What do the Marines do?

[casual hex]

Okay, I get the airforce, they fly planes. And the Navy, they sail boats. And the army, they drive tanks and humvees with guns. But what do the marines do?

Do they fight on land, or water? The army drove the tanks up to Baghdad from Kuwait, and the airforce dropped bombs, while the navy fired cruise missiles. Where do the marines fit into this picture?

Thanks for filling in this gap in my knowledge.

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. Marines are amphibious assault troops.

They're usually the first deployed; their usual combat role is to secure beachheads for large-scale landings, to act in close support of naval operations (combined shore bombardment/infantry assault), and the like. Whereas the Army fulfils the ground combat role, and the Air Force provides air support for Army ground operations (fighter cover/tactical bombing/etc). '


The best illustration is probably the Pacific theatre of operations during WWII; The Marine Corps served as the spearpoint of MacArthur's 'island-hopping' strategy, engaging in amphibious assault with naval support and capturing Japanese-held islands which then became bases for more extensive Army and Army Air Force staging and deployment.

[KeepItReal]

2. All of the above, actually

The Marines are self-contained forces capable of projecting power from their ships (baby aircraft carriers).

They have their own amphibious assault vehicles, tanks, jeeps, artillery, helos, jets, you name it...

[Solo_in_MD]

20. Another key point is that they can fight unsupported for up to 30 days

A Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) is a composite tactical unit with its own air, armor, and artillery that can fight without support unlike the Army or Navy which needs to stage. All of its tactics and equipment are focused on "in from the sea" tactical missions. Their aircraft is focused on ground support vice strategic which is why they have Harriers& Hornets, not the B-2.

Given the mobility in the US military, it could be augured that the Marines could be absorbed into the Army (ground portion) and Navy (air portion) at some financial savings, but clearly the American people and politicians support their existence outside of the them to the point that the Marines pretty much get what they push for when it comes to budget within the DoD.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

3. What they do! The official song of the United States Marine Corps.

:shrug: :patriot: From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli
We will fight out country's battles in the air, on land and sea
First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean
We are proud to claim the title of United States Marine.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze, from dawn to setting sun
We have fought in every clime and place, where we could take a gun
From the snows of far off northern lands, and in sunny tropic scenes
You will find us always on the job, The United States Marines

Here's health to you and to our Corps, which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life, and never lost our nerve
If the Army and the Navy, ever looked on heaven's scenes
They would find the streets are guarded by, The United States Marines :patriot: :dem:

[Toots]

19. First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha We got one clean honor all right......Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Torture for clean honor.. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Invade countries for oil and power for clean honor .. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

[Erika]

4. My marine nephew just got back from his 2nd tour

He was in a kill squad. He was front line in retaking Fallujah. They are the heavy guys. Kill squad means what it sounds like.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Erika]

6. They are the heavy guys

My nephew, at 21 and his 2nd tour has had to scrape up the remnants of his buds. He lost his hearing in one concussion but regained it.

[Dogmudgeon]

7. Omaha Beach, too

--p!

[DianaForRussFeingold]

9. For your Nephew. Hero!

:hi: Nice song! "Remember It All" -http://www.goodtogovideo.com/audio/No%20Less%20the%20Heroes.MP3 Music and lyrics by Charles David Denler..Listen to a song from the "No Less The Heroes" soundtrack http://www.goodtogovideo.com/audio/No%20Less%20the%20Heroes.wmv
:patriot:

[Erika]

11. His mother loves Cindy Sheehan

and has done some personal protests. That's between the two of them.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

12. "Remember It All" "No Less The Heroes" A Tribute to your Nephew

:hi: Nice song! "Remember It All" -http://www.goodtogovideo.com/audio/No%20Less%20the%20Heroes.MP3 Music and lyrics by Charles David Denler..Listen to a song from the "No Less The Heroes" movie trailor; http://www.goodtogovideo.com/audio/No%20Less%20the%20Heroes.wmv
:patriot:

[DianaForRussFeingold]

13. Sorry the second one is a Movie Trailor !

I support the troops,but not the bozos that sent them to an illegal, unjust occupation,of a country that didnt attack us.Support The Troops Bring them Home! Send the Chickenhawks in their place.:kick:

[johnaries]

8. In the Army, we called them sand bags.

They would go in first, and then we would use their bodies as sand bags.

Sick, I know. We said and did a lot of sick things.

[Erika]

10. Yep.

Marines are front line gung-ho's. They go in first.

[VolcanoJen]

14. As the proud granddaughter of a Marine...

... I say Semper Fi.

Excellent, educational responses within this thread.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

15. Bush & A Soldier´s Mother- A mother's pain-Her meeting with President

Bush & A Soldier´s Mother
In this touching video clip, a mother of a fallen soldier recalls her meeting with President Bush. You feel her pain. This is what online video is all about - offering information the MSM will not show. http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx-itemnum-1614 Her name is Mrs. Dolores Kesterson ;A True Hero

Bill O'Reilly Lowers the Bar Again

I thought that Bill had brought on a mom named Dolores Kesterson who had lost her son in the war and who would take an opposite stance than Cindy Sheehan. Mrs. Dolores Kesterson rocks! Bottom line: Americans are sick and tired of all the bullshit lies that have been handed to us. It's time to tell the truth. Didn't you love it when she said that Michael Moore wasn't responsible for any deaths, but Bush was! This is the best thing that could have happened. Congratulations, Mrs. Kesterson, You and Cindy Sheehan are my heroes. http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/08/10.html found on Crooks and Liars

[Up2Late]

16. One thing I learned recently about Marines, Never tell a Marine that...

...they are part of The Navy, even though, technically, they are the Marine Corp, A Corp being a sub-division of an Army, or in this case, the Navy. <http://www.answers.com/topic/military-unit-1>

They get very angry, very quickly when you tell them that.

<http://www.answers.com/topic/united-states-marine-corps>

Marine Corps, United States, military corps that forms a separate service within the U.S. Dept. of the Navy. The commandant of the Marine Corps is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During conflicts, the Corps is charged with conducting all land operations essential to the successful prosecution of a naval campaign (see marines); during peacetime, its top priority is combat readiness. Famous for its esprit de corps, the Corps emphasizes physical fitness and intensive training. In 1775, the Continental Congress created two federal battalions of marines to serve as naval infantry. In 1798, the United States Marine Corps was established and placed under the control of the Secretary of the Navy. Marines have participated in every major war, especially the Mexican War; World War I; World War II; the Korean War; and the Vietnam War. They have developed expertise in counterinsurgency and guerrilla warfare, as well as in commando operations and amphibious warfare. Marine units are self-sufficient, with their own tanks and other armor, artillery, and air forces.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

17. Thank You,That's nice to know.

I have heard that. I hear they don't like to be called soldiers. They liked to be called Troops though. This is interesting.The history of the marine song; http://www.contemplator.com/america/marine.html 'The tune is from the "Two Men in the Army", part of the comic opera in "Genevieve de Brabant" by Jacques Offenbach.

The words are said to have been composed by a Marine stationed in Mexico (circa 1847). Some time afterward the poem was published in The Quanitco Leatherneck. For several decades the words were sung to an old Spanish folk tune.

Two Men in the Army became popular immediately after its debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1868. Generations of marines sang the tune and it eventually became paired with the Marine's Hymn. The two were first published together in 1919. In 1920 the United States Marine Corps copyrighted the song.

The first two lines were inscribed on the corps colors from "a date of many years ago". The first two lines refer to action the Corps saw in the Mexican American War and war with the Barbary Pirates. The last verse was probably written in 1911 by Col. Henry C. Davis.

"In the air, on land and sea"was originally "On the land as on the sea." The words were changed by order of the Commandant (thanks Jerry Beach!) :hi: :dem:

[GCP]

18. Oh bullshit

We all know that we're a Dept of the Navy, it's not going to come as a surprise to any of us, and the ones who do make a big deal out of it are just loudmouth morans, which every branch possesses.

[hootinholler]

21. Yep and those are the ones who are fun to remind them.

He who enters covered here, shall buy the bar a round of cheer.

-Hoot

[Up2Late]

22. That's what I figured too, but MAN, did this retired Marine get upset...

...when I told him that I had just realized that fact.

I had never made the connection before, but I guess I ran into the wrong retired Marine that day.

Thank you for your service. :patriot:

[Midlodemocrat]

24. /

:thumbsup:

[brentspeak]

23. The Marine Corps lobbied the Navy to take them under their wing

after WWII. That's because the Army, along with some politicians, were trying to disband the Corps.

(Key up an impromptu history lecture...)

The Marines and the Army had traditionally not exactly been good buddies, but relations hit an all-time low during WWI, when the Marines took all the credit for winning a particular battle (name of which currently escapes me). The Army had a policy of not talking to the press about battles; the Marines didn't. Basically, the Corps implied to the press that the Army had bungled during the battle in question, and that the Marines had to bail them out. The Army never forgave the Marine Corps for that. When WWII came around, the Army went out of its way to prevent the Marines from participating in the European theater. That's why the Army's 101st Airborne took part in D-Day and the Marine Corps didn't, even though D-Day was exactly the kind of operation the Marines were trained for.

Even after WWII, the Army still was trying to disband the Marines, but eventually the Corps struck a deal with the Navy (who themselves had earlier also tried to get rid of the Marines) to become a division under the auspices of the Navy, in effect protecting the Marine Corps.

This reminds me: one day I want to write an article on the history of U.S. military inter-branch conflicts.