FMF CORE EXAMS STUDY EXAM GUIDE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Capt Joseph Floss - ✔✔Marine pilot awarded Medal of Honor for actions during
taking of airfield at Guadalcanal; by end of WWII he was second-ranking ace with 26
kills
✔✔Maj Gregory "Pappy" Boyington - ✔✔Marine pilot, top ranked flying ace at end of
WWII with 28 kills
✔✔CWO Annie L. Grimes - ✔✔Third black woman to become a Marine, first black
woman to retire after full 20
✔✔BGen Margaret Brewer - ✔✔Seventh and last director of Women Marines 1973-
1977, became first female general officer 1978
✔✔Montford Point Marines - ✔✔-1942-1949 nearly 20,000 African-American men
trained at Montford Point Camp, separately from other Marines
-Served in battle, provided critical supplies to front lines, evacuated wounded; proved
courage in battle of Pacific like Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa
✔✔Najavo Code Talkers - ✔✔-WWI Army made limited use of Chctaw and Comanche
speakers to transmit messages
-WWII USMC enlisted 29 Navajo men as communicators, CMC Holcomb insisted on
standard basic training as Marines
-Code adapted from Navajo reduced time to encode/transmit/decode from 4hr to 2min
-Significant contributions in South Pacific, Guadalcanal to Okinawa
✔✔EGA Significance - ✔✔Basic design 1868 Gen Zeilin
"Fouled" Anchor - represents trials and tribulations faced by USMC and close ties to
USN
Globe - borrowed from Royal Marines, shows Western Hemisphere instead of Eastern;
today can symbolize "global" committments and responsibilities
Eagle - natl symbol of USA, streamer in beak with "Semper Fidelis"
✔✔Scarlet Trouser Strip Significance - ✔✔Popular story - "blood strip" commemorates
blood shed by Marines at Battle of Chapultepec in 1847; first worn at Cpl
✔✔Quatrefoil Significance - ✔✔Interwoven braid in shape of figure-8 cross on top of
officers' covers; legend - worn so sharpshooters in ship's rigging could easily recognize
Marines
✔✔Mameluke Sword Significance - ✔✔Mamelukes elite Muslim military force; sword
has gold hilt, ivory handle, curved blade; 1stLT Presley O'Bannon received one from
Prince Hamet Bey at Tripoli; oldest U.S. weapon still in use
, ✔✔NCO Sword Significance - ✔✔Only NCOs in US Armed Forces who carry sword,
only "when in charge of troops on ceremonial occasions;" second oldest U.S. weapon
still in use
✔✔French Fourragere Significance - ✔✔Senior unit award and first collective award
won by US Marines; worn by 5th and 6th Marines for contributions made at Belleau
Wood and Bouresches in 1918
✔✔Rank Differences - ✔✔-NCO at E4, SNCO at E6
-MSgt/MGySgt or 1stSgt/SgtMaj
-Warrant Officer 1 (eligible E5, become commissioned CWO2)
-Field grade at O4
✔✔Organizational Colors/Standards - ✔✔Scarlet with gold fringe trim, USMC emblem
centered with white scroll "United States Marine Corps" below; colors are carried,
standards are mounted
✔✔Battle Colors/Standards - ✔✔Carried by FMF; scroll has unit's name followed by
FMF; battle streamers displayed below mast head as visual history of unit's
achievements and sacrifices
✔✔Guidons - ✔✔Small rectangular flag carried by companies, batteries, or
detachments to serve as unit's ID marker; used in formations, ceremonies, and as
rallying point during exercises and operations; bearer usually junior
✔✔USMC Birthday - ✔✔10 November 1775
-Tun Tavern, Philadelphia
-Formations when practical, include Gen Lejeune's birthday message
-Birthday ball and cake cutting, first presented to oldest then passed to youngest
✔✔MEF role and functions - ✔✔Principle Marine Corps warfighting organization,
capable of missions across range of military operations to include amphibious assault
and sustained operations ashore in any environment
-task-organized around permanent MEF CE
✔✔DIV roles and functions - ✔✔GCE for MEF; provides forces for amphibious assaults
or to execute other operations as directed
✔✔MAW roles and functions - ✔✔ACE for MEF; primary focus to support MAGTF
during the assault landing phase and subsequent operations ashore
✔✔MLG roles and functions - ✔✔LCE of MEF; provides tactical logistics above organic
capability of supported units and supply chain management and a link to operational-
level and theater-level logistic agencies capable of supporting the MEF
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Capt Joseph Floss - ✔✔Marine pilot awarded Medal of Honor for actions during
taking of airfield at Guadalcanal; by end of WWII he was second-ranking ace with 26
kills
✔✔Maj Gregory "Pappy" Boyington - ✔✔Marine pilot, top ranked flying ace at end of
WWII with 28 kills
✔✔CWO Annie L. Grimes - ✔✔Third black woman to become a Marine, first black
woman to retire after full 20
✔✔BGen Margaret Brewer - ✔✔Seventh and last director of Women Marines 1973-
1977, became first female general officer 1978
✔✔Montford Point Marines - ✔✔-1942-1949 nearly 20,000 African-American men
trained at Montford Point Camp, separately from other Marines
-Served in battle, provided critical supplies to front lines, evacuated wounded; proved
courage in battle of Pacific like Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa
✔✔Najavo Code Talkers - ✔✔-WWI Army made limited use of Chctaw and Comanche
speakers to transmit messages
-WWII USMC enlisted 29 Navajo men as communicators, CMC Holcomb insisted on
standard basic training as Marines
-Code adapted from Navajo reduced time to encode/transmit/decode from 4hr to 2min
-Significant contributions in South Pacific, Guadalcanal to Okinawa
✔✔EGA Significance - ✔✔Basic design 1868 Gen Zeilin
"Fouled" Anchor - represents trials and tribulations faced by USMC and close ties to
USN
Globe - borrowed from Royal Marines, shows Western Hemisphere instead of Eastern;
today can symbolize "global" committments and responsibilities
Eagle - natl symbol of USA, streamer in beak with "Semper Fidelis"
✔✔Scarlet Trouser Strip Significance - ✔✔Popular story - "blood strip" commemorates
blood shed by Marines at Battle of Chapultepec in 1847; first worn at Cpl
✔✔Quatrefoil Significance - ✔✔Interwoven braid in shape of figure-8 cross on top of
officers' covers; legend - worn so sharpshooters in ship's rigging could easily recognize
Marines
✔✔Mameluke Sword Significance - ✔✔Mamelukes elite Muslim military force; sword
has gold hilt, ivory handle, curved blade; 1stLT Presley O'Bannon received one from
Prince Hamet Bey at Tripoli; oldest U.S. weapon still in use
, ✔✔NCO Sword Significance - ✔✔Only NCOs in US Armed Forces who carry sword,
only "when in charge of troops on ceremonial occasions;" second oldest U.S. weapon
still in use
✔✔French Fourragere Significance - ✔✔Senior unit award and first collective award
won by US Marines; worn by 5th and 6th Marines for contributions made at Belleau
Wood and Bouresches in 1918
✔✔Rank Differences - ✔✔-NCO at E4, SNCO at E6
-MSgt/MGySgt or 1stSgt/SgtMaj
-Warrant Officer 1 (eligible E5, become commissioned CWO2)
-Field grade at O4
✔✔Organizational Colors/Standards - ✔✔Scarlet with gold fringe trim, USMC emblem
centered with white scroll "United States Marine Corps" below; colors are carried,
standards are mounted
✔✔Battle Colors/Standards - ✔✔Carried by FMF; scroll has unit's name followed by
FMF; battle streamers displayed below mast head as visual history of unit's
achievements and sacrifices
✔✔Guidons - ✔✔Small rectangular flag carried by companies, batteries, or
detachments to serve as unit's ID marker; used in formations, ceremonies, and as
rallying point during exercises and operations; bearer usually junior
✔✔USMC Birthday - ✔✔10 November 1775
-Tun Tavern, Philadelphia
-Formations when practical, include Gen Lejeune's birthday message
-Birthday ball and cake cutting, first presented to oldest then passed to youngest
✔✔MEF role and functions - ✔✔Principle Marine Corps warfighting organization,
capable of missions across range of military operations to include amphibious assault
and sustained operations ashore in any environment
-task-organized around permanent MEF CE
✔✔DIV roles and functions - ✔✔GCE for MEF; provides forces for amphibious assaults
or to execute other operations as directed
✔✔MAW roles and functions - ✔✔ACE for MEF; primary focus to support MAGTF
during the assault landing phase and subsequent operations ashore
✔✔MLG roles and functions - ✔✔LCE of MEF; provides tactical logistics above organic
capability of supported units and supply chain management and a link to operational-
level and theater-level logistic agencies capable of supporting the MEF
