Why do the Army and Marines hate the Air Force so badly? Were they rejected from joining? Jealousy perhaps?

Question

I notice a very strong hate/dislike for the air force from army and marines mostly. Why? Jealousy? Were they rejected from joining? If they think the Air Force has it easier why not join them? Lots of people have it easier than others, why the hate/dislike of them?

Answer 1

It is not true hatred you hear. You hear interservice rivalry. The Army and Marines are very physically demanding combat units trained to perform sustained combat operations.

The Air Force is very different as is the Navy. The Air Force is a very Technical branch of the service and requires highly trained very knowledgable technicians to make the multi million dollar equipemnt perfomr and stay combat ready.

Trust me, when a grunt is in a hole in the ground and is taking enemy fire, he loves to look up and see Tac Air coming in to assist. You would not hear him cussing the Air Force at that time.

Answer 2

I spent nine years in the army as a pilot but I never hated the air force. I was jealous though like you suggest. See, when the army builds an airfield, the first thing they do is put in a runway. Then they build the ramp and hangars and fuel depots and things like that. You know, all those things that make airfields work. But after the control tower and such is built, they find that they are out of money so the crews end up eating and sleeping in tents and the pilots usually have to go out and scrounge up some corrugated steel or something and build the officer's club themselves.

Now when the air force builds an airfield, the first thing they build is the officer's club. Then the NCO club. Next is the golf course and a modern mess hall along with luxurious living quarters. Next comes the swimming pool and the list of amenities goes on. Soon they too run out of money and they go back to the pentagon and say, "Now if you want a runway and hangars here we're going to need some more money.

Answer 3

Well to be honest I've known people who couldn't qualify for the Air Force or Navy because of the ASVAB testing. But the Air Force gets more ribbing and teasing because we do have a better quality of life. You don't find many Air Force sleeping on the side of the road, or even in tents with no air conditioning or heat. The mission of the Air Force is different and its harder to gain rank. So there are trade offs, but I'm cool with that.

Answer 4

I don't think is 'hate' but it's obvious that the Air Force play a different part in the war than marines and army.

Answer 5

The reason that the Army and Marine Corps dislike the Air Force is because, if it wasn't for the fact that the Air Force went to foreign countries and blew stuff up, it would be hard to believe that they were a military organization

Answer 6

When you were in high school, didn't your school have a hometown rival??? Wasn't there one team you ALWAYS wanted to beat, no matter what? It's the same thing with the military... Our young men and women in uniform need to KNOW they are part of THE best outfit in the United States Military... And so, they are told they're the best from day one... and they're indoctrinated to all the little jokes and jabs their branch takes at the other branches of the military... It's all in good fun... they really DO respect the work done by the other branches... but it's part of who they are... taking pride in their branch of service... and poking fun at their rival branches.. it's a friendly competition, for the most part.

Did you see the recent post applauding Navy Corpsmen for their service to Marines in combat? Normally Marines just thank the Navy for giving them a ride to the war... But when it counts, the Marines are happy to have the chance to say "Thank You!" to their Navy Corpsmen.

Answer 7

It isn't hatred or dislike, it is a natural sense of superiority. In most Marines' minds, the Air Force has it easier, and they tend to complain.

It is sort of like,say, a guy plays in the NFL, and the guy next to him plays for NFL-Europe. They both play professional ball, but the NFL player will have a certain sense of superiority, because he plays at a higher level. Most Marines you ask would say that they were NFL, and everyone else was NFL Europe, or maybe even Semi-Pro.

I can't answer for the Army, I don't have any idea why they would think that they were better than anyone (Just kidding soldiers, I have great respect for some of you. My wife is a soldier)

And, to respond to Tom T, the Marines don't really care about the Air Force, that is what Marine and Naval Aviation is for. One thing I learned in Afghanistan or Iraq, if yo uneed close air support, the LAST people you call are Air Force zoomies. Unless they are flying A-10s, those guys rock.

Answer 8

The perception with soldiers and marines is that the Air Force is filled with cushy jobs. However, when it comes down to doing the job you were trained to do in a combat situation, every soldier and marine thank God for the Air Force.

Answer 9

It's the same as the working class hating the politicians. The marines and Navy feel they do the "real work" while the AF sits on their butts looking at computer screens. I don't think that way, but some do.
In the end, we are all on the same team. Each branch plays a vital part in our national security.

Answer 10

of the 4 branches of the military(haven't included Coast Guard) Air Force is the unwanted step child.don't know why but as a family we can pick on our own;God help others who try though.
Probably rooted in jealously,in Navy I worked 112+ hour weeks while underway and 72 hour weeks while "resting" in port.Friends I had in Air Force worked 40 hour week with weekends off and had never heard of port and starboard duty days.
By the way,ASVAB score was 98% and i attended Nuclear Power School.Opted out and stayed conventional Machinist Mate.