Marines vs Army

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drakem

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Joined
Dec 1, 2016
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33
Hi all,

First of all - no, I am not asking for a debate on which branch is tougher/better. I'd just like to know the differences in function/structure between the army and the marines. My school doesnt have a marine corps ROTC unit, but it does have army.

What is the main difference between the 2? I know that marines are known for being "tougher" by the general populace, but I'm really not sure what the difference is between the two branches.

Thanks!
 
Marines have better uniforms and all of us handle a rifle after boot camp. The creed is that every Marine is a rifleman first. Army can't say that.
 
Let's see....the differences between the Army and the Marines, well, they are the 2nd and 3rd choice for those that don't go into the Coast Guard.

Sorry, couldn't resist.
 
Not sure what you're after but *generally* speaking, the overwhelming majority of Marines are "foot soldiers" and of course "Every Marine a rifleman". And it's part of what makes the Marine Corps so deadly. Every single enlisted Marine learns, both at bootcamp and at the School of Infantry (SOI), the basics of how to be an infantryman. At bootcamp new Marines get training in marksmanship and combat marksmanship. As you can see on the Wikilinks above, the Marines have about 182,000 on Active Duty and 35,000 Reserves.

Contrast that with the Army that has 475,000 on AD and another 540,000 in Reserves and the National Guard. Consequently, there is more competition but also more opportunities. The different types of equipment the Army has open up many different career fields that the Marines might not have. Something else you MAY care about if where you might like to be stationed. Each service has military installations in locations that the others don't. My daughter is an Army Nurse and went the Army route vs Navy because she wants to get stationed in Germany.
 
Can of worms and then some....

upload_2016-12-14_12-33-19.jpeg

@NavyNOLA puts you on the track. Please read as much as you can on the basic history and doctrine on the two branches.
Understand that the USMC is part of the U.S. Navy so as a Marine, you would need to get used to ships and the ocean.

Some random thoughts from a parent:
  • It is very important that you understand that there is a prestige in the Marine Corps that attracts a lot of candidates, and because the Marines as a branch is much smaller, the competition for NROTC/MO slots is higher.
  • You can also derive prestige by pursuing Army Rangers, Special Forces, Night Stalkers in the Army. Not as well publicized as the Corps, but no one would doubt their effectiveness.
  • If you want to keep open the possiblity of flying jets, the Corps offers that. The Army Aviation only involves helicopters.
  • My DS ultimately ended up with an Army Scholarship and likes the variety of opportunities to lead a platoon over the lower odds at the Marines.
Do your research! Visit both!

But don't come here to cause a riot.
 
Last edited:
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com...otc-marine-option-or-arotc.52333/#post-514824

Here is a similar discussion from a few weeks ago. Also use the search function on the forum as there are tons and tons of these threads and discussions about USMC vs Army. It would be a good idea to read and do some research and then ask some specific questions. I am a USNA grad and former USMC officer, more than happy to answer questions. The question that you ask is so broad we could type for hours, but nothing we haven't already typed in previous threads.
 
Sorry, everyone. I honestly did not mean to cause any trouble. I'll be more conscientous next time.

My specific question, after reading all of this information, is: does the army not fly planes/fixed wing aircraft like the marines? Marines fly helicopters and planes, right?
 
drakem said:
My specific question, after reading all of this information, is: does the army not fly planes/fixed wing aircraft like the marines? Marines fly helicopters and planes, right?
Click to expand...

The Army does have some fixed wing aircraft, primarily the C-12 & RC-12 Huron, they do have just a few UC-35 Cessna Jets. The main Aviation mission in the Army is Rotary Wing.
 
Look at the PFT scoring charts for Marines vs Army and you'll see why people might consider Marines tougher. Also, another real big difference is that the Marines have the best PR department (from one who loves the Corps)
 
Is it true that the Marine Corps is widely known as the Junior Army (or Army JV)?
 
kinnem said:
Look at the PFT scoring charts for Marines vs Army and you'll see why people might consider Marines tougher. Also, another real big difference is that the Marines have the best PR department (from one who loves the Corps)
Click to expand...

Their PR department (actually marketing) is a PR firm (so contracted).
 
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