United States Marine Corps off-base, except in transit to and from their place of duty and in the event of an emergency. As in any military organization, the official and unofficial traditions of the Marine Corps serve to reinforce camaraderie and set the service apart from others. The Corps' embrace of its rich culture and history is cited as a reason for its high "esprit de corps". The "Marines' Hymn" dates back to the 19th century and is the oldest official song in the United States armed forces. The Marine motto "Semper Fidelis" means "Always Faithful" in Latin, often appearing as "Semper Fi"; also
Commandant of the Marine Corps CMC designates Marine personnel and resources to the commanders of Unified Combatant Commands. The Commandant performs all other functions prescribed in Section 5043 in Title 10 of the United States Code or delegates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in his administration in his name. As with the other joint chiefs, the Commandant is an administrative position and has no operational command authority over United States Marine Corps forces. The Commandant is nominated by the President for a four-year term of office and must be confirmed by the Senate. By statute, the Commandant is appointed as a four-star general