What is the Difference Between the US Army and the US Marines?
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The United States (US) has three armed forces under the direction of the Department of Defense: the US Army, US Air Force, and US Navy. The US Marine Corps are actually a branch of the Navy, while the Coast Guard, the other armed force of the United States, is technically under the wing of the Department of Homeland Security. Each branch of the armed services in America performs a vital role for national security.
The US Army and the US Marines are two very different services. The mission goals for each service are different, and they accomplish their work in different ways. While people might be tempted to lump the two together since they both form parts of ground-based invading forces, most soldiers and marines would resent implication that the two forces are indistinguishable.
The US Marines are a highly mobile amphibious attack force. Marines are trained to attack from the water and establish a beach head, an area of control on foreign soil. After the Marines take territory, other armed forces such as the US Army move in to maintain control, while the Marines move on. Marines are mobile, lightweight, and very rapid. One might compare the Marines to the head of a spear, wedging in to get a foothold and racing ahead once the land has been secured.
In addition to acting as a lightweight attack force from the ocean, Marines are also perfectly capable of taking territory on land. Marines are trained for rapid deployment, and are often the first US military personnel on site. Marines also guard American embassies overseas, providing embassy security and safety. In volatile areas, being a Marine embassy guard is a very risky job.
The US Army, on the other hand, is the primary ground-based military force. As such, the US Army captures and holds territory with the use of infantry, aircraft, and an extensive support staff. The US Army is in the thick of battle, and is a substantially larger armed force than the Marines. Certain members of the US Army, such as the Army Rangers, have training which is similar to that received by the Marines.
Both forces have reserve troops, which can be activated in times of need. The Army reserves are significantly larger, however. Unlike the Marines, the US Army also has extensive support staff, including medical personnel. The Marine Corps relies on the Navy for many support services, keeping the service small and efficient.
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New: Discuss this ArticlePosted by: anon14544
I would strongly recommend Kacummin's Comment as he has firsthand experience with this article.
Posted by: Kacummin
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 !
Posted by: anon12009
The Marines are first to fight not the Army.
Posted by: anon11195
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
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