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Marine Corps Lance CorporalE-3 Junior Enlisted, U.S. Marine Corps |
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Marine Corps Ranks » Lance Corporal Rank • LCpl Pay • LCpl Rank History
History of the Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rank
A Lance Corporal is a Junior Enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at DoD paygrade E-3.
"Lance Corporal" originates from "Lancepesade", from the Medieval Italian "Lancia spezzata" (for "broken spear"). This Lancepesade was the right-hand-man of a Corporal, an experienced veteran who had likely broken a spear in combat at least once. Lancepesade eventually became Lance Corporal in the Marines. "Lance" was also the term for a squad-sized unit. "Corporal" comes from the Medieval Italian "capo corporale" ("head of a body"). They were the "head" of a body of Soldiers.
Want to learn more? Read about the Marine Corps' Lance Corporal rank on Military-Ranks.org.
History of the Marine Corps
As far back as the Revolutionary War, Marines were known as Naval Infantry, and were assigned to ships to repel boarders, assault land-based targets, and discipline unruly Sailors. In WWI and WWII, Marines very successfully augmented Army units in war theaters throughout the world, with their most brutal and historic fighting on islands in the Pacific. In contrast with the Army, the Marines were not originally made to be self-sufficient to fight land wars for long periods of time. Doctors, Chaplains, and Medics who deploy with Marines are all Navy Sailors.