Secretary of the Navy John Lehman authorized the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) Ribbon in 1984 with SECNAVINST 1650.36 on September 1. Designed to recognize both officers and enlisted Sailors who had acquired specific skills, knowledge, and military experience above what was normally required of Navy personnel serving with operating forces of the Marine Corps, the Ribbon was awarded only upon completion of a formal qualification process open only to personnel assigned to Type II and Type IV sea duty.
At the core of the FMF qualification program was the requirement that candidates complete 15 sections of the Marine Battle Skills Training Handbook, a regimen designed to ensure that Navy personnel are seamless integrated in Marine Corps operating forces. Of those 15 sections, three dealt specifically with Marine Corps history, organization, culture, customs, leadership, and even clothing and equipment. Other sections dealt with specific tactical skills, such as qualifying with individual weapons (service rifle and pistol), the use of explosive ordnance (hand grenades, land mines, pyrotechnics), land navigation, tactical measures, Nuclear/Biological/Chemical defensive measures, and first aid, to name just a few.
Another requirement was length of service with Marine Corps operating forces: twelve months for active-duty officers and enlisted personnel, twenty-four months for those in the Navy Reserve. Passing the USMC Physical Fitness Test was mandatory, and enlisted personnel were required to maintain a 3.0 or higher for all performance trait marks, and have earned no promotion recommendation lower than promotable (over the last two periodic evaluations).
The 2006 creation of the
FMF Officer Warfare Qualification Badge superseded the awarding of the FMF Ribbon to officers beginning January 1st, and in October the
FMF Enlisted Warfare Qualification Badge replaced the FMF Ribbon for enlisted Sailors.