The Marine Corps is older than America. On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress created the Marine Corps by directing that “two battalions of Marines be established to seize and defend advanced naval bases.” From the first amphibious landing at Nassau, Bahamas in 1776 until today, the United States Marine Corps has been protecting American interests and defeating America’s enemies.

The 1800s found Marines rescuing American hostages in Libya, defending Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812, taking the castle of Chapultepec in the Mexican War, capturing John Brown at Harpers Ferry, rescuing Americans in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion, and stopping Spanish expansion in Cuba.

The 1900s saw the Marines earn their nickname of “Devil Dogs” in World War I, develop modern amphibious landing doctrine in World War II, conduct the decisive landing at Inchon in the Korean War, and bring the battle of Hue City and the Combined Action Program in Vietnam to the forefront of American interest.

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The 1980s found the Marine Corps assisting in overthrowing a narco-dictator in Panama and rescuing U.S. medical students in Grenada. In 1990, Marines helped liberate Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War. In the 2000s, they led the invasion into Iraq and helped overthrow another evil dictator.

During that time, they also conducted the longest amphibious raid in history in Afghanistan, and evacuated Americans from war-torn countries in Africa. And so, it continues today: Marines are on watch around the world.

The Marine Corps habitually trains with allies and partners around the world, like the Armed Forces of The Philippines (AFP).

The Philippines sit astride a key geographic position: they are both inside and part of the First Island Chain and valuable to any Taiwanese defense scenario. Exercise BALIKATAN (meaning “shoulder-to-shoulder”) is the premier exercise with the AFP. Each year exercise grows in complexity and collaboration.

In 2023, the U.S Marines and the AFP sank a decommissioned ship for the first time, demonstrating the concepts of sea denial and integrated precision fires. 2024s BALIKATAN found 16,000 Marines and AFP personnel coordinating operations across 1,000 miles and training to retake “an occupied island.”

2025s exercise saw the Marines coordinating with the Philippine Marine Corps, the U.S. Army’s 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, and the U.S. Air Force’s 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron to employ NMESIS systems at multiple locations, some only 220 miles from Taiwan. BALIKATAN 25 brought in the Japanese Self Defense Force as a trilateral participant and all the training activity was all inside the First Island Chain—sending a strong message to the People’s Republic of China.

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In celebration of the Marine’s 250th anniversary, should Congress want to give the Marines birthday presents, the following are some ideas for consideration. Congress should:

• Ensure funding streams to our allies in the Armed Forces of the Philippines are not affected by the ongoing government shutdown.
• Authorize multi-year munitions buys for Naval Strike Missiles (used in the NMESIS system) and other precision munitions.
• Fund the replacement for the two half-century-old aviation support logistics ships allocated for Marine Corps use.
• Reconstruct a third Maritime Pre-Positioning Squadron to support the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Japan.
• Increase funding for the Marine Corps Prepositioning Program, particularly in The Philippines.

Some organizations are known for patterns of excellence. Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California has produced more professional athletes than any other high school. The United States Naval Academy has produced the most astronauts of any college or university. The town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has produced more Nobel Laurates than any other town in the world.

Similarly, the United States Marine Corps has demonstrated “Best in Class” excellence for 250 years. The Marine Corps exists for one purpose: to fight and win our Nation’s battles. That truth has not changed since 1775, and it remains the measure of relevance today.