Should Army and Marines (or components of) consolidate?

NO!

Never. I was Army yet was assigned to the Marines in Fallujah in April & May 2004. The Army & the Marines are just so much different in so many ways. It would be degrading for the Marines to lessen themselves to being more like the Army. The Marines train massively for the mission & they are pros at just about every & any mission that comes their way. If you want things killed or fixed, you call in the Marines. If you want a show of forces, a well armed police force, or stabilization, you call in the Army. We found the Army was all about following rules & regs which many times were made by leaders in a FOB sitting behind the desk. With the Marines, we would regularly see their command out in the middle of the shooting, getting trigger time, covering their people's behinds, & making decisions as a combatant, not a chair warmer. The Marines are mission first & foremost. The Army has allowed itself to get away from that. I still love my Army career but when you have near impossible odds or mission, you call the Marines.

Their missions are not the same, so it would be more like the Army taking in a very large special forces command.
I have always thought of the Army as a large mallet that will roll over most anything given time, while the Corps is more like a "When it absolutely has to be done in two days" sort of thing.
I suppose, if it was to come to pass, it could be done, but you have to remember, most Marines join because it IS hard, and because it IS the Corps, so it might be one heck of a fight trying to pull the two of them together, but I don't think either side of that puzzle would enjoy the process or the results.

PO1,

First, if we put aside tradition, and camaraderie what do we have left? The Army and Marines lose more because they are doing the lion's share of the fighting...and surprising as it might sound, if you are flying over the battle field, or sitting on ship a few thousand miles away, it is hard to be injured or killed (I am not saying the the Navy or Air Force are not doing their part OR that they do not have men and women in harms way...but I think we can all admit the majority of the people in those two services are not deeply in the mix) in this type of warfare.

While I can understand why sailors might want the Marines off their ship, this only the case until the ship is boarded by the enemy. Each service does have its only role, that have changed over time. I do not think the Army wants to be doing ship security, while we could, and I don't think the Marines would be 'the Marines' if they had to grow to fill the mission of the Army.

This is something that has been discussed since the Marines were founded and it always fails for two reasons, the Navy doesn't want to let them go and the former Marines would rather cut out the heart of anyone who is really trying tm make it happen than allow it to happen.

Absolutely not! We each have our roles and of course bias, I'm a Marine, not a soldier.

Some big issues as I have been in both serves at different times. One would be traditions the Marines are big on the traditions and history which make the foundations of the Corps itself. The Army from my time serves seems to be vacant of such things. Boot camp vastly different in many ways Marine boot at the time I went threw was and is vastly superior to the Army version were they didn't take the time to teach history, marching or proper marksmanship and the physical standards are laughable.

Now this one really pisses me off as the Marines train under a universal standard the Army has a lack of standard and leaves it to each individual unit which I believe as bad for business. If you are sent to a different unit then you start from a relative scratch and have to learn there way once again a universal training plan is best for all. Now the second part of pissing me off is Marine Corps Orders vs Army regulation. Marine corps orders are set in stone period not up for your interpretation where as the Armys take is hey if your a NCO you can add to it but not take away. Once again that is not a regulation its a suggestion when open for interpretation.

To continue Army promotions system needs a complete overall as in many cases it favors someone that can vomit questions out of a guide or if that person is the flavor of the month so to speak. As for the Marine Corps cutting scores a far better judge of the whole person than that of which you can spit back out to a board.

PT standards are for Marines in my opinion once again are far superior.

Now in closing the mentality of both branches is vastly different and would not be able to mesh at all if such a merger would t occur and the last point which has been brought up earlier is quality vs quantity and the Marines win that hands down.

Now I am not saying there aren't quality Army folk there are but the Army has many things that needs a major overhaul. Should such a merger ever happen then the Army should be brought up the Marine standards and not the other way around.

Wow. The butt hurt from this thread is phenomenal! The emotions that just the thought of a combined force has shattered the frail and feeble minds on both sides.

Logically, sure. Cost effective, yes. Practically of the situation? No. Marines are a part of the Navy. The Army, well is focused on "to fight and win our Nation's wars, by providing prompt, sustained, land dominance, across the full range of military operations and the spectrum of conflict, in support of combatant commanders." while the Marines have the "shall, at any time, be liable to do duty in the forts and garrisons of the United States, on the seacoast, or any other duty on shore, as the President, at his discretion, shall direct."

Having military branches that have overlap give us a more rounded fighting force then saying - "You guys fly the planes, um you guys sail some ships, and yeah you left overs do the run and gun..." Having a flexible force dedicated to specialized missions allows us to pick and chose what we bring to the fight.

Is an Army Solider better the a Marine? No.

Is a Marine better then an Army Soldier? No.

We are all Soldiers.

One of my best friends, a retired Marine, pointed out a very basic premise of distinction between the Army and the Marine Corps . . . "The Marine Corps is NOT an Army. It is a corps--small, elite, fierce, and tightly focused as a micro-elemental shock force, designed to go in and fight a war in a manner and time that would be not pragmatic, but cumbersome and burdensome for a larger macro-elemental , such as an Army." In other words, the Marines have traditionally AND without fail, paved the way for the follow-up forces that come later. It's their distinction, one earned by their credo, valor, and sometimes, the loss of their lives. I served in the Army. I wouldn't want that distinction no more than I would want to take that away from the Marine Corps. Status quo is fine as is. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to take away their Semper Fi motto.

I'm sorry but I was Army first then went to the Marine Corps. Of the two I prefer the Marines. When I was in the Army it was every man for himself attitude, in the Marines we are truly a brotherhood. It doesn't matter what your job is...there may be banter between air-wing and ground side but we still have each others backs no matter what. While in the Marines I deployed for 9 months to Iraq as and individual augment with an Army command. Worst 9 months of my Marine Corps career. As a Staff Sergeant I was treated like crap by the Army unit I was assigned to...I never got treated like that in any Marine unit I was with. There is a big difference between the services and I think joining the two would be a disservice to the Marine Corps.

No. It is a lighter force with a little bit of ground, air, and sea. Leave it be.

The Army dominates the Land.
The Air Force dominates the Sky.
The Navy dominates the Sea.

The Marines play on all three.

Leave it be.