The US Marine Corps turns 243 today - check out these awesome photos of the Devil Dogs in action

Ryan Pickrell

Nov 10, 2018, 18:30 IST

The US Marine Corps turns 243 today - check out these awesome photos of the Devil Dogs in action

Marines with the U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard marching the National Ensign and the U.S. Marine Corps Battle Colors during a Sunset Parade at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

The US Marine Corps, the service famous for being "first to fight," turned 243 years old Saturday.

Since the establishment of the Corps on Nov. 10, 1775, the Marines have fought tough battles in nearly every corner of the world, and they have earned a reputation for being some of the world's fiercest warriors.

John F. Mackie became the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor for courage under fire during the Civil War, and on Oct. 17 of this year, Marine Ret. Sgt. Maj. John Canley became the 300th Marine to receive the country's highest award for combat valor for his "unmatched bravery" during the Battle of Hue City in Vietnam, a bloody and brutal fight that claimed the lives of hundreds of young American troops.

The Marine Corps, according to its mandate, "must be the most ready when the nation is generally least ready." These awesome photos from the past year show the Marines in action.

Marines with 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division fire an M777 Howitzer at known targets during training on August 9, 2018 at Mount Bundey Training Area in Australia.

Marines fire an 81mm mortar during training in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Hajin, Syria on August 4, 2018.

A US Marine with Marine Rotational Force-Europe 18.1 shoots the Swedish Carl Gustaf M4 anti-tank recoilless rifle during Exercise Archipelago Endeavor with Swedish Marines of 1st Marine Regiment on the island of Uto, Harsfjarden, Sweden on Sept. 5, 2018.

Hospital Corpsman Jacob Adam drinks cobra blood at jungle survival training during Exercise Cobra Gold 2018 at Camp Ban Chan Khrem in the Kingdom of Thailand on Feb. 17, 2018.

Marines with Black Sea Rotational Force 18.1 fire an 81mm mortar system during Exercise Platinum Eagle 18 at Babadag Training Area in Romania on Sept. 5, 2018.

US Marine firefighters and Royal Thai firefighters work together to put out a simulated aircraft fire during Exercise Cobra Gold 2018.

Candidates with the US Marine Corps Officer Candidates School provide security as they crawl through 'The Quigley' during the combat course at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia on June 18, 2018.

Staff Sgt. Nathaniel McDonald, the motor transport operations chief with Combat Logistics Battalion 3, prepares to spar during the Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructors Course’s culmination at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on September 27, 2018.

Cpl. Daniel Hopping, Assaultman, Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, and a native of Rogers, Arkansas, shields himself from dust being kicked up from a CH-53E Super Sea Stallion lifting off during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan on April 28, 2014.

Marines with Black Sea Rotational Force 18.1 advance to their objective during a patrol exercise at U.S. Army Base Nova Selo Forward Operating Site, Bulgaria.

Marines with Maritime Raid Force, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit swim under water during dive training in Aqaba, Jordan on July 8, 2018.

Pfc. Vincent Fiore with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment fires a Light Anti-Armor Weapon (LAW) during Exercise Bougainville II at the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Island of Hawaii on Oct. 20, 2018.

US Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Rey White, an aviation boatswain's mate handler with the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), launches an F-35B Lightning II with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), from the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), before the F-35B's first combat strike on Sept. 27, 2018.

Combat Engineers with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit practice breaching techniques during a live fire demolition range at Theater Amphibious Combat Rehearsal (TACR) 18.

A US Marine with 3d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, attached to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Crisis Response-Central Command, fires a shoulder-fired anti-tank missile at his target during a live-fire demonstration near At Tanf Garrison, Syria on Sept. 7, 2018.

Marines with SPMAGTF-SC weld a fence to provide security while rebuilding a school in Flores, Guatemala on Aug. 6, 2018.

Marines with Marine Rotational Force-Europe move toward their objective during Exercise Winter Sun 18 in Boden, Sweden on March 14, 2018.

Marines with Bravo Company, 4th Tanks Battalion fire a M1A1 Abrams tank during a low-light live-fire exercise as part of Exercise Arrow 18 in Pohjankangas Training Area near Kankaanpaa, Finland on May 16, 2018.

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