The Navy and Marine Corps Difference
The Navy provides protection on the seas to ensure free travel and economic prosperity. Its members deploy for many different missions including amphibious assaults.
The Marines are known as the quick reaction branch, ready to dive into conflict with little notice. Even though they technically serve under the Navy, they have their own distinct characteristics and rank structure.
Specialized Units
The Marine Corps is an armed forces branch that specializes in amphibious missions. Its members are trained to capture and take control of beach heads, and they also create attack routes that enable assault on the enemy from almost any direction or outlet. Often seen as a light version of the Army, the Marines can be rapidly deployed.
As a result, they are able to act as the first response during military conflict. In addition to combat missions, the Marine Corps is also equipped for land and water-based security operations.
Although the Marines technically serve under the Navy, they are an independent branch with a different command system and different uniforms. The head of the Marine Corps reports to civilian Secretary of Defense, rather than to Navy officials.
Specialized Personnel
Every branch of the United States Armed Forces has unique characteristics and the Marine Corps is no exception. Although the Marine Corps is part of the Navy, its commander reports to civilian Secretary of the Navy officials and it has a separate command system and different uniform.
While the Marine Corps includes many frontline combat troops, not every Marine is a special operator. Only those who complete the grueling SEAL training become special operators and are a part of a SEAL team.
Sailors, on the other hand, are responsible for operating submarines and surface ships, as well as maintaining aircraft carriers. They also perform search-and-rescue missions. Marines are a key component of the nation’s response to natural disasters, from fighting wild fires in western states to helping people evacuate during hurricanes.
Specialized Training
The Navy and Marine Corps have different responsibilities and functions, but they are united by a common commitment to protect the homeland. Whether you join the Navy or the Marines, specialized training is a key component of your service.
The Marines are a force that focuses on amphibious missions and are often the first to respond in military conflicts. They are also the branch that specializes in naval boarding, guarding prisoners and protecting the nation’s embassies around the world.
Recruits are trained at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, SC. They go through 10 weeks of basic training and then are advanced to their specific military occupational specialty, such as aircraft mechanic or medical specialist. Recruits also undergo specialized training for SEALs, which includes six months of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and four months of intense advanced tactical training.
Specialized Equipment
Although the Marine Corps is a branch of the Navy, it is an independent force with its own command system, uniform and objectives. It is also an elite fighting force, and the head of the Marines reports to the civilian Secretary of the Navy instead of to Navy officials.
The Marine Corps is equipped to act as a quick reaction force and provides support to the Army during land operations. It specializes in controlling entry points into sea ports and carrying out amphibious combat missions.
The Marines have a reputation for high standards, and recruits go through an extensive training regiment. They spend eight weeks in basic training, learning physical fitness, firearms and shipboard emergency procedures. The Marines also undergo specialized training in hand-to-hand combat and combat first aid.
Specialized Skills
The Marine Corps specializes in controlling the entry and exit points of sea ports and carrying out amphibious combat missions. They operate as a quick reaction force, outfitted with units ready to be the first boots on the ground of any conflict.
Marines are an autonomous body that has a different command system, uniform and objectives than the navy. The only thing they share with the navy is that they both work in the military.
The only exception to this is the Navy SEALs. These are an elite military force that is more selective and harder to get into than the Marines. SEALs undergo intense training that includes Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL BUD/S school, parachute jump school and SEAL Qualification Training. They are also able to take part in highly specialized missions like direct action warfare, special reconnaissance and foreign internal defense.