MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Sailors in Iraq participated in a board May 31, for their Fleet Marine Force designation pins at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The sailors were able to take part in the board via Miramar’s video teleconferencing system.
The system allows a satellite uplink for communication with as little as a one second delay.

“These boards we have run through the video teleconferencing system are the first ones done in the air wing,” said Chief Petty Officer Bill Breeding, fleet marine force and sea warfare qualified hospital corpsman, surgeon’s office, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “Because the command master chief is here, we are using this system to qualify our wing sailors who are forward.”

The FMF designation is a symbol worn on the sailor’s uniform that signifies the in depth knowledge of their brother service the Marine Corps. Most of the recipients of the designator are corpsmen; however, it is open to other military occupational fields.

The knowledge the sailors are expected to learn encompasses everything from five paragraph orders and salute reports to general orders and weapons information taught to fledgling Marines in boot camp and Marine Combat Training.

“The designator is in the spirit of keeping with the Marine Corps mindset that everyone is a rifleman and that everyone has a general understanding on how to do a Marine’s job should the situation arise,” said Breeding. “These boards help us develop their leadership skills and grow their warrior sailor within.”

It takes great dedication to receive this designation. Sailors spend months studying and preparing for the board. The information the sailors are expected to retain is often even more in depth than the information most Marines are required to know.

“The information I have acquired is more in depth than the information I was required to know when I was a Marine,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Jules Degraff, corpsman, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) and former Marine.

“Learning this information has already been a great benefit to me,” Petty Officer 2nd Class Erik Cardaway, Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd MAW. “As a corpsman I live side by side with Marines day in and day out.”

Wearing the designator shows Marines and sailors that the sailor has dedicated time and effort learning about the Marine Corps.

The FMF designator is considered a high honor in the Navy. Out of the entire Navy, there are only 9,000 sailors who have earned the honor of wearing the FMF designator.