NOW WATCH: Step aboard the USS Kearsarge, the US Navy workhorse that takes Marines to war

• Marines with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division continued training at Twentynine Palms in California in mid-July.
• In addition to their goals, the squads were challenged by the training area's rugged terrain and blistering heat.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California — Accompanied by nothing but sand, rocks and the desert sun, Marines with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division continue to prepare for the unrelenting forces ahead by training at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., July 15-July 19, 2019.

US Marines of Invictus participated in a five-day field operation where they were evaluated as squads, based on how well they shoot, move and communicate toward their objective.

SEE ALSO: The Corps just sent even more Marines to Australia and hit a major milestone in the process

When asked what the purpose of the evaluation was, Cpl. Zorenehf L. Yabao, a squad leader said, "To see where their performance is at and what they need to improve on for the duration of the pre-deployment training. From here on out, it is not going to be easy."

With temperatures reaching more than 110 degrees, the constant running, yelling and shooting takes its toll.

Yabao added, "At the end of the day, you are taking control of your squad. You should not freak out or worry about anything else. You have to focus on the mission, what your commander's task and purpose is and what you need to do. Just focus on caring about your squad, controlling them and getting the mission done."

1st Lt. Michael Mursuli, a platoon commander with the company said, "Morgan's Well is one of the most difficult terrains to navigate being that there are so many hills and crevices. The terrain here is unlike anything else."

The company trained with a variety of weapons systems varying from rifles and grenade launchers to machine guns and anti-armor launchers.

While speaking to the company, Capt. Richard Benning, the company commander, asked what the difference between the tiger, the lion and the wolf is.

After being met with faces of confusion he stated, " The wolf is not in the circus. The wolf cares about the wolf pack and the wolf pack alone. Invictus is the wolf pack."

When asked about the training area, Mursuli said, "Twentynine Palms is the varsity league. There are more areas and opportunities to train here. Negotiating the terrain is very difficult and there are more ranges, bigger ranges and the ranges themselves are a beast to tackle."

"You are doing what the whole Marine Corps is doing but you are doing it on more difficult terrain," Mursuli said.

• "Chesty" Puller rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the Marine Corps and fought in Central America, World War II, and the Korean War.
• But stories of Puller's leadership and personality have lasted well beyond his time in uniform.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Lewis "Chesty" Puller (1898-1971), was a 37-year veteran of the USMC, ascended to the rank of lieutenant general, and is the most decorated Marine in the history of the Corps. He served in: WWII, Haiti, Nicaragua, and the Korean War.

The concrete facts surrounding his military service are astounding, but his grassroots legacy is carved out by stories echoed through generations of Marines that sound crazy enough to be true only for Puller.

His nickname, 'Chesty,' came from the legend that he had a false 'steel chest'

There are many legends surrounding how Lewis "Chesty" Puller got his nickname. One says that it came from his boisterous, commanding voice that was miraculously heard over the sounds of battle.

There are even some that say that it is literal — and that his chest was hacked away in the banana wars and replaced with an iron steel slab.

"All right, they're on our left. They're on our right. They're in front of us. They're behind us. They can't get away this time"

This is one of the most iconic quotes from Puller. His men were completely surrounded, and what initially seemed like doom would soon be revealed to them as the beginnings of victory.

He always led by example

Puller famously put the needs of his men in front of his own. In training, he carried his own pack and bedding roll while marching at the head of his battalion. He afforded himself no luxuries his men did not have — usually meaning a diet consisting only of "K" rations.

When in New Britain, legend has it that he slept on the bare floor of an abandoned hut and refused to let the native people make him a mattress of banana leaves. And he always refused treatment when wounded until his men had been attended to.

He was awarded: 5 Navy Crosses, a Distinguished Service Cross, and the Silver Star

Among the many reasons for his highly decorated resume, Puller earned them for: leading his men into five successful engagements against superior forces in Nicaragua, after a six-day march he reversed and defeated an ambush by an insurgent platoon that tripled his men in size, held the front against mile-long enemy forces in Guadalcanal, and defended crucial division supply routes against outnumbering forces in sub-zero weather in the Korean War.

Smoked a pipe while under bombardment at Guadalcanal

In 1942 "Chesty" was a lieutenant colonel and commander of 1st battalion, 7th Marine Regiment at Guadalcanal. He was the only man with combat experience, and many of his men did not dig foxholes.

Lt. Col. Puller's leadership was immediately tested as they were bombarded their first night. Puller ran up and down the line, instructing his men to take cover (behind whatever they could) and when it was nearly over, Puller walked the lines while casually smoking a pipe and reassuring his Marines of their eventual victory.

He is portrayed in multiple films

Puller's most notable appearances in film are in HBO's "The Pacific," where he was played by William Sadler, and (perhaps his most iconic representation in American storytelling) in the John Ford documentary about his life, "Chesty: "A Tribute to a Legend," narrated by John Wayne.

'Where the hell do you put the bayonet?'

This quote is taken from Puller while at ... a flamethrower demonstration.

SEE ALSO: Here's how US troops come up with unique, sometimes bizarre names for their tanks

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NOW WATCH: Step aboard the USS Kearsarge, the US Navy workhorse that takes Marines to war

• The Guadalcanal campaign during World War II was one of the more savage battles in the Pacific theater.
• Between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943, tens of thousands of US Marines and soldiers gave their lives in a brutal fight against elite Japanese troops
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Guadalcanal campaign began August 7, 1942 and lasted until February of 1943. During those seven months, 60,000 US Marines and soldiers killed about 20,000 of the 31,000 Japanese troops on the island.

The main objective of the fighting was a tiny airstrip that the Japanese were building at the western end of Guadalcanal, a speck of land in the Solomon Islands. The airstrip, later named Henderson Field, would become an important launching point for Allied air attacks during the Pacific island hopping campaign.

Now check out these 7 interesting facts you didn't know about the battle.

SEE ALSO: Here's how the US pulled off a daring mission to take out the mastermind of the attack on Pearl Harbor

1. Every branch of the US military fought in the battle

The Air Force didn't yet exist, but the Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marines all fought in the battle.

The Army provided infantry to assist the Marines in the landings and sent planes and pilots to operate out of Henderson Field. The Navy provided most logistics, shore bombardments, and aviation support. The Marines did much of the heavy lifting on the island itself, capturing and holding the ground while their aviators provided additional support.

2. The only Coast Guard Medal of Honor ever bestowed was for service at Guadalcanal

Signalman First Class Douglas Munro was one of the Coast Guardsmen operating landing craft for the Marines. After the initial invasion, the US controlled the westernmost part of the island and the Japanese controlled the rest. A river ran between the two camps and neither force could get a foothold on the other side.

Then-Lt. Col. Lewis "Chesty" Puller ordered a force to move through the ocean and land east of the river. The Marines encountered little resistance at first but were then ambushed by the Japanese. Munro led a group of unarmored landing craft to pick up the Marines while under heavy fire from Japanese machine guns. Just as they were escaping the kill zone, Munro was shot through the head.

3. Guadalcanal was a "who's who" of Marine legends in World War II

In addition to Chesty Puller, many Marine legends were at the island. Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone earned his Medal of Honor there. Master Gunnery Sgt. Leland Diamond drove off a Japanese cruiser with a mortar. Brig. Gen. Joe Foss earned a Medal of Honor and became a fighter Ace after downing 26 enemy aircraft around the island.

4. Guadalcanal was viciously fought at sea, in the air, and on land

Most battles are at least primarily fought in one domain. A ground battle is backed up by air power, or an air engagement has some defense from ships — but Guadalcanal was total war.

Ships clashed in the straits around the island and provided shore bombardments. Planes engaged in dogfights and strafed enemy troops and ships. US Marines fought for every inch, but also used mortars and artillery to engage the Japanese Navy.

There were three major land battles in the campaign, seven naval battles, and constant aerial dogfighting.

5. The first landings were helped by the weather

Japanese reconnaissance flew near the US fleet as it approached the islands, but the Americans got a lucky break as storms limited visibility, and the US Navy wasn't spotted until it was bombarding the beaches. Planes and naval artillery provided support as the Marines assaulted the surprised defenders.

6. Two of the carriers lost in the Pacific were lost during the Guadalcanal campaign

The Imperial Japanese Navy sunk 10 aircraft carriers and escort carriers over the course of the war.

One, the USS Wasp, was sunk near Guadalcanal on September 15, 1942 by a Japanese sub. The sinking of the Wasp was captured on film.

The USS Hornet was sunk near the Santa Cruz islands, to the southeast of Guadalcanal. Hornet was lost during a major battle with a Japanese carrier fleet that was pulling back from Guadalcanal. The Japanese aircraft got the jump on the Americans as the engagement started, and the Hornet was irreparably damaged by two torpedoes, two crashed Japanese planes, and three bombs.

7. The battle was a major turning point

While Midway and Iwo Jima get most of the glory as turning points where America got an upper hand on the Japanese, it was at Guadalcanal that Marine, Navy, and Army aviators took out elite Japanese air crews, allowing America to achieve air superiority more easily in future battles.

The island itself became a launching point for the American military to move north, crawling their way up to the Japanese homeland.

• Photos from a recent Strait of Hormuz transit by the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Boxer showed an 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit light armored vehicle parked on the flight deck, a sign that this warship was expecting trouble in the hostile waterway.
• The Boxer was harassed by Iranian drones in the Strait of Hormuz last month, and the US says the warship downed one, if not two, of them. Another potential threat in this region is Iranian gunboats, which have targeted commercial shipping in recent months.
• Last fall, Marines with the 31st MEU embarked aboard the USS Wasp for an exercise with an LAV on the flight deck for the first time in the South China Sea, experimenting with options to boost the combat capability of the large amphibious ships against threats such as fast gunboats.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

US Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer recently sailed through the Strait of Hormuz with an armored vehicle strapped to the flight deck, ready to fight off drones and Iranian gunboats.

A light armored vehicle belonging to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit can be seen on the flight deck as an AH-1Z Viper lifts off in a recently released Marine Corps photo, NPR's Phil Ewing first noted.

The Marine Corps LAV-25 has a high-end targeting system that directs its 25 mm chain guns and M240 7.62 mm machine gun. The Boxer is armed with counter-air missiles, as well as various close-in weapon systems, among other weapons. The Vipers carry two air-to-air missiles, rocket pods, a handful of air-to-surface missiles, and a 20 mm Gatling cannon.

The Marine Corps began experimenting last year with strapping LAVs to the decks of the amphibs — flattops capable of carrying helicopters and vertical take-off and landing jets, as well as transporting Marines — to make the ships more lethal.

In September, the 31st MEU embarked aboard the USS Wasp, another amphibious assault ship, for an exercise in the South China Sea with a LAV parked on the flight deck, training to fend off the types of threats Marines might face in hostile waterways.

Read more: The Marine Corps is strapping armored vehicles to the top of Navy ships to fend off small boats and other threats

"This was the first time," Capt. George McArthur, a 31st MEU spokesman, told Military Times, "that an LAV-25 platoon with the 31st MEU performed this level of integrated targeting and live-fire from the flight deck of a ship such as the Wasp with combined arms."

He added: "Weapons Company assets improved the integrated defensive posture aboard the Wasp."

The Boxer was harassed by Iranian unmanned aerial assets in the Strait of Hormuz last month, and the US says the warship downed one, if not two, of the drones with a new electronic jamming system. Another potential threat in this region is Iranian gunboats, which have targeted commercial shipping in recent months.

Commenting on why the Marines experimented with using armored vehicles on the flight decks of the amphibs, Marine Maj. Gen. David Coffman, the director of expeditionary warfare for the chief of naval operations, said in November that he "watched a MEU commander strap an LAV to the front of a flight deck because it had better sensors than the ship did to find small boats."

That the Boxer was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz with an LAV out on the flight deck suggests that the ship was ready for a confrontation.

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