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The Colonial Marine Corps is a branch of the Colonial Forces tasked with ground combat operations and ship-board security.
Galactica initially had about thirty Marines left, although there are no snipers among them (Bastille Day). This number
increased drastically with the addition of the battlestar Pegasus to the Fleet.
After Pegasus's destruction, a number of Marines are integrated into Galactica's crew. During a briefing between Colonel
Tigh and Admiral Adama, Tigh says "A hundred Marines too weak to work, two hundred more about to drop", which implies
that there are now at least 300 Marines, probably accounting for the Pegasus survivors (The Passage).
A Marine's duties include guarding the CIC and the brig as well as other critical areas on the ship, and assisting the
Master-at-Arms (Litmus) and are part of Raptor boarding parties ("Bastille Day", "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part
II", "Resistance", "Pegasus"). Naturally, they are also responsible for repelling enemy boarding
actions (Valley of Darkness). Admiral Adama's quarters are constantly under marine guard, and the same is true for President
Roslin when she is aboard ship. A Marine is also tasked with serving Admiral Adama's food (A Day in the Life).
Very few Marine officers appear to be stationed on Galactica; when they are shown on missions, usually Fleet officers
command the Marine units. Crashdown's actions on Kobol (Fragged) suggest that Fleet officers are cross trained in conducting
ground operations. The only Marine officers shown so far are Lieutenant Terry Burrell (Sacrifice) and an unnamed lieutenant
in "Escape Velocity".
Marines are evidently untrained in crowd control, as the actions on the Scylla and Gideon demonstrate. In each of these
situations Marines react with little discipline to enraged crowds ("Razor", "Final Cut"). Marines are
also present enforcing an order restricting public congregation (Escape Velocity).
Colonial Marines are also called "jarheads". Like the Colonial Fleet, the Corps has a reserve component (Final
Cut)
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