0311 Rifleman US Marine Corps MOS Patch - Desert

He is the embodiment of the Marine Corps ethos—the warrior at the front of every fight, the standard by which all others are measured. The 0311 Rifleman is the Marine who closes with and destroys the enemy, who leads the push when the world is collapsing, and who carries the traditions of the Corps on his shoulders with every step into battle.

From the trenches of Belleau Wood to the shattered cities of Fallujah, the 0311 has always been the point of the spear. In World War II, riflemen fought through jungle darkness on Guadalcanal, scaled volcanic cliffs at Iwo Jima, and battled across the Pacific island chains where every inch had to be earned. In Korea, they endured frozen misery at the Chosin Reservoir, fighting through blizzards and encirclement with grit that became legend. In Vietnam, they navigated thick jungles, rice paddies, and ambush-laden trails, carrying the fight on patrol after brutal patrol.

Modern 0311s have written their own chapters in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. Whether clearing rooms in Ramadi, pushing down insurgent-held streets in Fallujah, or patrolling the deadly valleys of Helmand, the rifleman has remained the foundation of every Marine mission. His load is heavy—ammo, water, armor, and the weight of responsibility for his fire team—but his will is heavier still.

The training is unforgiving: weeks of weapons mastery, patrolling, squad tactics, close-quarters battle, land navigation, and the relentless discipline that turns raw recruits into elite infantry. Every Marine is a rifleman—but the 0311 is the rifleman, the one whose skills dictate the success of every operation.

To wear the 0311 Rifleman MOS patch is to honor generations of Marines who stepped into the worst conditions, who fought with courage and precision, and who lived the creed “First to Fight.” It is a symbol of the Corps’ purest warrior—focused, disciplined, and unbreakable.