So what's the deal with the marine vs army thing?

Question

Just noticed a lot of hate between the two. My boyfriend's joining the Marines and always pokes fun at the Army. And noticed the same with the Army guys I've met. Why is that?

And what side do you take?

Answer 1

Good natured rivalry between service branches is the general impetus for this phenomenon. It's particularly acute because the Army and Marines both have large infantry forces (the AF really doesn't have one and the Navy's is the USMC).

They both have slightly different doctrine and terminology which creates a little more friction as you can guess. Army guys give Marines for being less than innovative with some tacics over the years and call some of their assault tactis as "he diddle diddle right up the middle", a reference to the brawn-over-brains approach. Likewise, the USMC chuckles at the Army's obsession with wearing your resume on your uniform.

Many Army folks secretly admire the Marines because they don't lower standards as much and allow for a little more character and initiative in their leaders.

More recently, the fact that the US Army has adopted the Marines philosophy of "Every Marine and infantryman" (in light of the poor showing of Jessica Lynch and her unit) is telling. Also, the Army, which Rumsfeld thought as too slow and inflexible, adapted to the then-new secretary of defense by going lighter. General Shinseki went so far as to say that the army concedes no mission, acknowledging that the Marines were treading on traditional Army operations. This would bear out to be true when US Marines were some of the first conventional forces to deploy to Afghanistan, a land locked country.
But the USMC benefits from being a much smaller organization and thus can be more selective in its recruiting and retention. Also, while some of the exploits of the Marine Corps have distinguished it, many think the Marines have had some damn good PR people over the years as they get credit for accomplishments that wouldn't be seen as positive (or even as a negative thing) if done by the Army.

Answer 2

Oh good Lord.... It's getting deep in here. To try and compare them is just stupid. They have two totally different missions. The Army has more deaths because they have more Soldiers on the ground then the Marines do They also do longer and more frequent tours then they do. IED's, RPG's, bullets and mortars don't know what branch you are nor do they care, branch has nothing to do with the number of deaths and for you to use that as a comparison is disrespectful to say the least.

Answer 3

I just posted a comment about the same thing. I am in the Army, and I don't care if a Marine pokes fun at me, jsut as I am sure that a Marine really does not give a damn if I poke fun at him. I think that we both realize that we joined our services for what we were looking for, and we both love our respective services just the same. More importantly, I think we realize that at the end of the day, I coudl care less if it is a Marine fighting beside me or a Soldier fighting beside me. We are both kicking down the smae doors and serving the same country. But i think that we both draw the line when people who have no affiliation with the military try to drag us in, or have this pissing match about who is the best. i would defend the Corps against anyone who called it anything but one of the greatest fighting machines in history, just as I hope they would do the same for the Army.

Answer 4

I'm a Navy vet, and was stationed aboard an amphibious assault ship (which means that there were 2,000 Marines on our ship of 1,000 sailors). There was a lot of "poking fun" between our two branches, most of it in fun, some not.

We all want to think that we serve under the best branch, and therefore the hi jinx will abound.

I know one thing though, though I may poke fun at a marine or soldier once in a while, I wouldn't advise it if you have never served. Nothing makes my blood boil more than hearing someone who has never served talk about something that they have never experienced.

Hats off to all my brother and sister vets and all active duty men and women of all branches!

Answer 5

It's one of the great things about the military...rivalry! It's that competitive need to be the best you can be. I believe it also helps with building teamwork. I'm a retired Canadian Soldier but I was fortunate enough to attend the Ranger School in Fort Benning GA. By association I lean towards army...but in the larger scheme, I use to really try to do my best when the Americans worked with us... Semper Paratus Canada! Servitium Nulli Secundus!

Answer 6

It isn't hate, it is about family rivalry. Marines and Army always jostle to see who can do better at the same job. P.S. I was Army, and I know I was better than most Marines but Semper FI, I would die to save a Marine.

Answer 7

I guess the marines think they're better than the navy and vice versa. Once, my friends and I went out with marine guys to a restaurant where there were also navy men. Both group ended up fighting and I left the place with my girlfriends. I can't take any side--I find them immature.

Answer 8

I'm on the Marines' side... lol
Seriously, I think Marines are "better" but I respect the Army just the same, it's just that Marines go through way more at bootcamp than the Army and for longer, too. Army has a lot more leniant rules in a lot of cases too. Marines' uniforms look sharper... the list goes on... but i'm a little biased, my hubby is a Marine... but like I said... I respect all the other branches just as much..

Answer 9

Trust me, its all in good fun that every now and then gets out of hand. But trust me you get 8 soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors in a bar and it them against civilians, they will fight together against those civilians. Back when those Marines were killed in Lybia there wasn't a guy in my unit that wasn't ready to fight back then. I was stationed in Germany at that time in an infantry unit. Brothers in arms is what we are. We can fight each other but no one else can. We are just all prideful of our particular branch of service.

Answer 10

The Marines are just upset that they were unable to join the ARMY! No, I have numerous combat related awards, 2 from my tour in the Navy (4 yrs), and some from my tour in the Army (10 years).
P.S. The two from the Navy; Navy Expeditionary, and the Marine Corps Expeditionary (Lebanon). I have had both cover my ***, so no love lost...