ok. my boy's a marine and he told me something that is kinda hard for me to comprehend (just kinda hard for me to believe this idea). anyways, basically he said that since the USMC is the only branch that is directly controled by the POTUS (prez of the us) what bush did to start war after he was denied permission of war from congress was to rush in the marines. after the marines were sent in, the us had no choice but to follow through and the whole war and iraqi freedom thing. is this true (the whole marines under direct control of potus thing). if so, do you think the marines should join the rest of the branches and be unaccessable for the potus to utilize until approval from congress?
INTELLECTUAL responses welcome.
2007-10-08 16:21:29 · 17 answers · asked by LuvingMBLAQ 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Didnt congress vote in favor of war?
2007-10-08 16:28:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I am sorry but your boy is in error on a few points.
1. The Marines are under the Navy. The Navy, Army, and Air Force fall under the Joint Chief of Staff, the JCS falls under the Secretary of Defense who works for POTUS or the Commander in Chief if you will.
2. POTUS under the Constitution can declare war if and when he wants to. He then must go to Congress and get appreoval for his decision.
3. Under the War Powers Act POTUS can send troupes anywhere in the world he wants as long as he notifies Congress within so many days. This law has never been tested in Court. The reason is both sides do not the court to say it is right or wrong.
4. POTUS can send the military into war as long as he has funding. Teddy Roosevelt sent the Navy around the world and only got 3/4 the way because the Navy ran out of money. The Viet Nam War ended because the Congress stopped paying for it. The Iraqi Freedom War will end when we meet our goals or the Congress cuts funding.
5. Finally the President of the United States is the Commander in Chief of all the military branches as per the Constitution of the United States. Congress or the Supreme Court cannot order the military to do anything. Congress approves the money, makes the Uniform Code of Military Justice, promotes the officers, awards the Medal of Honor, approves the various Secretaries of the Military, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. Congress cannot fire a military officer or enlisted man. They can impeach a Secretary, the Vice President or the President. Once impeached they would be tried in the Senate for High Crimes and Misdomenors.
2007-10-08 23:40:45 · answer #2 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
All branches of the military directly answer to the POTUS. The Marine Corps like to think they are the only ones. Aside from that we were building up troops for 6 months prior to the invasion and were ready to invade in the winter of 2002 but we waited for yet another UN resolution until the spring of 2003. The team I was with actually beat the Marines to Saddam International Airport, quickly renamed Bush International Airport then again quickly renamed Baghdad International Airport.
Anyways, the President can order the military to do anything but with Congress constitutionally holding the purse strings not much can be done with out funding.
2007-10-08 23:43:35 · answer #3 · answered by badbender001 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, the Marines don't have any different control than any of the other US military branches. The President of the United States is nominally the Commander in Chief, but what he does with US military forces is controlled to a great extent by Congress. George Bush, nor any other president, can not simply send troops into a foreign country strictly on his own.
What your son may have been alluding to is the mission for which the Marines are trained --- to lead the way in major military operations.
2007-10-08 23:37:22 · answer #4 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The United States Marine Corps is in the Department of the Navy. The Commandant of Marines reports to the Secretary of the Navy, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, who reports to the President. That is the chain of command established by the Defense Department Organization Act of 1947. Congress authorized offensive military operation in Iraq in Public Law #107-243, which was enacted in 2002. The President did not execute that authority until March 19, 2003. The Marines landed at Um Qasr in Southern Iraq, near the port of Basra, after the air campaign began on March 19th.
2007-10-09 01:17:23 · answer #5 · answered by desertviking_00 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The marines corp falls under the navy. The president is the commander in chief he pretty much says jump and the military says how high. The problem with him just giving orders without the approval of congress could mean impeachement and all that good stuff. Also your son needs to go back to basic. I am in the service myself and he seems to be a little confused at how the chain of command works.
2007-10-08 23:47:56 · answer #6 · answered by arwensilverwind 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Marines nor any other branch can no more make themselves "inaccessible" to the President than I can fly to the moon. Your son is totally mistaken that the Marines are the only branch under control of the President, as he is the Commander in Chief of ALL branches. The President out ranks all those generals in all the services, to put it simply. You son needs to study the chain of command and how it works. Should your son attempt to make himself 'inaccessible', he'll find himself in a world of new educational opportunities such as how the military legal system works.
2007-10-09 13:30:23 · answer #7 · answered by Chris L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that the President should have POTUS over -all- branches of the military. As far as the marines go, they should be split into the other three major ones, with their pilots going to the air force, their ships going to the navy, and their soldiers, armor and (some) helicopters going with the army so that there aren't two seperate ground assault branches. The Coast Guard should probably be part of the Navy too. Those political views sicken me and millions of others.
I appreciate your plea for INTELLECTUAL responses.
2007-10-08 23:51:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The USMC are a Corps of the US Navy. They are not a separate entity. They are not a 'department'
The President has the authority to commit troops to any area he feels needs a military presence. He cannot commit indefinitely. And he cannot declare war. After war is declared, he cannot end a war. He cannot simply say "War's over, come home." He can, in theory as the commander-in-chief, reassign all deployed forces to the continental US. Basically ending a war on foreign soil.
2007-10-09 05:26:40 · answer #9 · answered by NSA 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The US Marines are controlled by DOD same as the other branches of the service. And Congress did pass a resolution authorizing the use of Force against Iraq. That combined with a resolution making the removal of Saddam a matter of National policy passed by congress and signed by president Clinton gave the President all he needed. Your son is feeding you a line.
2007-10-08 23:30:57 · answer #10 · answered by smsmith500 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Congress did authorize the war in Iraq. Kerry and Both Clintons said Saddam had WMD, "without a doubt on the day" Bill left office.
The Marines did not go in alone.
They are under direct control of the President.
2007-10-08 23:31:08 · answer #11 · answered by John T 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋