Cryptic crossword clue
American marines sent here lack preparation 12

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word LEATHERNECKS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "American marines" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case american marines = leathernecks.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does LEATHERNECKS mean?

LEATHERNECKS noun
  1. A soldier.
  2. Specifically, a marine.

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