What's the difference between Army & Marines, or Marines & Navy? What is the Marines' purpose?

Question

Please do not take this question in offense, I am really asking honestly. I was asked and had no reply!

Answer 1

The Marines main purpose is to be a quick reaction force anywhere in the world. They accomplish this because we have Marines stationed on ships and in bases all over the globe. The Marines pick the fight, the Army wins it.

They do not "spearhead" every battle as some have said. The Army has fought and won more battles than the marines have been in. But because we have marines at sea, and the Army tends to be on bases, Marines can deploy very quickly.

The Marines specialize in amphibious warfare whereas the Army specializes in ground combat. The Marines have a battlefield sustainability that is much shorter than the Army. This is the nature of quick response forces because they don't bring the amount of support personnel with them that the Army does.

The Army has more advanced and devastating equipment. Their job is to win the fight, whereas the Marines job is to start it. The Marines show up with mostly light infantry forces and some tanks and artillery. When the Army shows up its with thousands of tanks, light infantry, and thousands of artillery.

Both branches are equally tough, combat effective and depend heavily on each other to win on the battlefield.

Answer 2

Simplistic explanantion:
The U. S. Army is more diversified in their approach to battle conditions and training. They receive less discipline and stress training because of that diversity in training.

The U.S. Marine Corps starts from day one in stress conditioning and discipline. The belief being, and I concur, that if and when an order is given all the order-giver needs to hear is "Aye Aye, sir". There is no further discussion, consensus sought nor none delivered. The Marines are the "First To Serve", "First To Fight" and the Last Out" and leave no one behind dead, wounded or lost.

Marines work for the POTUS and Secretary of the Navy and the citizens of the U. S. which makes them part of the Navy. Because of the link between the two a long history and tradition exists. The first Marines were sailors aboard battle frigates in the Colonial Navy. They were armed and many stood watch which led to the icon "Semper Fidelis" or "Ever Faithful!" Many of the early Marines were snipers in the rigging of the 3-4 masted vessels. Their job, take out the officers in the opposing ship!

Your last question is interesting. Their purpose? Marines are so disciplined and so well trained they become fearless combatants earning the name "Devil Dogs" from WWI. The history of Kwajalean, GuadalCanal, The Marianna Islands the battles of the South Pacific in WWII again re-inforced their almost super-human efforts of survival and fighting back. Their watch words are words like adapt, overcome and defeat and The Ethics of Creed all point up the fact that the U.S. Marine and his weapon are on helluva fighting machine.

Answer 3

Wow, a lot of brainwashed Marines out there. When was the last time the Marines went in first?
Even when we went into an Island like Grenada, the Army Airborne and Rangers were there first. In the Gulf War they weren't even invited.
When exactly was the last time the Marines were first in.

Currently they do a fine job of being heavy infantry, something the Army has totally neglected. For 20 years experts were telling the Army they had great Armoured Units and Airborne Units but no heavy infantry to do the dirty job of occupying the land they had taken. That job seems to have fallen to the Marines.

Answer 4

Well the Marines (USMC I assume you are asking about) are considered a Rapid deployment force meaning when the US Government needs a Military presence on the ground in a hurry it's generally the Marines who get sent in 1st. The Army being a larger entity is "generally" used for prolonged combat and as an occupying force. The Navy "generally" deals with well Navy issues i.e. transporting manpower and equipment, ship to ship combat etc....

No offense taken, it's good to see that you are at least asking questions.

Answer 5

The difference between the Army and the Marines is that:
1. The army will take anyone, whereas the Marines are selective.
2. The Marines have land, sea, and air capibilities where as the Army only has land and air.
3. The Marines are way better.

The difference between the Navy and the Marines is:
1. The Navy is only water and air, where as the Marines have those two and land.
Other than that not much actually the Marines are a division of the Navy.

Answer 6

The Marines are the first group into a battle. They establish beach heads, serve as the point warriors on the ground. The Army then comes in and takes over, driving on to the objective and maintaining captured territory. Think of the Marines as the shock troops. In the Air Force we always referred to them as "the best trained, the first to die". Their history is rich and deep, going back to the beginnings of this nation.

Answer 7

In today's military, the main purpose of the Marines is to be a rapid response force. They travel very lightly and move very quickly. They strike hard and fast.

The Army is more heavily equipped and has plenty of logistical support to bring heavy weapons and large amounts of people to bear. The Army also has Special Forces, Rangers and Paratroopers. They are specialised to bring the fight to the enemy but are also lightly equipped. The regular Army supports them all in their efforts and fights large battles against other large armies. The Army is also used to occupy land and deny it's use to the enemy.

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Answer 8

The jobs that they do. The Army is there for the big pushes n the offensive, the Marines are the spearhead for the attacks, and the Navy is there for Naval bombardment and for some transportation. This is really simplified though... :) really. Semper Fi

Answer 9

Why in hell can't the Army do it if the Marines can. They are the same kind of men; why can't they be like Marines.
Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, USA; 12 February 1918

Don't you forget that you're First Marines! Not all the communists in Hell can overrun you!
Col. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC
rallying his First Marine Regiment near Chosin Reservoir, Korea, December 1950

Choose wisely, grasshopper.
---- Snowwebster2, 2 April 2007

Answer 10

Marines go in first and take over the battle field
then army moves in to keep the battle field
navy takes the marines to the battle field, and protects the seas