STATUTORY AND ACTUAL STRENGTH OF THE MARINE CORPS ON VARIOUS DATES.
STATUTORY STRENGTH.
The act of Congress of August 29, 1916, increased the authorized
strength of the Marine Corps from 344 officers and 9,921 enlisted
men to 597 officers and 14,981 enlisted men, and the President was
authorized in an emergency to further increase the corps to 693
officers and 17,400 enlisted men, which he did by Executive order on
March 26, 1917.
On April 6, 1917, Congress declared “that a state of war exists
between the United States and the Imperial German Government” and one
and one-half months later, on May 22, 1917, temporarily increased
the authorized strength to 1,197 commissioned officers, 126 warrant
officers, and 30,000 enlisted men. Finally, the act of July 1,
1918, temporarily increased the Marine Corps to 3,017 commissioned
officers, 324 warrant officers, and 75,500 enlisted men, which is
the maximum strength ever authorized for the Marine Corps. Of this
number 17,400 were permanent and 57,650 temporary. In addition to
the above, the act of August 29, 1916, which established the Marine
Corps Reserve, permits the enrollment of reserves without limit as to
number, and on April 6, 1917, there were enrolled, subject to call
to active duty, three Reserve commissioned officers, 24 National
Naval Volunteer officers, 36 Reserve enlisted men, and 928 enlisted
National Naval Volunteers. There were also available for recall to
active duty 65 regular retired commissioned officers, one regular
retired warrant officer, and 210 regular retired enlisted men.
ACTUAL STRENGTH OF THE MARINE CORPS AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE
WAR.
On April 6, 1917, the strength of the Marine Corps on active duty was
as follows:
Regular commissioned officers:
Major General Commandant 1
Brigadier generals 7
Colonels 13
Lieutenant-colonels 27
Majors 59
Captains 119
First lieutenants 87
Second lieutenants 106
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Total regular officers 419
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Regular commissioned retired officers:
On active duty 43
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Regular warrant officers:
Marine gunners 20
Quartermaster clerks 20
Pay clerks 9
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Total warrant officers 49
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Total regular officers 511
Total regular enlisted men 13,214
Total strength on active duty 13,725
On November 11, 1918, the strength of the Marine Corps on active duty
was as follows:
Regular commissioned officers:
Major General Commandant 1
Major generals 2
Brigadier generals 13
Colonels 43
Lieutenant-colonels 52
Majors 199
Captains 522
First lieutenants 436
Second lieutenants 413
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Total Regular officers 1,681
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Commissioned retired officers:
On active duty 43
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Reserve officers on active duty:
Majors 7
Captains 33
First lieutenants 63
Second lieutenants 360
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Total Reserve officers 463
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Total commissioned officers on
active duty 2,187
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Regular warrant officers:
Marine gunners 109
Quartermaster clerks 89
Pay clerks 56
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Total 254
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Reserve warrant officers:
Marine gunners 27
Quartermaster clerks 2
Pay clerks 4
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Total 33
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Total warrant officers on active duty 287
Total officers on active duty 2,474
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Enlisted personnel:
Regular 63,714
Retired enlisted men on active duty 15
Reserves, on active duty 6,483
Female reservists, on active duty 277
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Total 70,489
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Total strength on active duty 72,963
On December 11, 1918, the Marine Corps attained its maximum strength
on active duty, which was distributed as follows:
Regular commissioned officers 1,678
Retired officers on active duty 44
Reserve commissioned officers 452
Regular warrant officers 257
Reserve warrant officers 31
Regular enlisted men 65,666
Reserve enlisted men 6,704
Female reservists 269
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Total 75,101
The maximum enlisted strength of the regular Marine Corps, not
including reserves, during the period between the outbreak of war and
the date the armistice became operative was 63,714 on November 9,
1918.