Posted on Jan 12, 2016
Does one US military branch think it's superior?
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Do you feel there is still an "inner service rivalry" between the Service Branches or that any one branch thinks they are Superior?
RP Members what do you think - be honest and professional in your responses please! Thank you
With all the deployments and joint operations that we have been involved in over the last 15 plus years of war and prior to that as well, aren't we all part of something a little bigger than our own service branches? We represent the United States of America in so many ways! We represent the freedom that all of the American citizens enjoy, to include ourselves!
For myself, I think is great to that we have the Navy/Army/Air Force rivalry on the football field and other sports, but I think it is important to realize the importance of joint operations and synchronization among the service branches.
I don't think that anyone branch is better than the other. That is my personal feeling.
They all have their specific missions, training philosophies, challenges, and characteristics that make them unique and special, but does that make them inferior or superior to the other service branches?
I'm sorry if I didn't tag some of the specific service branches!
RP Members what do you think - be honest and professional in your responses please! Thank you
With all the deployments and joint operations that we have been involved in over the last 15 plus years of war and prior to that as well, aren't we all part of something a little bigger than our own service branches? We represent the United States of America in so many ways! We represent the freedom that all of the American citizens enjoy, to include ourselves!
For myself, I think is great to that we have the Navy/Army/Air Force rivalry on the football field and other sports, but I think it is important to realize the importance of joint operations and synchronization among the service branches.
I don't think that anyone branch is better than the other. That is my personal feeling.
They all have their specific missions, training philosophies, challenges, and characteristics that make them unique and special, but does that make them inferior or superior to the other service branches?
I'm sorry if I didn't tag some of the specific service branches!
Edited 7 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 458
I have had occasion to be asked in one form or another the basic question as to which branch is the best. With 22 years in the Army of course i would have to say Army but I have a standard answer I give to most all of these questions.
1st off if you are military and not Army I wil pull your leg a bit, but that's just comradeship.
The real answer?
Different uniforms;
Different missions;
Same Flag........................
1st off if you are military and not Army I wil pull your leg a bit, but that's just comradeship.
The real answer?
Different uniforms;
Different missions;
Same Flag........................
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You're asking us to be objective? Really? We sweat, bled, and cried to be a part of a military organization. We gave some portion of our lives to it for duty, honor, and country. And you expect us to be objective, to think that those others compare? Fah!
To be fair, every branch exists to contribute to the same mission. Each has its role to play. However, in the final analysis, that mission is never accomplished until an infantryman can occupy a piece of ground against all forces that prevented him to be there and those that would drive him away. He is the pawn that checkmates the king.
Of course the infantryman owes his success to all who support him. Those who allow him to move, shoot, and communicate, be it by air, land, or sea.
To be fair, every branch exists to contribute to the same mission. Each has its role to play. However, in the final analysis, that mission is never accomplished until an infantryman can occupy a piece of ground against all forces that prevented him to be there and those that would drive him away. He is the pawn that checkmates the king.
Of course the infantryman owes his success to all who support him. Those who allow him to move, shoot, and communicate, be it by air, land, or sea.
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CPT Jack Durish
COL Mikel J. Burroughs - So, what makes you think that my "feathers are ruffled"? I responded honestly and without rancor. Did I err?
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
CPT Jack Durish Nope, my bad I just interrupted that you were upset - no worries and good to go!
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SGT Eric Knutson
Thats the truth CPT Jack, it boils down to there are the Grunts, then there is everyone who helped get us there to the point of impact.
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MSgt David Teeter
It is interesting we harass each other and tell bad jokes about each other. We fight amongst ourselves and call each other names. When a non-vet makes bad jokes or call one of us names, we ALL raise as ONE and take them on. We are brothers and sisters in arms.
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SGT Jordan Wipf
Well sergeant, you see what had happened was.........LMAO it was one of those things where i felt since I've seen a version of this in 4 different branches I felt it necessary to beat the other branches to the punch.
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SSG(P) D. Wright Downs
PO3 Donald Murphy - You have that backward…Navy, the Army is your Daddy. The Marines are also the Navy's parent. Navy comes in 3rd in the order of birth. Ha, Ha, this is always the bad cartoon to use. Navy always suffers.
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All the service branches THINK they're superior, or better, or more elite, or smarter (well, maybe not THAT one)... Like almost everyone here has said, it's a natural part of being a warrior.
However, there is only ONE service where a single unit (from anywhere on 70% of the earth's surface) can END HUMAN LIFE on the earth without leaving their chairs, and be perfectly safe doing so.
Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard... Your argument is INVALID!
7:^D
However, there is only ONE service where a single unit (from anywhere on 70% of the earth's surface) can END HUMAN LIFE on the earth without leaving their chairs, and be perfectly safe doing so.
Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard... Your argument is INVALID!
7:^D
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PO3 Donald Murphy
MSgt Carl Stokes - But...and this is a big but... You cannot hide. We know where Minot is, as does the enemy. No one, not even the president, knows where the submarines are. As we are not first strike, ie; won't shoot first, this means we only shoot when fired at. This means that we'll be firing because you got hit.
Yes, you are bigger warhead wise...but unless we go first strike, it'll be up to us.
Yes, you are bigger warhead wise...but unless we go first strike, it'll be up to us.
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SPC Louis Miller
Being "of Pershing," I can tell you that processes held, at one point, that no one really knew where we were either and multitudes thanked many for the change of yield from the P1A to the P-II.
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PO1 Eric Booker
At any one time, a single Trident boat is the 5th or 6th largest nuclear power on earth...Bask in that for a bit!lol!
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SSG(P) D. Wright Downs
SPC Louis Miller - Nice to see Pershing mentioned. I was Pershing support and Able Archer was a hoot. Was invited back to Bde but was getting married to a man in 32nd AADCOM so didn't go. Should have gone. Loved Schwaebisch Gmeud and Pershing.
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•••••Caution: possibly controversial comment. Please read until the end and I promise you will understand how and why this wasn't written to offend any branch, or make any other better than the rest. These are simply my opinions, so I want to encourage everyone to render an opinion if so desired, even if it is to argue against it. However, we are all professionals and adults, so lets keep all responses in a manner that reflects such. If you're looking for an argument, I'm not your guy, LOL)•••••
"Shot, Over"
"Shot, Out"
I believe that "balanced" rivalry is good.
If I had to say one branch actually believed themselves superior, it would be the Marines. Sadly, having come from the Army, I would have to bow down and give credit to it.
I've seen more "fit" Marines than soldiers, which is pretty amazing considering the Army has 541,291 and the Marines have only 195,338.
From the outside looking in, it appears the Marines go more "by the book" when it comes to physical fitness standards, and Marines have an individual drive to maintain fitness and uniform standards.
Here is one exception; infantry units and combat arms units in the Army. These soldiers are mostly fit and ready.
I attribute this to, in part, self preservation. When I was a medic assigned to a medical company, we "did" PT, but it was not the "get your but up and drive on!!!!" kind of PT. We were never really driven to excel.
Infantry units and combat arms all "live and die by the sword", meaning that their ability to constantly push themselves in order to ensure that they are not only fit enough to ensure their survival, but also fit enough for their brothers, and now sisters in arms, and their equipment as well. Meaning if a soldier goes down during an engagement, you may have to pull that soldier off the "X". If your 70 pounds overweight and your last meal was a Coke and a bag of barbecue pork rinds, you are going to have a less than stellar performance.
Now, all of this is dependent on whether or not you have a strong chain of command with a great desire for integrity; i.e. Instead of pencil whipping PT scores and "pencil/pen" weapons qualifications to keep the numbers up, a chain of command that doesn't want to guarantee troop strengths by the power of the pen, but instead keeps troop strengths up by assuring PT, weapons qual, height and weight, and uniform are enforced daily so that when all of these are done for record, thereby maintaining troop strength by ensuring compliance daily, do the soldiers do not have a chance to not simply go with the motion, but to be the force that drives the motion.
Another thing I had noticed was the difference in services. In basic training we were told everyone's primary MOS was 11B. I did not see many of our support companies live this belief.
However, you look at the Marines, and they say that every Marine's primary MOS is 0311 Rifleman, and the majority of all MOS's in the Marines life this belief.
I am not intending to offend anyone, but 11B and combat arms (19D, etc), more closely matches to the Marines.
I know there are officers like yourself COL Mikel J. Burroughs, who did not only require the standards be met, but also led by example, and lived out the standards.
Just my take, and I may be completely off. I pray that my fellow soldiers, airmen, Coast Guardsmen and sailors do not get offended, because when it all comes down to it and rivalry becomes an issue, everyone better remember that the military is like human physiology, where if one system of the body shuts down or doesn't function properly, THE OTHER SYSTEMS WILL SUFFER. It is the same way for the sum total of our military; when one suffers, we all suffer.
Always remember this and realize that rivalry can be fun and bring forth a sense of esprit de corps, if taken to an extreme, the body can suffer.
God bless and keep each and every branch of our military strong with a desire to make each other branch strong and compliment them, as was the original concept.
"Splash, Over"
"Splash, Out"
"Fire for effect!"
"Shot, Over"
"Shot, Out"
I believe that "balanced" rivalry is good.
If I had to say one branch actually believed themselves superior, it would be the Marines. Sadly, having come from the Army, I would have to bow down and give credit to it.
I've seen more "fit" Marines than soldiers, which is pretty amazing considering the Army has 541,291 and the Marines have only 195,338.
From the outside looking in, it appears the Marines go more "by the book" when it comes to physical fitness standards, and Marines have an individual drive to maintain fitness and uniform standards.
Here is one exception; infantry units and combat arms units in the Army. These soldiers are mostly fit and ready.
I attribute this to, in part, self preservation. When I was a medic assigned to a medical company, we "did" PT, but it was not the "get your but up and drive on!!!!" kind of PT. We were never really driven to excel.
Infantry units and combat arms all "live and die by the sword", meaning that their ability to constantly push themselves in order to ensure that they are not only fit enough to ensure their survival, but also fit enough for their brothers, and now sisters in arms, and their equipment as well. Meaning if a soldier goes down during an engagement, you may have to pull that soldier off the "X". If your 70 pounds overweight and your last meal was a Coke and a bag of barbecue pork rinds, you are going to have a less than stellar performance.
Now, all of this is dependent on whether or not you have a strong chain of command with a great desire for integrity; i.e. Instead of pencil whipping PT scores and "pencil/pen" weapons qualifications to keep the numbers up, a chain of command that doesn't want to guarantee troop strengths by the power of the pen, but instead keeps troop strengths up by assuring PT, weapons qual, height and weight, and uniform are enforced daily so that when all of these are done for record, thereby maintaining troop strength by ensuring compliance daily, do the soldiers do not have a chance to not simply go with the motion, but to be the force that drives the motion.
Another thing I had noticed was the difference in services. In basic training we were told everyone's primary MOS was 11B. I did not see many of our support companies live this belief.
However, you look at the Marines, and they say that every Marine's primary MOS is 0311 Rifleman, and the majority of all MOS's in the Marines life this belief.
I am not intending to offend anyone, but 11B and combat arms (19D, etc), more closely matches to the Marines.
I know there are officers like yourself COL Mikel J. Burroughs, who did not only require the standards be met, but also led by example, and lived out the standards.
Just my take, and I may be completely off. I pray that my fellow soldiers, airmen, Coast Guardsmen and sailors do not get offended, because when it all comes down to it and rivalry becomes an issue, everyone better remember that the military is like human physiology, where if one system of the body shuts down or doesn't function properly, THE OTHER SYSTEMS WILL SUFFER. It is the same way for the sum total of our military; when one suffers, we all suffer.
Always remember this and realize that rivalry can be fun and bring forth a sense of esprit de corps, if taken to an extreme, the body can suffer.
God bless and keep each and every branch of our military strong with a desire to make each other branch strong and compliment them, as was the original concept.
"Splash, Over"
"Splash, Out"
"Fire for effect!"
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SPC Douglas Bolton
SSgt Robert Marx - now that makes you a sound reference and said in a way that is right.
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I like to think of it as good old sibling rivalry ;)
We're all in this together, people!
We're all in this together, people!
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It takes Jarheads to storm the beach and secure area to move forward...It takes grunts on the ground to continually hold it...it takes flyboys to provide cover to ensure freedom of maneuverability...it takes squids to keep the seas and lanes open and to fly interdiction...it takes puddle pirate coasties to ensure borders are safe and international shipping laws and lanes are open. In all seriousness...each service is the expert in their field of operation and are superior in that field of operations. But none are more superior than the other as a service. Too many joint operations rely on the best of each branch.
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MSgt David Teeter
Lt Col ... You are correct. And when we pass from this world, we may were our service uniform, but we have the same flag covering us for our sacrifice to our country.
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Superior, No. Different, Yes.
I've seen Corpsmen dive after guys. Saw Navy guys on ship work harder AND longer than anyone should.
Each service just has a different "mentality" that works for them. I'd never try to make Air Force into Marines, or Army do what the Navy does. It just wouldn't work. Just look what happens when you have Marines & Army who are "similar" doing similar things... The Marines look like we're winging it and the Army looks like they're over-regulating or over-planning everything.
I've seen Corpsmen dive after guys. Saw Navy guys on ship work harder AND longer than anyone should.
Each service just has a different "mentality" that works for them. I'd never try to make Air Force into Marines, or Army do what the Navy does. It just wouldn't work. Just look what happens when you have Marines & Army who are "similar" doing similar things... The Marines look like we're winging it and the Army looks like they're over-regulating or over-planning everything.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS Well stated and I can tell you there are politics galore when you get into the senior ranks of any service - it was enjoyable being enlisted, an NCO, and a junior Officer - felt like you were really getting soemthing done, instead of fighting with the politics at the higher levels - oh well. Thanks Aaron!
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Believe me I know. My last tour was at Quantico... It's amazing what a Sergeant gets "tapped" to do because we can't be fired and we're still low enough on the food chain that we can play dumb if we have to (not around Marines though).
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SPC (Join to see)
I completely concur with your assessment as far as the regulating goes. We have regs form everything. How to pack, how to talk, how to brush our teeth (it's safe to assume that exists), but it seems like Marines get told what to do and have to figure it out. We have a manual of 600+ pages on how to do one simple task. It's completely absurd.
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CW3 Kevin Storm
Yes, while we have a reg for everything, it only comes into play after you screw up.
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I think that there may be some good-natured trash talking but that most people realize that everyone in the military serves. It has a purpose and we do our part.
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SPC Donald Moore
Capt Walter Miller - Frame your DD-214 and hang it on the wall if you want a trophy.
I did it to serve my country and am still working for the DOD.
I expect to spend the rest of my life doing this.
I did it to serve my country and am still working for the DOD.
I expect to spend the rest of my life doing this.
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