Jay
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The marines fight the battles, storm the beaches, and neutralize the enemy.
The navy gives them a ride to the battle.
Bamaman
The Marines were orginally a detachement assigned to Navyt ships. Their purporse and mission were 1. Repell boraders, 2. Man the masts during a naval engagement and shoot down upon the other ships members during a naval engagement, 3. Make landings, 4. Secure, protect and defend seaports, 5. Prevent the ship's crew from munitity.
Over the years they have evolved into an all encompassing rapid deployment force. While the Army has helicopeters, they do not have their own fighter-bombers, attack helicopters, close air support ~ which is provided to them through the Air Froce ~ the Marines do. The vast majority of the Earth is covered by water ~ and so the capability to project almost instaneous force over the horizon is a pretty handy thing to have in one's aresnal.
The United States Navy and Marine Corps are task orientated. Given any given task ~ mission ~ they put together the the right combination of ships, equipment and personal. Marines can be deployed anywhere in the world ~ combat ready with a matter of hours or days.
An example of this was the first Gulf War ~ Desert Storm - Shield. When Iraq invaded Kuwait, the President sent in the 82nd and 101st Airborne. They were on the ground in a matter of days, but they were not combat deployable, because the would months to get their aritliry, tanks, personal carriers, Bradley fighting vehilces in place.
By contrast, two Marine Infrantry Battalions were deployed and on the ground in Sauidi Arabia with 24 hours , and reported to General Swcharzkoff, in which he inquired "When will you be combat deployable, to which the Marine Commanders responded , "We will fully combat deployable with 24 hours, Sir!" This blew him away, and he couldn't belive it.
The reason the could do this was because the Navy ~ Marine Corps team has pre-loaded cargo ships, pre-deployed, and stationed near by potential hot spots throughout the world. These ships are all ready loaded with everything a Marine unit will need. Tanks, Cannons, Ammunition, Water, Medical Supplies, Tents, Food Service Equipment, Armories, HUMVEES, fuel, computers, admin supplies, etc.
The ships go to where they're needed and ordered, the Marines are flown in and link up with the cargo ships and off load them.
The Marines ARE NOT PART of the Navy, ~ they're a separated part of the Department of the Navy, sort of like two brothers of the same family.
The Marine Corps and Navy are a TEAM!
paul67337
Marines are a bad azz subset of the navy. Sort of like raptors are a subset of birds.
deakosha
uhh, isn't the navy those shipyard ppl and the marines are those heavy gear killing machine with guns?