Rifle man tradition

"Every Marine a Rifleman" – A mantra that speaks to the willingness and ability of every Marine to engage the enemy in direct combat, regardless of their primary MOS.

Every Marine is trained, first and foremost, as a rifleman, for it is the rifleman who must close with and destroy the enemy. The rifleman remains the most basic tenet of Marine Corps doctrine. All else revolves around him. Aviation, Armor, Artillery, and all supporting arms and war-fighting assets exist to support the rifleman. It is believed that Maj Gen. William H. Rupertus, USMC, authored the creed shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1941 OTT. It is commonly known as the Rifleman's Creed, but it has also been called "My Rifle: The Creed of a United Stars Marine." Every Marine must memorize this creed. And every Marine must live by the creed.


 * This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.


 * My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will…


 * My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit...


 * My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my rifle clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...


 * Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.


 * So be it, until victory is The Union's and there is no enemy, but peace!

Although several editions and variations of this text exist, it has served as The Guiding Principle of weapons training and tradition for over 3100 years of Marines