Ask a Marine what moment from boot camp they remember most, and many will describe the morning a drill instructor placed a small emblem in their hand and called them a Marine for the first time. That emblem is the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, often shortened to the EGA. It appears on uniforms, flags, buildings, and countless bumper stickers, but for Marines it is far more than a logo. Here is what each part of the emblem means, where it came from, and why it matters so much to the young person you are sending to recruit training.
Quick Facts About the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
- Adopted: November 1868, under Commandant Brigadier General Jacob Zeilin
- The eagle: Represents the United States
- The globe: Represents the Marine Corps’ worldwide service
- The anchor: Represents the Corps’ close ties to the U.S. Navy and its naval traditions
- The motto: A ribbon reading “Semper Fidelis,” meaning “Always Faithful”
- Last major change: The crested eagle was replaced by an American bald eagle in the official design of the mid-1950s
- When recruits earn it: At the end of the Crucible, the final test of boot camp
What the Emblem Looks Like
The design is simple and balanced. At its center is a globe showing the Western Hemisphere, North and South America. Behind the globe, running at an angle, is an anchor with a length of rope, or cable, wrapped loosely around it. This style is known as a “fouled” anchor, a common naval symbol. Perched on top of the globe is an eagle with its wings spread, and in its beak it holds a flowing ribbon inscribed with the Latin words “Semper Fidelis.”
Marines wear versions of the emblem on their covers (hats), collars, and dress uniforms. Officers and enlisted Marines wear slightly different styles on some uniforms, but the design and its meaning are the same.
The Meaning of Each Part
The Eagle
The eagle stands for the nation the Marines serve. It reflects the Marine Corps’ loyalty to the United States and to the Constitution every Marine swears to support and defend.
The Globe
The globe represents worldwide service. Marines are sent wherever the country needs them, on land, at sea, and in the air, and the globe signals that there is no corner of the world they are not prepared to go.
The Anchor
The anchor honors the Marine Corps’ origins as a naval force. Marines have served aboard ships since the Corps was founded, and the Marine Corps remains part of the Department of the Navy. The anchor is also the oldest element of Marine insignia. Early Marine devices in the 1700s were built around a fouled anchor, borrowed from the tradition of the British Royal Marines.
Semper Fidelis
The ribbon carries the Marine Corps motto, “Semper Fidelis,” Latin for “Always Faithful.” The Corps adopted the motto in 1883 under Commandant Colonel Charles McCawley. It is where the familiar shorthand “Semper Fi” comes from, and it describes the loyalty Marines are expected to show to their country, the Corps, and each other.
How the Emblem Came to Be
Before 1868, Marine insignia went through many versions. Over the decades, Marines wore designs that included fouled anchors, eagles, shields, wreaths, bugles, and the letter “M.” Some of these elements survive today. The buttons on Marine dress and service uniforms, for example, still feature an eagle with a fouled anchor and a ring of stars, a design that dates back to the early 1800s.
After the Civil War, Commandant Jacob Zeilin wanted a single emblem that belonged only to the Marine Corps. In 1868 he appointed a board to study and recommend the Corps’ cap ornaments. The board submitted its report on November 13, 1868. Zeilin approved it a few days later, and the Secretary of the Navy signed it on November 19, 1868. The design combined the eagle, the Western Hemisphere globe, and the fouled anchor. The globe-and-anchor idea showed some influence from the “Globe and Laurel” emblem of the British Royal Marines, but the American eagle made it distinctly the Corps’ own.
The Changes of the 1950s
The 1868 emblem used a crested eagle rather than the American bald eagle. In 1954, at the request of Commandant General Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., work began on an official Marine Corps seal. On June 22, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10538 establishing the seal, which features an American bald eagle standing on the globe with the motto ribbon in its beak. The emblem was updated to match, and the version adopted in 1955 is essentially the one Marines wear today. Aside from the eagle, it has changed very little since 1868.
Earning the Emblem at Boot Camp
Recruits do not wear the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor during most of boot camp. They have to earn it. The moment comes at the end of the Crucible, a 54-hour field exercise with limited food and sleep and many miles of marching. When it is over, recruits gather for the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor ceremony, where drill instructors present each of them with the emblem. For many, it is the first time they are addressed as Marines.
What the Emblem Means for Your Family
When you see your Marine at Family Day or graduation, the emblem on their uniform represents 13 weeks of effort and a promise they have made. It also connects them to every Marine who has worn it since 1868. Many families keep an EGA pin or display close to home while their Marine serves, a quiet way of sharing in that pride. Understanding what the eagle, globe, and anchor stand for helps you understand what your son or daughter has committed to: service to the nation, readiness to go anywhere in the world, and faithfulness to the Marines beside them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor stand for?
The eagle represents the United States, the globe represents the Marine Corps’ worldwide service, and the anchor represents its naval heritage and close ties to the Navy. The ribbon carries the motto “Semper Fidelis,” meaning “Always Faithful.”
When was the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor adopted?
The emblem was adopted in November 1868 under Commandant Brigadier General Jacob Zeilin. The current version, featuring an American bald eagle, was adopted in 1955.
When do recruits receive the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor?
Recruits receive the emblem at a ceremony at the end of the Crucible, the 54-hour final test of recruit training. It marks the moment they earn the title Marine.
Why does the globe show only the Western Hemisphere?
The 1868 design featured the Americas, and that view has been kept ever since. The globe’s meaning, however, is worldwide service, reflecting that Marines deploy across the entire world.