The United States of America has one of the world’s most powerful and well-trained military forces.
The Navy and Marine Corps are two out of the five branches of the U.S. military.
The Continental Congress officially established the Marines and Navy in 1775.
Formerly, each service received its mission from Congress.
The Marine Corps and the Navy are both separate entities, though closely related.
Even so, despite their connections, the two forces remain very different.
Differences between Marines and Navy personnel are most noticeable in how they train for combat and close-contact combat skills.
However, most Navy personnel are trained to handle advanced technology, such as advanced ships and weapons, while maintaining, manning, sailing, and deploying them.
In the Marine Corps, technological aspects are rarely covered. Navy personnel are also specialized in overseeing seaport entries and exits.
However, the Marine Corps is responsible for amphibious combat operations.
What to know more? keep reading till the end as I’ll be going through it all.
The Marines: Everything You Need To Know
The Marine Corps is a particular military branch that is organized and explicitly trained for duty at sea and on land during naval campaigns.
Marines are the only branch of the armed forces that serve within another branch while remaining separate.
Marines use quick reaction forces and have special units at their disposal trained to handle crises anywhere and everywhere.
1775 marked the separation of the Marine Corps from the Navy and its recognition as an independent body. Andrew Jackson requested in 1834 that the Marines be merged into the Army.
Nonetheless, they are part of the Navy, since they can operate on land as well as on water. The Navy and the Marine Corps have been designated as “sister services” from that point forward.
The Navy: Everything You Need To Know
The United States Navy protects the country from the sea and provides support to other armed forces when required.
The Navy’s primary mission is to safeguard the seas from any attack by the sea so that the country can leverage the waterways whenever, wherever, and however, the country needs them. The Navy can supplement the USMC and Air Force’s air power during conflict and deploy to remote locations without runways.
It can also launch cruise missiles and heavy guns against land targets.
Additionally, the Navy is responsible for ferrying Marines from military bases to hostile areas and between bases.
Know The Difference
The Marine Corps and Navy have many commonalities, despite playing different roles.
Both are necessary for each other to carry out any specific mission. Still, they have a lot of differences.
Here is a short video showing the differences between both services:
Differentiation in Structures and Organizations
It’s pretty much like the Army in terms of organization. Their personnel is also assigned to different platoons and squadrons based on their role in the agency and current position.
There are also other groups such as expeditionary units, primary units, crews for aircraft, and direct teams.
The Navy’s structure is a lot more complicated than that of its sister service.
Its central division includes two branches, namely administrative and combat.
Their further classification depends on the assigned missions.
Moreover, they are also classified into teams and fleets.
Defining The Navy’s And Marine Corps’ Responsibilities
The Navy’s mission is primarily to defend allies and promote economic prosperity, travel, and freedom of the seas while protecting the United States at sea.
Its position as the world’s strongest and largest Navy involves the US Navy in massive fleet movements.
There are large formations of warships at sea, consisting of dock landing ships, aircraft carriers, destroyers, and more—these warships transport aircraft and personnel as required throughout the world.
Nevertheless, the Marine Corps is a quick-response force capable of mobilizing whenever a combat situation arises.
Despite their organized and self-sufficient nature, the Marines usually act independently. They don’t need constant supervision.
They are known as the first boots on the ground in any conflict.
What’s The Difference Between The Training Of Marines And the Navy?
Naval training is generally more concerned with technical skills. Moreover, they are trained in the use of firearms.
Regarding warfare, their fitness regimen is mainly concentrated on shipboard activities.
During the Navy’s training camp, there are nearly eight weeks of training scheduled.
In contrast to the Navy, the Marines are more experienced in combat than they are in non-combat-related training.
Guns, martial arts, and strenuous physical training are all essential components of their training.
As an excellent example of how difficult the training is, they have to complete a fifty-four-hour trial which includes hiking, counterattacks, and very little sleep, as part of a fifty-four-hour trial.
The duration of the camp is between 12 and 13 weeks.
Chief Objective Of The Marines And The Navy
The primary objective of the Navy is to protect the maritime and territorial integrity of a country, offshore assets, and citizens of that country.
Nevertheless, the goal of the Marines is to defend the national interests.
Is It Harder To Be A Marine Or A Navy Seal?
Navy Seals must undergo a more intricate process to join the armed forces than Marines.
It is more challenging to train for Navy Seals than Marines.
As compared to the Marine Corps, it must be tough to become a Navy Seal.
However, comparing simple navy service members with Marines, the former’s training is quite challenging.
The Duties Of the Marine and Navy
Each mission calls for different duties between the two.
Nevertheless, the success of both depends on one another.
Here is a table showing the roles and responsibilities of both.
| Navy | Marines |
| Perform covert, classified Special Operations/Special Warfare operations via air, sea, or land | Gather, process, and disseminate sensitive classified information |
| Capture high-value targets and terrorists worldwide. | Make use of firearms to fight and destroy enemies. |
| Surveillance missions to gather as much information and intelligence as possible. | In the logistics unit, Marines can assist when needed ashore. |
| They carry out operational missions against small, direct-action targets. | The ability to perform preventative maintenance on a variety of hardware and software systems. |
| Before amphibious landings, conduct underwater reconnaissance and demolish natural and artificial obstacles. | They clear the land for Army, acting as the first line of combat in significant conflicts. |
Which Comes First, The Navy or the Marines?
Since 1921, the Marine Corps, not the Navy, has dominated the American Navy.
The Marine Corps consistently cites its origins as the Continental Congress legislation creating the Continental Marines on 10 November 1775.
From its founding until 1972, the United States Navy gave various answers to this question.
In most cases, the re-establishment of the system in the 1790s was cited as a reason for reform.
Because of this, the Marine Corps is regarded as preceding the Navy.
It should be noted, however, that the Navy was created before the Marine Corps.
Marines Are Part Of The Navy, Right?
The US Marines have been classified as separate branches of the US military, yet they still work as part of the US Navy.
The armed forces have only one branch, which functions in conjunction with another but remains independent.
This military branch was initially known as the Continental Marines, as it was not part of the Navy. It was however taken over by the Navy a few years later.
What Makes A Marine Different From A Soldier?
Marines are not considered soldiers as their training and all other things like uniforms or the force’s history are pretty different from soldiers. They have their unique recognition.
Moreover, they don’t like it when they are called soldiers.
Are Seals Navy Or Marine?
A seal is a member of the US Navy. They are different from Marines.
There is no comparison between the Marine Corps and the Navy Seals in terms of their elite and brutal nature.
Not everyone can get selected for this branch of the Navy.
The average soldier, even the Marine, cannot handle the training they undergo.
How Often Do Marines Go To War?
In a war, Marines play an important role in offensive and defensive operations.
They are probably the first foot on the ground in many conflicts, especially those involving landing and clearing any beach for additional troops to land.
Is The Marine Corps Answerable To The Navy?
The Marines work directly under the Secretary of the Navy since they’re part of the naval force.
Final TakeAway
- The US Navy and Marine Corps are two separate branches of the military. Both have different roles.
- The Navy focuses on protecting maritime borders and ensuring global security at sea.
- The Marine Corps acts as a quick-response force during conflicts.
- They have distinct training programs. The Navy emphasizes technical skills. Whereas, Marines focus on combat training.
- Despite differences, they collaborate closely on missions and support each other.
- Marines’ structure is similar to the Army’s structure. Whereas the Navy has a more intricate organization.
- Marines excel in close combat. Whereas Navy personnel are skilled in operating advanced technology.
- Understanding how they differ is important to see how they work together.
- Both branches are vital for safeguarding US interests and national security.
These are a few of the prominent differences between both forces.