Why do we have three distinct armed services?

Question

Yes, I know that the Marines and the Coast Guard are going to fuss, but you are still Department of the Navy. Try to keep on topic.
What is the point of having the distinct and separate supply channels, support channels, R&D lanes...
I suggest that we switch to a National Defense Service. We would still have Marines, but they would be similiar to Rangers in the way they are created.
We would still have sailors, pilots, tankers, etc, but they would be career fields in the Service.
We could get rid of some of the Liaisons. Do we really need to have distinct C2 for separate service Chaplain Corps?
Do we really need a JSAM if we already have the NAM and the AAM?
I think it is time for reform, what do you say?

Doesn't the Coast Guard still revert to Navy control during time of war?
The services now have four distinct uniform patterns. The Army and Marines have distinct body armor and helmets.
Don't combine the services due to tradition? What a BS answer. To fight based on tradition would have us line up in files on the battle field to fire volleys.
People said the same thing about tradition when the regiments were broken up. Ask 7th Cav if they still their traditions. Ask the Manchus if they honor their traditions.
BTW, I am active duty with 10 years in, so knock off the "you're an outsider and wouldn't understand" condescending tone.
Last, the two largest apmhibious assaults in history were carried out by the Army with Navy and Coast Guard help. The Marines were no where around. Obviously the argument of 'specific missions' holds no water.

Answer 1

The Coast Guard is in the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to that it was in the Department of Transportation and, earlier, in the Department of the Treasury. It was only part of the United States Navy during World War Two.
What you are advocating is the "purple suit" concept. That comes when you mix blue and green, resulting in the color purple. It is slowly coming in the various medical departments of the military services. And there has been some consolidation of logistics, communications and intelligence support functions as well. But, we have a larger force than our northern neighbor which has gone to a single national defense force. Still, we do have a single Transport Command and a single North American Defense Command which are manned by personnel from all branches.

Answer 2

First off Boom latz get it straight on one thing the Marines are part of the Department of the Navy and not the U.S. Navy; used to be (pre WW2) that all services were under the Scecretary of War and not seperate Cabinet level positions existed for any of them. Second the U.S. Coast Guard is not in the Dept of the Navy or Department of Defense, they are in fact not a military service by definition and only come under the Dept of the Navy when in a declared state of war. To answer yur question-probably never because of the traditions of the different services and all would fight having a single service. It is really a matter of politcs and won't happen; god idea or not it will not happen in the forseeable future if ever. Seperate R&D would still be necessarym there is actually little duplicate R&D done because the ervice needs are fairly specific, the Navy and Air Force do not care that much about what tank is in developemnt, the Marines and Army could care less about what strategic bomber is being developed, fighters and light attack have become a joint effort between the seervices interested in it but the simple fact aircraft operating off of carriers and land bases do have some different requirements and compromise is not always best so you develop two. The "cost savings" is mostly imaginery because in real life much of the R&R would still be either indepent or a joint trade-off. the supply chains are already largely integated into the Department of Defense system and all services can get parts from other services supply chain by just using the regalr channels. Besides most of what you would be actually cutting would be civilian workers/management and that would not happen with the way Civil Service is set up.

Answer 3

The Marines are Department of the Navy. The Coast Guard, however, is Department of Homeland Security.

Further, the Marine Corps was recognized as a separate service, along with the Air Force, with the National Security Act of 1947, so you're only 60 years behind the times there.

The legal basis for the Coast Guard is 14 U.S.C. § 1 which states: "The Coast Guard as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times." Tracking off by almost a century there.

Perhaps you'd be more persuasive if you knew the organizations and histories you want to mess with?

Answer 4

You will probably have to serve some time in our military services to understand why we have three military departments(Dept of the Army, Dept of the Navy and Dept.of the Air Force). Their functions are very distinct and very different but they still cooridinate with one another under the Department of Defense and the JCOS. Only a little nation, something like Jamaica could operate in the way you suggest.

The Marines are not entirely as seperate service as the USAF is. There is no Department of the Marine Corps. They are part of the Department of the Navy with their paystubs saying so. In Sept. 1947 the US Army Air Forces were formally separated from the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force was formed.

Also, the United States Coast Guard is NOT under the Department of the Navy. It was originally in the Department of the Treasury (NOT Commerce) until 1967where it was place under the Department of Transportation until very recently when it was placed under the Department of Homeland Security. They are only placed under administration of the Navy Department when we have an official Declaration of War by Congress which we have not had since World War Two. I will also correct a previous response in that they ARE a military service since they receive military training(including firearms), military pay rates, adhere to all military customes, fall under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and have served in combat in every military conflict since 1790. They are not to be confused with the Canadian Coast Guard, which is a civilian administered entity and serves no funtion in their national defense.

Answer 5

Each service has its own function and therefore they each have a place in how this country conducts its defense. I'm no expert in these matters, but I am a veteran with 12 years of service in the US Army. My brother was a Marine and I have family who were in the Navy. I understand your question, but I don't think this country will ever change or consolidate it's Armed Services. Like they say in the Army (and I think it applies to this too) There's the right way, the wrong way and the Army way; in this case the Dept of Defense way. I probably didn't help you much, but that's as much of my opinion as I can offer without talking out of my you know what. Have a nice day.

Answer 6

I wont touch the Marines and Coasties everyone else has done that. The (ch)Air Force was originally the army air corpse.Why sepparate? Different supply lines ? Chain of command? Logistics, Its easier to track and keep supplied a Navy and an Army than try to do both together. Each has different needs etc. Get it got it good

Answer 7

Hon, if you studied any of the military branches you could answer your own question. They have rich traditions that make each branch necessary to the National Defense! No one branch is better than the others and no other branch is less that the others, they all work in conjunction to each other. Without even one of them the war is lost!

Answer 8

nicely suggested, VG, I, myself ( In a prior incarnation ) have tried to get the Bullfighting section thoroughly pulled, via posting Satirical questions approximately Dogfighting, and Badger & bear Baiting, yet all I have been given grew to become into abuse from nicely meaning Doggie fans, who did no longer get the place i grew to become into coming from,or hyperlinks to disgusting dogfighting movies, published on U- Tube, via inbred Redneck human beings. i do no longer inevitably disagree with Bullfighting, I in simple terms think of that's finished "Mano et Toro", with the two events utilising basically the weapons that God gave them. Fists vs Hoof & Horn. How plenty extra staggering which would be. curiously, interior the Camargue,they have a much extra exciting version of Bullfighting, with none cruelty, the place human beings could desire to take carry of garlands of flowers from off the Bulls Horns,often ensuing in harm, ( to the human beings ) and the place the Bulls are respected, and nicely dealt with. they only use the semi-wild White Camargue Bulls, and those are at as quickly as descended from the( now, regrettably extinct ) wild ecu Aurochs. Toodle Pip, previous element, KK.

Answer 9

Actually, Coast Guard was Dept of Commerce and now is Dept of Homeland Security -----

But anyway, it is a check and balance so that one general cannot become all powerful.