Is It Better to Join The Marines or The Army?

What does a person do when they want to become part of something big? When they want to serve their country and be someone everyone looks up to, respects and admires. When an individual makes the decision to join the military and wants to make a difference, be in the fight and have a chance to save lives, there is only one more thing to consider; and that is which branch to join. Well the person doesn’t want to fly planes and miss out on the adventure and the adrenaline rush of the fighting. That person doesn’t want to be on a boat during his/her whole experience in the military so the Navy is out of the question. Finally the choices are narrowed down to either the U.S. Army or the Marine Corps. Before choosing, there are a numerous things the individual must think about. Even though they are often thought of as practically the same thing, almost everything about those two branches is different; the functions of how they work, their history of how they came to be, and even the dangers of what the person would face by being part of those branches.

            The first and most important fact one must comprehend is that the Army and the Marines function in totally different ways no matter how much people seem to just lump them together. Although they are both ground-based invaders, their goals are as different as the tactics they use to accomplish them. The Marines are basically “The head on the spear”; they are the first military personnel on site. They are trained as a lightweight, highly mobile and rapid deployment amphibious attack force. Originally trained to attack from the water and establish and area of control on foreign soil, they are the first to obtain control over enemy territory. It’s not until after the area is secured that the Army itself steps in. They are the ones responsible for capturing and holding territory with infantry, aircraft and other weapons while the Marines race ahead to gain control of the territory ahead. They are substantially larger than the Marines so therefore they are the primary ground-based military force that is always in the thick of battle.

            Another thing to think about is what each branch represents. For one to be able to devote themselves and be able to make it through something as challenging as the task of being in the military, one must find a reason to do it. One needs inspiration, something to be worth fighting for, that person needs a reason to be attached; symbolism is needed. The person must understand the history of what he or she is about to be a part of. For example, the U.S. Army was initially created as the continental Army in June 14, 1775; it was created even before the United States of America was established.  The Continental Congress first created the Continental Army to fight Great Britain in the Revolutionary War. With our first president as its first commander, George Washington led the Continental Army to victory. The U.S. Army, as its known today was officially created after the war on June 14, 1784. On the other hand, the Marines were first created also during the Revolutionary War on November 10, 1775 by Captain Samuel Nicholas. He formed 2 battalions of Continental Marines in Tun Tavern, Philadelphia by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress. It was disbanded in April 1783 and resurrected as the Marine Corps in 1798.