<P> The history of the rank of corporal in the USMC roughly parallels that of the U.S. Army until 1942 . From 1775 until WWII , the Marine Corps used essentially the same rank and organizational structure as its common British and colonial forebears with the Army , as well as the later Continental and U.S. armies . In 1942 , as the Army modified its triangular division infantry organization to best fight in the European / North African / Middle Eastern Theatre the Marine Corps began modifying the triangular division plan to best employ its amphibious warfare doctrine in the Pacific Theatre . This meant that for the Corps , squad leaders would remain as sergeants and that the rifle squad would be sub-divided into three four - man fire teams each led by a corporal . </P>
<P> The history of the rank of corporal in the USMC roughly parallels that of the U.S. Army until 1942 . From 1775 until WWII , the Marine Corps used essentially the same rank and organizational structure as its common British and colonial forebears with the Army , as well as the later Continental and U.S. armies . In 1942 , as the Army modified its triangular division infantry organization to best fight in the European / North African / Middle Eastern Theatre the Marine Corps began modifying the triangular division plan to best employ its amphibious warfare doctrine in the Pacific Theatre . This meant that for the Corps , squad leaders would remain as sergeants and that the rifle squad would be sub-divided into three four - man fire teams each led by a corporal . </P>
when was the rank of corporal established in the marine corps
when was the rank of corporal established in the marine corps
1942
1942