Compare and Contrast of the Army and the Marines
Compare and Contrast of the Army and the Marine Corps
Gary W. McCoy
ENG 121
Julie Alfaro
November 1, 2010
Compare and Contrast of the Army and the Marine Corps The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. Although the United States Army and Marine Corps are both primarily ground- based forces and offer many similar career fields, the two branches are different in some very crucial areas. To accurately compare and contrast the services, it is important to look at their overall missions and career fields. The Army has its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on 14 June 1775 to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War (Wright, 1983). The Marine Corps, meanwhile, was organized by Captain Samuel Nicholas who formed two battalions of Continental Marines on 10 Nov 1775, as part of the Department of the Navy as an amphibious assault force and continues to operate in that capacity (Simmons, 2003). Although the establishment of the Army and the Marine Corps both began during the Revolutionary War, their original missions were quite different. The Marines were established as sharp shooters for U.S. Navy ships. Often when two ships came close to each other; it was rifleman who could make a big difference by firing at enemy sailors. A company of Marines also made sure that any mutinies by sailors didn’t last very long. The establishment of the U.S. Army under George Washington was aimed at building up a ground force with infantry, artillery and cavalry elements in the model of the great European armies of France and Britain. The purpose of the Army was to defeat opponents in large scale conflicts and occupy territory. The Army is the largest contingent of the United States military and is primarily tasked with sing its size to occupy territory and wage both short- and long-term wars on land. The Marine Corps, on the other hand, also
Gary W. McCoy
ENG 121
Julie Alfaro
November 1, 2010
Compare and Contrast of the Army and the Marine Corps The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. Although the United States Army and Marine Corps are both primarily ground- based forces and offer many similar career fields, the two branches are different in some very crucial areas. To accurately compare and contrast the services, it is important to look at their overall missions and career fields. The Army has its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on 14 June 1775 to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War (Wright, 1983). The Marine Corps, meanwhile, was organized by Captain Samuel Nicholas who formed two battalions of Continental Marines on 10 Nov 1775, as part of the Department of the Navy as an amphibious assault force and continues to operate in that capacity (Simmons, 2003). Although the establishment of the Army and the Marine Corps both began during the Revolutionary War, their original missions were quite different. The Marines were established as sharp shooters for U.S. Navy ships. Often when two ships came close to each other; it was rifleman who could make a big difference by firing at enemy sailors. A company of Marines also made sure that any mutinies by sailors didn’t last very long. The establishment of the U.S. Army under George Washington was aimed at building up a ground force with infantry, artillery and cavalry elements in the model of the great European armies of France and Britain. The purpose of the Army was to defeat opponents in large scale conflicts and occupy territory. The Army is the largest contingent of the United States military and is primarily tasked with sing its size to occupy territory and wage both short- and long-term wars on land. The Marine Corps, on the other hand, also