i am considering joining the marines and after reading the comments, i see that as the best way to go. on top of being trained hard you are being formed into a respectful, dependable individual. if i am to fight for my country, i will join where there is no joke and no mercy. in order to be the best you have to endure the worst.

anon52908 - I cant speak for POGs, but infantry basic is no joke. We have a 15 mile road march, full combat load, m16/m4/m249/m240b, full ruck sack. You are not allowed to fall out if you expect to be an infantry man.

I can not comment on Marine training as I have not done it. As for the stress card, that is a joke that we tell each other in the army to insult each other. They don't exist.

i am high school student reading these comments and i must say, a lot of you sound very uneducated. Stop putting each other down. we are one big military force.

Every single recruit does that hike Dave speaks of in week 13. But it's not 9 miles, it's more like 15. And the recruits on the west coast do that on some of the harshest hills in california. That's for every recruit just to pass basic and earn the title of marine.

Marine infantrymen go on to more hikes equal to your grunts' and harder. And also, how many hills do the soldiers climb? Are their packs up to 90 pounds in weight? Are they wearing full combat gear? Are there strict consequences if somehow a marine falls out? And do you think usmc recruits in San Diego and Parris Island even have any idea what a stress card is?

Don't get me wrong people. I have full respect for every branch and have had loved ones in all but the air force. But anyone who knows what they're talking about knows that marines receive tougher training and man for man are much more combat ready and disciplined.

It all starts in basic.

Ooorah! Enough said. Anyone can join the Army. The Army has around 1.8 million soldiers. The Marines: 205,000 in the world. Elite! You never see a Marine making a lateral move to another branch, but you see lateral moves from every branch to the Marines.

To those who posted a negative comments on this site: shame on you all and please grow up. i can't believe this. you people talk trash about one another. is this the way your unit or the branch of service you have served has motivated and trained you people? Is this how your superior educated you about our military history?

Shame, shame on you all. i would not let any one of you disrespect anyone of us, especially our family history that served this country from World War II until this present day. most of my relatives are still serving this country - almost my entire family and many friends are in nearly every branch of the US Armed Forces but every time we get together we don't talk trash about each other's services - instead we recognize how we served this country. you people that talked trash are a disgrace to the uniform you served in for talking about your brotherhood in the US Armed Forces of the United States of America we call home to protect and serve as one. if you cannot respect each other and be proud of one another, you do not need to put on that uniform because everything you have fought for or accomplished during your services just went to the drain and is garbage.

Army rules. Say whatever you want. I know. I know army rules. Marines are good to but no way, man. Army all the way.

i am a high school student thinking of joining the military, and i was thinking either marines or army, but I'm not sure which one yet.

The Army is a joke, period. Unless you're a Ranger don't even talk to me. We used to have a saying - that the Rangers are the best Marines the Army has! The Ranger is about the same as a basically trained USMC 0311. The average Army infantry soldier is cannon fodder. I don't care what you other idiots say. I was both an enlisted Marine and a commissioned officer. I have worked beside all of the branches and I respect the Rangers but the average Army soldier scares me.

@ anon32063, you have no clue what you're talking about. Marine Basic training is not two months longer than Army basic training. And yes, you can sign on to be a ranger in the Army before you join, but you have to make it to become a Ranger and very few actually make it. The army never gets credit for bailing out marines. Who won Best Ranger and Interservice Marksmen competition? That's right, the Army won every single category.

It seems as if US Marines can be deployed by presidential order without approval of congress while the Army cannot (don't have to declare war to ship). Marines seem to be a more tactical fighting force as a whole. They are fewer, but better trained soldiers than the average Army soldier. This is not to say that a Marine is better then a Ranger. On the other hand a Marine is a rifle men first. I have heard how (second hand) Marines trained in highly skilled technical MOS are just not as good as the other branches as a whole, not just Army. It sounds as if a new recruit wants to choose Army or Marines it's like all these groups have different skill levels and different demands physically and mentally. We all know the average soldier may not make it through jump school so it's not for you, but then again going airborne may not be enough for you so you go marines or ranger. then again what about BUDS or Air Force Commando? The Army is a larger more diverse force, true. Marines specialize in different areas. So I guess it's like this. Where one group stops another picks up then another then another. It's about finding what part of the chain you want to be in. I tell you what -- I wouldn't want to be serving next to anyone who just did not want to be there. that is more dangerous then anything else. Make your choice for what fits you the best. If you are not happy with what you are doing then you cannot be effective at your job, period. If you're not doing your job at over 100 percent then you don't belong in your field and you are a risk to yourself, your country and the people you serve with. We all answer to the War Department in the end, as far as I am concerned. The newer oath of enlistment paper has the War Department listed first, not army, not marines, not air force. We all serve the Commander in Chief, as well as the DOD! it does not matter past that. "I" is a one letter word. "Unit" is not but it does include "I." if you take the "I" away from "unit" you end up with nothing. It takes all of us all the time. It's late and I am way tired. sorry if it was hard to read in places. This 30 year old Army recruit has more pull ups to do in the morning as well as push ups!

people we are one nation with one U.S. Armed Forces of the United States of America! we all work together as a team, not as a single individual. we all love and are willing to sacrifice for our motherland. This country is great if we all work together as a team. please understand this to those who served: this country owes you, just as you all owe this country. we all did what we need to do so please do not disrespect your other teammates for their galantry. remember: duty, honor and country.

the marines are the first to fight and have showed courage in many places earning names like the devil dogs. if you sent me to war i would choose a marine to watch my back before an army guy any day. But the army has there purpose and should be respected just like the marines cause both will gladly lay their lives down for this country. so argue all you want about who is better but show a little respect in the process.

I think it's funny how hard headed Marines are. First off, it wasn't the Marines that were "first in" in Iraq. The 2003 invasion of Iraq was led by the Army. It was a "Joint Operation" composed of The US Army, US Marines, British Forces, and a few other nations. The Army had the numbers and had the larger mission. For instance it was the U.S. Army’s 3rd INF Div that took Baghdad, not the Marines. If you want to get technical it was the Air Force that was first in because they bombed the crud out of Iraq before anyone stepped foot in there. I will agree, the Marines have tougher training and you all don’t get all the best equipment, but you aren't "first" in any modern combat scenario. Modern strategy uses “Joint Operations”. We have worked together to get where we are now in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not sure who was first in Afghan, never went there. But I've heard it was one of the Army’s Airborne Divisions (don’t quote me on this).

Pure crap coming from a lot of Army guys in here. The only thing going for the Army is its numbers and to be honest I would rather have fewer hard chargers protecting me. If it's even a question you have of who is more effective, the Army or Marines you're lost. The Marines were dubbed "Teufel Hundens" in the Battle of Bellow Woods in Germany by Germans because of their fierce fighting even with small numbers. We fire from 500 meters in prone, sitting and standing regardless of the weather with no scope while the Army fires from a max of 300 meters which is garbage, pure and simple. Do not come in this forum pretending the Army is more effective while quality and standards are set in stone to be less stringent for the Army. If I'm in Afghanistan fighting insurgents, give me a devil dog any freaking day next to me who will take a man's grape clear off from 5 football fields away easily. I was a 6 time expert while in the Marines and can still do the same as a civilian simply because of the way the Corps has taught me perfected marksmanship skills. The only way the army will extinguish an enemy from afar is with a sniper with a scope. I have done plenty of forced marches as well along with Army personnel at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and they can't keep up if they tried. They straggle and don't know the meaning of "keep it tight," which is a must for keeping together in combat. I can go on and on about the differences between the two that points at the Army as being the ones failing more often in combat. Of course there were and still will be mistakes made by both the Army and Marines in the heat of battle since no one is perfect and combat is ugly, but the Marines have proven time and time again that they are the elite simply by what they accomplish with much more limited means.First to fight. One shot, one kill. Semper Fi, Do or Die. P.S. Most if not all Army soldiers know this to be true and this is why Marines are few. Not many are up for the stricter challenge so go elsewhere! The Army!

In a nutshell, the marines are the ground forces of the Navy, the Army is simply the ground forces itself.

As this will go on, however, we guard our embassies and the president. When things need to be done we are called on. I could be out on the town tonight and by the next night in a foreign country thousands of miles away ready to take care of business. No offense to the Army but we are the few and the proud and everywhere. Remember the Army is okay but the Marines operate on air, land, and sea. We do it all very well. We may not be the best at one thing but the best at all things. I still love my brothers; Army, Navy and Air Force.

us army rangers are an elite special forces group and go through far more challenging schooling/training the a standard marine. LOL. they don't even compare.

This guy at the very end says Marines are like Army Rangers. LOL what a joke. this article is so biased with so many dumb stereotypes it's funny.

i would like to know where i will find the most pride and satisfaction: The US Army Rangers or the USMC

i can not argue with anon43553 you are very right, it does not matter which TEAM you belong, and people should try to understand, the question is: What is the difference between both services? and not who is more superior than the others or which one that screwed up than the others - this is not acceptable especially when each individual had put their effort and time to be part of the team. understand this there's so much in our Armed Forces history that some individual contributed and died just to uphold their responsibility as a soldier, marine, airman or sailor. Some of them - received medals for their gallantry and they are not even trained as an infantry or airborne but just an ordinary service men that fulfilled their duty for their country. so please do not disgrace their gallantry when they paid their dues.

Bravo anon43553, I salute you.

to everyone who tries to compare or tried to post their own comments - please don't make the other team look bad. at the end of the day we are all a team. each individual who served has their own responsibility, if they do not put their effort for the whole team to succeed, one of the team members has to step in, to either encourage or motivate the individual. you see all i read in this forum are people either being negative or more superior than their own team mate, but we all are one team, which is the Armed Forces of the United States. yes each branch of the service is needed. there may be differences on how they trained or how they have to be mobilized based on chain of command, but at the end of the day, we all have our responsibility to our country. when Uncle Sam calls, we all have to fight to defend our mother land. at the end of the day. we are a *team* period, so stop those negative comments. to those who served, the country owes you just as you owe this country. Duty, honor and country.

In response to Dave187s' comments: I hope you are not implying the Army has a harder training regime than Marines. First, all Marines are trained the exact same way for combat! This consists of 13 weeks at Parris Island and five weeks of Marine Combat Training if they are not 0311-Infantry. That training ends with another 'hump' that is over twenty miles! Let's see, is 13+25 greater than 25? You do the math. Second, the Army troops that are, let's say, in the motor pool as an example straight from the headlines of the opening of the invasion of Iraq, could not defend themselves with their rifles due to a lack of training. Now the Army has gone back and requires soldiers to be properly trained. They should have learned that crap in boot camp! That is the Army's fault and has gotten a lot of innocent army troops wounded or killed in action! Sgt.'AC', USMC Combat Vet

people, why are you all arguing moot points? Everyone has their respected mission, and performs them at the best of their ability. I served as a Marine for 12 years, veteran of three major conflicts and enough sand and rock in my boots to build a city, both MFF and static line JM, as well as scuba. Served with each repsected uniform in garrison, abroad, in zone and out. Each person that serves is an individual, whether or not they are a "hard charger" or a "dirt bag." We will always flip our coins, fly our banners and compare our "war tales" with one another, but please remember, that your brother/sister to your left and right lateral limits, regardless of branch of service are still the ones who have your back.

If you guys want to bash, bash the command of NATO -- some of the laziest SOBs I've ever met.

Grunts at Benning do a 25-mile ruck march to graduate in week 15. Marines do a 9 mile ruck march to graduate boot at week 13. Do the math.

to everyone - there's no difference between two services or even with any other branch of the services - they both have handle weapons and both are willing to serve the country as Armed Forces of the United States of America. There may be some diffrence on training, specialty skills and motivation/disciplinary attitudes - but at the end we are all in this together as one unit - a team - as far as above and below discussions and comparisons - not everyone is fit to do what others are able to accomplish - but it is all about inidvidual effort to give their best shot and help the team - the Armed Forces of the United States of America, so at the end, they are all the same. No difference. Both are needed by our country.

First of all, we are all a team

but second, the mairnes are *not* first to fight. the army has all types of scouts *cav scouts and infantry scouts* that always go in first and even if they did go in first,

who cares? Each branch has an equal part in every mission. Without one branch the mission wouldn't go as well. that's why every branch is important and every branch supports the others.

Marine basic training is 13 weeks versus the Army's 8 week program. Marine boot camp is also much stricter, I think, and has harder criteria. For example, it is not co-ed, females being trained separately, and Marines run 3 miles during the PFT, The Army runs 2 miles at a slower time limit. Marines fire at up to 500 meters on the rifle range. The Army shoots only out to 300 meters with the service rifle. Marines can be "Dogged" by DI's until they collapse. The Army I think only allows a set number of push-ups. At least that was true in jump school. The Army Rangers, etc. have stricter criteria, this is for all hands that I'm referring to. Yes. Every Marine is first and foremost a rifleman.

This forum got off topic. the question was what is the difference between the two branches. not which one is better. i read all your bickering because i want to figure out which branch is a better fit for me, not to see first hand how people on the internet love pointless arguments. and sadly this happens in every single forum on the internet when posed this question. so i have found it impossible to get a straight answer, all i find is more and more people who aren't even in the military bickering about which one is better.

i agree with you master sergeant - just i posted before - we are all in one team - it does not matter what part of the service of the armed forces of the united states you belong - we are one country. people should not compare any of our armed forces to each other - we are one country. we fight as units of one country under one flag - it's the United States of America. if people want to post some comments, they should do it to where like for example "when i was in the marines i was stationed at 'blah blah' and it was great cause i saw other parts of the world or when i was in the army i was in Korea and say something positive so everyone will see the military is totally different. to those who have nothing good to say. please stop. it does not look good especially when the whole world can see this on the internet.

This is out of the subject: Why are there so many people trying to act as if they are in the military saying stuff like "Semper Fi" or "Do or die"? Just argue your point and shut up. It ticks me off that there are people here trying to act smart saying stupid words, trying to have a sophisticated vocabulary and crap even though that what they're saying is just a bunch of stupid opinions, not facts. I don't know why you keep comparing the Marines to the Army. Did you people not understand where it says they're both different? See I'm a Master Sergeant in the 82nd Airbone Division but yet you don't hear me dissing the Marines. We all work together. We our not our own enemy, don't you understand?

The Army and the Marines both are spearheads. Who was first into Baghdad? The 3rd Infantry Division. Who was first into Fallujah? The 82nd Airborne Division. The Marines were first into Basra and Nasiriyah, then later moved into Baghdad after it was already sieged by the 3rd Infantry Division. The 82nd Airborne handed down Fallujah to the Marines, which lost it, and had to regain it during Operation Phantom Fury later renamed "Operation al-Fajir" with the help of the 1st Infantry Division and 1st Cavalry Division.

people we are one armed forces of the united states. we do not need to tell others how our other teammates do their job - we got to give positive feedback with other branches of the armed forces. we are a team. it don't matter if you are in the army, marines, air force or navy. we are one country with a purpose to protect what we believe in, our own democracy and constitution and freedom for all mankind. an army can accomplish what a marine can do, a navy can also accomplish what the other three branches can do especially in times of war or conflict - it is all about the mission or task on hand. we have more than four branches of military that anyone can join - there a reason for this and still we are all debating who is better or the best - but if you think and analyze this - they are all one team or one unit - The Armed Forces of the United States of America- we all serve to make sure that no one will bully us and take away what we believed in - our own self independence and democracy. So please to all commentators - don't make the other team look bad. We all make our own mistakes. It is not a policy for the Army, Marines, Navy or Air Force mistake. It happens on an individual basis - and that's why there's a chain of command that needs to correct this so everyone will work as a team,, not an individual. remember it is not only the army or marines that won the world war I or II - even the navy, coast guard, air force and other security of the nation took part of this conflict - it is a team effort.

Wow,you know what gets me after spending a year and a half in Iraq? Its the attitude. People regurgitate the idea that the Marines are hard charging killers, that every over testosterone-making high school football player wants to becomes a Marine infantryman to go fight. Multiply that instance time 5000 and you've got a fighting force that is trigger happy and too into themselves to become an effective fighting force. Dont believe me? Remember Al Nazaria? 17 Marines wounded by their own guys due to friendly fire. I've seen a Marine patrol that fired a parachute flare into a van that had a family in it for a "warning shot". While I was in Iraq I was more worried about getting shot up by a Marine patrol at night than anything else because they are trigger happy and their equipment is so crappy they cant effectively engage targets. Dont believe me? Google pics Marine infantry. Their equipment looks like Vietnam hand-me-downs. And don't spout that crap about "they do their job even with that equipment". With advancements in aircraft and helicopters, the marines are doing the same stuff the army is, so much for amphibious landings! And force recon?! Every time special ops is mentioned on the news its Army SF anyway. I did see a lot of Navy Seals there though, nice guys, but they, unlike the marines, are quiet professionals.

I like the guy who thinks that because the army has planes and the marines *only* go *anywhere* in boats means that the army is always first to fight. That is hilarious logic.

Anyone who thinks the marines are "first to fight" is just falling for propaganda from way back. The army has airborne and that's *much* faster than a ship. Eductate yourselves people. Just cause it's on a bumper sticker, it doesn't make it true.

after reading everyone's comment only atokato made sense, it does not matter which branch you join everyone is at risk once you are at the war zone, it is just the risk factor that will make a difference or your duty once you get there but the risk is still there in the war zone. no marine or no army or navy wins or loses the war by themselves it is the entire country that will lose. every one has to make the difference no marine or no army is tougher than the other. it is all about what the mission that will dictates the situation. not everyone can fire any weapon and not everyone can also cook or can cure a bleeding or injured soldier/marine/navy/flyboy. it is all about what you can contribute to make these armed forces strong and continue to provide security to all of us.

people got to understand this, we are the armed forces of the United States of America, we fight every theater of war as one country, each and everyone of the individuals who joined the military has a purpose. it is a team effort and not by one person only, so it does not matter if you join the army, marines or air force, it is about how you will deliver to fulfill your duty as a person to those who are with you in time of war or conflicts. remember the famous saying *duty, honor and country*.

it is not the marines that made the landing in Guadalcanal successful or the landing by the army at Normandy - it is the team effort of every individual who put and give their share to make this successful. it does not matter whether you are fat, skinny, tall or stronger than the rest of the team of the armed forces that you belong to, it is about how you accomplish your mission as a team of the Armed Forces of America. so join any of the services you feel that you will be part of the *team* and not by your own self interest.

listen to all of you - some of you makes comments and talk like we are all different - our forefathers build this country not because of who is better or worse - it is about what you can do for your country - not what your country can do for you - you can be a cook or supply person for any of the armed forces that you wanted to sign up for - either way it is what you are obligated to do for your country that counts - there's a lot in our history that even women or kids have changed the course of war not because they were fighting in the front or they were the first ones to be sent in the war - when the going gets tough - the tough get together as a unit of one to fight for what we believe and whether you are in the army, marines, navy or air force - there's also the coast guard -

we all have the obligation to our country - shame on each one of you to make the others look bad - it does not matter who is tough or who is the best - it's what you can do for your country and honor what you have pledged allegiance to. we will all survive if we work together as unit of one.

@ sentinel17 : thank you. that helped a lot! but the main thing that makes me want to join army over marines is the boats. i hate boats and, knowing something about the marine's relationship w/ the navy, would rather avoid long-term stationing on a boat. thoughts?

Alright, people. There seems to be alot of back and forth, so I will do my best to get this discussion evened out, so to speak.

I myself was in the US Army.

82nd Airborne, and Infantry. I left the service after three deployments (twice to Afghanistan and once in Iraq) at the rank of Sergeant.

We were replaced by the Marines in Al Fallujah in late March of 2004, and less than a week later, they became locked in a bloody battle that cost many lives. Does that mean that the US Army was better than the Marines? No. It means that the enemy recognized different uniforms and put two and two together, that they were new personnel and unfamiliar with the streets. They used it to their advantage.

But, that aside, there are different portions you have to examine when looking at who is "better." Basic Training/Boot Camp: Army Basic Training is split into five different bases: Fort Benning, GA for infantry, Fort Knox, KY for armor, Fort Sill, OK for Artillery, Fort Leonardwood for Military Police and Fort Jackson, SC for other. Please, keep in mind there are other jobs trained for at these bases but the ones I named were the ones that came to mind. Army training is "supposed" to make all soldiers combat-ready but it doesn't. From what I have seen, read, researched, and heard, Marine Corps Boot Camp does that for all marines, regardless of their jobs.

In my time in the Army, I have seen some jacked up POGs (person other than grunt)that were active duty, reserves, or national guard. I was appalled that they were wearing the same uniform I was wearing and that they represented the Army. If they came into enemy contact I would bet my last dollar that they would throw down their weapon and run away. That is how alot of soldiers are in non-combat units are (again, from what I've seen). The Marines aren't like that. If I was in a firefight to the death and knew it was my last chance to kill as many bad guys as I could, I would rather have a USMC mechanic next to me rather than an Army Mechanic, because I have seen firsthand that their motto of "everyone is a rifleman first" is more true than most people give them credit for.

Is this to say there aren't studs in the Combat Support and Combat Service Support segments of the Army? No, I am sure there are. But, the Marines are trained differently as a whole and all support each other completely. The Army doesn't. In the Army if you aren't infantry, you are crap. Then if you aren't airborne infantry, you aren't crap. Then if you aren't in my brigade, battalion, company, platoon, ect. You get the idea. It was pounded into our heads at Bragg that your individual unit is better than others. While I see this is true to a point when it comes to combat efficiency and the infantry...it drives a wedge between the Army soldiers in so many areas. If the Army soldiers banded together like Marines did and were like, "regardless of what your job is, we are all soldiers and will fight like we are infantry," then we would be able to shed the bad image given to us by people just looking to do the minimum because they can't get a job or they can't get away from crime in their neighborhood or their parents are kicking them out of their house and they don't want to go to college.

Lastly, I was airborne infantry with the US Army and was proud of my unit, its history, and being a soldier in the US Army. But, not many are in the Army, most just don't give a $#!% and that is where the Army, as a whole, falls short of the Marines.

First off, marine training is way different. I think the marine corp boot camp is two months longer than army boot, and in the army, u can sign up to be a ranger before you even sign the papers. Marine Force Recon however, you have to join, go through BT and then you apply to be a Recon Marine, and if you don't pass Recon Boot, too bad.

Some of us in the civilian life have a great deal of respect, admiration, and frankly feel an immense gratitude to all of you, regardless of the branch you are in.

For the most part we think you represent the best in us.

So to all of you who served, are serving and are planning on serving, Thank You.

Both of my parents were in the army (101st Abn) and so, whether passed on from them or not, I've always wanted to join the military, but I am also trying to decide b/n army or marines. However, I'm not a water-loving girl, so...?

But what i'd really like to know is why do you guys think that the marines has such a stronger brotherhood/pride than all the other branches?

Well coming from a person who join the USMC in 2004. I would like to say this I joined because the Air Force recruiter was on leave. The Navy has the stigma of being gay, and well the Army is simply sub-par for the most part minus special forces, and berets. Marines are disciplined, goal minded, respectful and are ready to defend they're brotherhood. The Army, from what I have personally seen in al asad airbase, yes i am an airwinger, are arrogant, unreliable, undisciplined, and also seem to act way more unprofessional. I am easing from the marine corps soon and yes I would do it again.

The Army doesn't doesn't dictate anything. The Joint Chiefs of Staff do.

I am thinking of joining either the army or the marines, but i'm not sure what branch is right for me. I hear different things from everyone. Marine recruiters tell me that if i want to be the best of the best the marines is for me. But people that I talk to that are in the army tell me the marines are a bad choice and that I should join the army. I would love some opinions on this.

what was Pat Tillman??? Army Ranger??? If you're looking for friendly fire join the army! They're all idiots!! How often in history have army Generals relied on Marines to take care of some business that they knew the Army either couldn't handle or were too scared to do? How often in history have Marine Generals been put in charge of you Army idiots??? Plenty! The Army does a great job of screwing things up and killing off their own!

In all seriousness, I can appreciate the pride one has in the service he/she is serving. And I'm sure you all do as well. So what's up with all the insults and who's better than who's? That part of offering up one's life for the sake of a safer county has never made sense.

Oh please the training Army Rangers receive is light years ahead of the marine training. US Army Rangers are special operations troops and marines are not. You could compare marine training to Army combat arms training and that is about it. The US Army does not need the marines to invade a country they have the 82nd ABN Division and 173rd Airborne Brigade as initial entry units to seize airfields and move on to ports. As for Army units not being able to take ground. We (my unit was 101st Abn) were waiting in Baghdad 3 days before the marines got there. The only reason the marines are around is because of PR.

marines are indeed the first to fight. you say all they do is capture an airport while the army take the whole thing? i disagree. the marines are the one who open up the primary lines of defense so the army can thus use their larger forces and help open that gap the marines have created in the line. Semper Fi, Do or Die

I would strongly recommend Kacummin's Comment as he has firsthand experience with this article.

I think that I may be able to help here. I enlisted in and was honorably discharged from both branches of service, 3 years as a cannon crewman (13B) in the US Army 18th Airborne Corps (Ft Bragg N.C. where I was also a paratrooper) then 6 years as a machine gunner (0331) in th USMC (Camp Lejeune N.C.) The original article is absolutely correct and I'm sure that the author did his research before writing it. Here is an example ; I served in "Gulf War I" as a Marine and was deployed to Northern Iraq immediately following the "end of offensive actions." At that time, Saddam Hussein re-deployed his forces to the region just south of the Turkish border in an effort to stop a Kurdish uprising via the "Pesh Merga Freedom Fighters" (AKA Operation Provide Comfort). We were sent in to stop the Kurds from being slaughtered. We arrived and set up a base camp at about midnight just north of the Iraqi border near the Turkish city of Silopi as part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Lejeune North Carolina. We received our operations plans which coincidentally did involve an airfield seizure in northern Iraq, practiced our roles, and deployed about three days later. As we boarded helicopters to fly into Iraq and begin our mission, there was nothing left behind except a "Few Marines" who maintained the camp. We took all of our weapons and equipment with us ... on our backs. We carried out our mission with the support of Marine helicopter and fighter pilots, then moved further inland where we dug in, set up a defensive perimeter, checkpoints along roadways, and established the "No Fly Zone" at the 38th parallel. The U.N. then moved in behind us and set up a refugee camp for the displaced Kurds, who had fled into the mountains to escape the Iraqi Army. About three weeks later, we began taking turns rotating back to "the rear" which was back at the initial camp in Turkey to take showers and eat a warm meal if we were lucky, about six guys at a time in trucks. We could only remain for about an hour or so before returning to our positions. We welcomed the trip... but we were surprised at what we found. The US Army had arrived and set up what looked like the TV show M.A.S.H. ! Not only was there hot food, they had a whole mess hall with cooks, a PX, "port-a-potties", a motor pool, a satellite phone tent to call home(this was pre-cell phone days, so it was a big deal at the time) and even a T.V. tent to watch VCR movies ! We were just happy to take our showers and get a meal... maybe a few sodas for the guys back in our positions. Due to our limited time in "the rear", an Army Lieutenant let the six of us cut in front of him in the chow line. Sure enough, I heard some of the soldiers say, "Oh finally ! Now the Marines are here !" "It's about time !" "What happened to first to fight huh ?!" "We've been here for two weeks already, why do they get special treatment ?" Little did they know that they were in the very location where we set up our initial "jump off point" weeks earlier, but we kept our bearing and and were grateful to that Lieutenant for his hospitality. After a about a week or two, all of us had our turn to go back to "the rear." None of us made a second trip when the time came. We stayed in Iraq for about three additional months moving from one position to another and maintaining security for the U.N. troops, the Kurdish refugees and whether the know it or not, the U.S.Army. I'm proud of my service in both branches, and also of those who served before me and those who still serve today. Especially the Marines. Semper Fi !

The Marines are first to fight not the Army.

the marines are not the spearhead, they are simply support for the main invading force, which is the US Army. The US Army deploys in through either jumping directly into enemy territory on parachutes, or goes in through a port of another friendly country and punches their way through. The marines are not even a quarter of the size of the army, they are good at things like taking and holding an airport while the army takes the entire city and surrounding land. It was the US Army that captured Saddam Hussein, and the US Army dictates what the other branches of DOD will do to support the mission of the US Army on any given day