Fleet Marine Force insignia

The Fleet Marine Force warfare insignia, also known as the Fleet Marine Force badge or FMF pin, are three military badges of the United States Navy which are issued to those U.S. Navy officers and sailors who are trained and qualified to perform duties in support of the United States Marine Corps. There are currently three classes of the Fleet Marine Force pin, being that of enlisted, officer, and chaplain.

Enlisted

The Fleet Marine Force enlisted warfare specialist device (FMFEWS) is a qualification insignia of the United States Navy earned by enlisted U.S. Navy sailors assigned to the Fleet Marine Force of the U.S. Marine Corps who have successfully completed the requirements of the Enlisted Fleet Marine Force Warfare Specialist (EFMFWS) program per OPNAV Instruction 1414.4B. This involves serving one year with a Marine Corps unit (two years for reserves), passing the Marine combat fitness test (CFT), a written test, demonstrating skills used in service with the Marines such as weapon breakdown and familiarization, land navigation, combat communications and an oral examination by senior enlisted sailors who are FMF qualified. The Enlisted Fleet Marine Force Warfare Specialist designation is most commonly awarded to the hospital corpsman (HM) and religious program specialist (RP) ratings, although it is also awarded to other sailors who support Marine Corps commands (e.g. logistics specialists assigned to medical logistics companies). It was created in 2000.

An enlisted U.S. Navy sailor who has qualified may place the designator (FMF) after their rating; for example, HM3 John Doe, having qualified, is identified as HM3 (FMF) Doe. As of 2004, all U.S. Navy corpsmen assigned to a Marine unit are required to earn the FMF badge within 18 months of their being assigned to said unit.

Enlisted requirements

When qualifying for the enlisted Fleet Marine Force warfare specialist pin, a sailor (typically a hospital corpsman, logistics specialist, religious programs specialist, personnel specialist, along with some construction battalion "SeaBee" units [when directly assigned to a U.S. Marine Corps combatant command]) is required to have detailed knowledge on the following subjects:

CORE

Safety fundamentals (operational risk management)

Marine Corps History, Rank Structure, and Courtesies (notable dates, personnel, battles, and Naval courtesies as they pertain to the USMC)

Marine Corps Mission and Organization

Administrative Fundamentals (Naval correspondence, courts martial, and service record information)

General Combat Leadership Fundamentals (Combat elements, POW rights and responsibilities, Military Code of Conduct)

First Aid and Field Sanitation Fundamentals (Triage, MEDEVAC & CASEVAC classifications, "Self" and "Buddy" aid skill sets for non-medical personnel)

Security Fundamentals (Security classifications, terrorism, lethal force, and guard skills training)

Field Communication Fundamentals (hands on detailed knowledge of the PRC-119 SINCGARS radio, loading frequencies and communication of the 9-Line CASEVAC message)

Weapons Fundamentals (Detailed knowledge of small arms such as the M9, M16A4, M4, M1014, M67 grenade, M203, and M249 SAW) and machine gun platforms (M240G, M2 .50 cal, Mk19)

Tactical Fundamental Procedures (platoon hand and arm signals, SALUTE and SMEAC reports, fighting positions, MOPP gear, formation movements in day/night conditions)

Marine Corps Operations Fundamentals (In-depth knowledge of all USMC aircraft, US Navy amphibious transports, hospital ships, as well as Urban warfare examples, and Military Operations Other Than War examples)

Chemical, Biological Radiological and Nuclear Defense Fundamentals (minefield signage and detailed signs, symptoms, & treatment of chemical agent exposures)

Drill and Ceremonies Fundamentals (breakdowns of formations, drill & cadence, color guards, and formal ceremonies)

Land Navigation Fundamentals (Map reading and compass handling)

Additionally a second section of the course is detailed toward the element of the United States Marine Corps with which the candidate is assigned. For example: a line corpsman with an infantry battalion will learn the ground combat element (GCE).