Throughout much of its history, the United States Marine Corps served as a ship's police force and as an ad-hoc expeditionary force. With the advent of the New Steel Navy and the requirement to acquire advance bases for coaling, there arose a need for a dedicated amphibious force. At about the same time, a growing faction of naval officers wanted to remove Marine guards from ships. With the combination of these factors, an evolution in Marine Corps missions began which eventually led the Corps to become an amphibious assault force. With the possibility of war in the Pacific and its need to be distinct from the Army, the Marine Corps finally took hold of amphibious assault as its true military mission.
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