The Differance between the Marine Corps and the US Army

[ma bell]

This is the differance between the mighty mighty Marine Corps and the obsolete US Army (of course, take the ribbing to heart Army...:) yes, I know, we are part of the Department of Navy, but it is the Mens Department.

[tgambill]

Ma bell, do you think that us having only a handful of Marines at any given time, might be some of the reason why all the flak. :)) Granted, In my time in the Corps, I did run across some "Major" (no real pun intended), butt kissers and not combat material at all, and some that pushed drugs....but, they are usually weeded out. We take care of our own. However, in 1987 on, I was told even the Marines started this politically correct crap.......and recruiting was getting shady. However, recruit training has a way of cleaning it up. People are also comparing the Special Forces, and other special combat units that aren't part of the story. They are in fact specialized like Marine Force Recon, Seals, D-Force, Special Forces, etc...that are not in the running here.

I was a commander in 2d Mar Div, Infantry; Commander at Parris Island, and Recruiting Ops Officer....I've seen it from all angles. The training regiment amazed me how a young 17 year old was transformed....at every graduation.....

Semper Fi.....We have many more to kill before this war is over......that we are in now.....

Tom

[ma bell]

Sorry to disappoint you, but he is not a soldier YET.. Has he graduated from the Army Basic Training yet? No. It does not mean squiddly that he is Airbore Ranger pre-qualified. He has not even wiped his snots yet.

Blood Sweat and Tears - Marine Corps Boot Camp and the Fleet.

I've been through both boot camps and the Army does not really impress me with their training-methods. They don't adequately punish the recruits, nor properly train them how to fire their weapon. Many still don't know to properly use the front sight posts or the rear aperture or even dissasemble/reassamble the M16A4's.

What is even sadder is that they allow the soldiers to walk a portion fo the 2 mile PFT run. My gosh, walking????

[ma bell]

yeah, they get weeded out soon thereafter. if they skate through and reach the FMF, it catches up to them.

There are plenty of good soldiers in todays Army but many of them are PC types. A few of us are from the old school that believe in paying a "price" for screw ups..you know what I mean?

[R. Scott]

What is the difference between the US Army and the US Marine Corps?
The US Marine Corps is a relatively small elite force of assault troops. They have very a small elite within elite forces – Marine Recon.
The US Army is a multi purpose military force. It must not only assault but must also defend and occupy. It has large elite forces within the force – Special Forces, Rangers, Airborne, etc.
Any comparison between the US Army and US Marine Corps would have to be, not between the overall force but between the US Army Rangers and the US Marine Corps. They have a similar mission.

[R. Scott]

They told me the difference between Marine and Army doctrine is this: the Marines engage immediately. The Army is trained to withdraw and wait for support.

That was – and might still be – the difference in doctrine.
Way back in Viet Nam I was evaced to the hospital at Phu Bai. In my ward were two other Soldiers, one Sailor and the rest were US Marines – all from the same platoon. I asked a young Marine what happened and he told me that they had assaulted a machine gun position with fixed bayonets. I asked why they didn’t just hold for a few minutes and bring in artillery or armor support. He replied that no one can withstand a Marine bayonet charge.
I asked how the entire platoon ended up here. His reply?
“I guess the NVA never went to Marine Boot Camp and didn’t know how badassed we are. They didn’t run.”

Charging in immediately is useful in some situations. Waiting for support is also useful in some situations.

[quadrant]

The Army has a record of promoting men to the rank of general and then giving them command of critical missions, regardless of their qualifications.
There are other examples, but the best is William Westmorland, a man who might (and I say might) have have done well in a conventional war with the Soviets but was incompetent as the leader of an army fighting a unconventional war.

[R. Scott]

As another poster on this thread has pointed out-the Army made more opposed amphibious landings in World War II than did the Marine Corps. Isn't that supposed to be the Corps specialty?

The US Marines have a better PR section. Without the PR they would soon cease to exist when the budget cutters go to work. Bean counters don’t realize that a well trained assault force is needed. The Marines train for primarily one thing – the assault. They don’t have to include defense and occupation because that is not their job.

[quadrant]

Its easy to comb through a large, standing military force and select the best, the fittest, and most motivated.
After you put them through a rigorous training program, you have an elite force like the Rangers. Almost all countries have such units - I think they were called Spetsnaz in the old Soviet Union - and they are used for special missions or to protect the powers that be.
The trick is to perform roughly the same job with a relatively large number of undifferentiated recruits, as does the Marine Corps, and to do it year in and year out, in peace and in war.
If the Marines are dependent on the Navy, and to a lesser extent the Army, then Rangers are totally dependent on other Army units to provide them with logistics, artillery, and air support.
And Rangers generally operate limited, short term missions in squad, company or battalion size units, a task which is not easy but which is not impossible for a reasonably competent officer.
The trick is to do what Rangers do in regimental or division size units, while coordinating air, artillery, logistics, and naval gunfire units.
This isn't to say that Ranger officers couldn't do this but they never have the chance while functioning strictly as Rangers.

[R. Scott]

The trick is to perform roughly the same job with a relatively large number of undifferentiated recruits, as does the Marine Corps, and to do it year in and year out, in peace and in war.

Except that the Marines can concentrate on just one basic mission – the assault, just as the Army Rangers do. Use any Army Division as an example. They must not only assault but at times defend and occupy. They can not afford to be specialists in just one mode of military operations.

[Lazamataz]

"The Marines are where you put soldiers with low intelligence."

As I recall, the first Astronaut to orbit the earth was a former USMC aviator.

You demonstrated my point.

You had to be a completely suicidal moron to be the first one up there.

;^)

[tgambill]

Yes I do.......:)

Semper Fi.

[ericthecurdog]

The Mariens have a better song to.

The Mariens have a better song to what?

[quadrant]

I argue that Marine units in Iraq (and in Vietnam, for that matter) perform roughly the same missions as do Army units. Perhaps the missions are not exactly similar, but they have more similarities than differences.
Rangers specialized troops (highly trained and motivated to be certain) but they are not general purpose troops who could not occupy and defend an area of any size for any extended period of time.

[R. Scott]

Oh yes – and all too often the US Marines, like the US Army rangers – are misused. US Marines can not be compared with the entire US Army. Our Marines are specialists. This means nothing to the bean counters and our “esteemed” politicians.
The US Marines have to be used. If there is no assault mission, they have to be used for what ever mission they can get – or cease to exist. That is reality.

[Chena]

Look at the date of the post, Miss. Genius.

I noted the date of the post after reading some of the thread. So, what's your point? Obviously the thread popped back up again, I read it, and I posted a comment. Thanks for taking the time to be sassy. ;) Miss. Genius

[quadrant]

I, nor anyone else, has attempted to compare the Marine Corps to the entire US Army. Perhaps at one time the Marines were specialists, but if you haven't been asleep, you would realize that the Corps has transformed itself over the last two decades.
The Marine Corps is far more than simply a small assault force designed to seize islands but has become a general purpose expeditionary force.
Of course the Marine Corps lacks the long term logistics capabilities of the Army, but the Corps has organic fixed wing air support that the Army lacks and has dedicated transport from the Gator Navy. The leadership of the Army must recognize that the Marine Corps has done something right.
Why else the Army would it attempt to reorganize itself into a lighter and more flexible force with sea lift capabilities? And I'd be willing to bet that if the Army could get its hands on fixed wing aircraft, say the A-10, it would grab those planes in a minute.

[R. Scott]

Why else the Army would it attempt to reorganize itself into a lighter and more flexible force with sea lift capabilities? And I'd be willing to bet that if the Army could get its hands on fixed wing aircraft, say the A-10, it would grab those planes in a minute.

Unfortunately, the Army is politicized. It is slowly gaining independence as seen by the acquisition of organic active duty sealift – the TSVs. The move to lighter, more flexible forces is the same old politically mandated “fight the last (current) war”. Our Congress Critters control the budget, and insist this happen. The Marines, being a smaller force with a smaller budget – and a much better PR section - are not affected as much.
Acquisitions for the Army are a large highly visible portion of the budget, and politicians often mandate what they will buy based not on need but on their constituents businesses needs and campaign contributions. This happened to the Marines at least once, with the V-22 Osprey. I was on active duty when the Army lost all fixed wings to the Airforce. Yes, if we could have the A-10 it would be welcomed with open arms. Even the old A-1 Skyraider would be welcome. As the Army is not allowed these, the attack helicopters will have to do.

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.

You have to admit that bellhop's uniform is...well, colorful.

Michael Frazier

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.
"Oooh! I am cut the quick. Slashed. Reduced to a pimple.
Run from the truth...just like your boys ran from the Jihadis.

Punk."

Just like Jr. High, eh. Calling each other names and puffing out your chests.

You boys should calm down and stop taking yourselves so seriously.

Michael Frazier

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.
"This was an attempt to bring the Marines and Army together in a good-natured ribbing"

It was damned sure entertaining watching some of these guys spewing, wasn't it.

Michael Frazier