Why are there four branches of the U.S. military and what is the function of each?

Question

I know we have the army,navy,air force, and marines (oh and the coast guard) Can someone please tell me in a nut shell what teach mission is and why we have four. It seems they all do some of the same things??? Military people help me out here.

Answer 1

the reasons are partly historical and partly practial. in short each is responable for the area of its own expertise. the army fights on land and the navy on the water. the airforce became a branch when it was decided that it needed to be a seperate force in oeder to fufil its missions. the marines are really a part of the navy. years ao tey had the mission of defending navy bases and capturing new ones as well as acting as shipboard infantry. the coast guard also becomes part of the navy in times of war but also handles lifesaving, safety, and maritime security. there is overlap since all branches need certain things such as aircraft. where it makes sense to have assets under the control of any branch they are given them. the navy needs aircraft to fufill its mission so it has carriers. the army might need boats for supply soit has them. the marines have become our kick in the door landing force and since they do it better than anyone else they are given watever they need. today all fight as a team under the command of the officer in charge of a region. an army general might command both navy ships and airforce planes in order to complete the mission. its not simple but it works and there is very little waste in the system. every asset and mission is carefully thought out and justified.

Answer 2

There used to be just the Army. It is responsible for land based operations and has been in existance since the Continental Army was formed in 1775. The Navy was also established in the same year. It is responsible for sea based operations...basically the "freedom of the seas". The Coast Guard was established in 1915 when Congress merged the Revenue Cutter Service and the US Lifesaving Service. It has a role in Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue. The Marine Corp is actually under the Department of the Navy. It was established for ship-to-ship fighting, shipboard security, and to assist landing forces. Now they have an amphibious landing force. The Air Force was officially established in 1947 arising from the Army Air Corps.
So the answer to your question about overlapping is that they don't exactly. The Navy uses planes, but they are to protect their ships. The Marines use planes for transport. The Army usually only uses helicopters. Coast Guard uses 'copters for rescue. Where the Navy goes all over the world, the Coast Guard guards our coast and inland waterways. So no one branch does precicely the same thing.

Answer 3

The Navy transports weapons delivery systems (i.e. Jets, Tanks, Marines and Army), and projects a U.S. presence whereever it goes. They also maintain the Strategic Deterent of Nuclear Submarines scattered around the globe. Once a Ballistic Missile Sub leaves port, it goes to a designated patrol area of about 150 square miles of ocean and cruises around in random patterns, staying out of sight underwater for 90 days at a time. The Navy also uses jets for Maritime force protection and for air cover for land assault forces, primarily Marines. The Marines also have aviation assets. The Air Force transports weapons systems (i.e. Army tanks and soldiers) and flys protective cover for land forces and destroys enemy weapons systems with missiles, rockets and bombing, clearing the way for the Army to gain and hold ground. The Marines make initial assaults to take a beachhead, establishing a place for the Army to land ashore or the Air Force parachutes Army forces in behind enemy lines or to places where the Marines have secured an area. The Coast Guard was officially under the Department of Transportation, but recently transferred control to the Department of Homeland Security (I think). They have the mission of protecting the U.S. shores and ports and inland waterways from danger and illegal actions against the American homeland (drugs & illegal immigration by sea).

Answer 4

Wow those answers are long, the Army is responsible for most of our ground fighting, they have the tanks and armored vehicles. Marines are also responsible for ground fighting, but they do more of the urban stuff. Navy has big ships, and they can go anywhere and launch planes from the ships, and they have subs with big nukes. Air Force has the best planes, and has inter-continental ballistic missiles, which are nukes that can be launched from our silos here in the US to anywhere around the globe, they also have the bombers that can F stuff up anywhere. So in a nutshell, every branch is necessary.

Answer 5

Marines go in first and leave last. The others sit around and take credit!

The Army's phrase is Army of One, meaning they don't work as a team. They work as individuals.

Answer 6

How lazy are you? use wikipedia and look it up.