Should Army and Marines (or components of) consolidate?

To save money, the Army Reserve/Natty Guard should be rolled into one.

The army could also promote a spirit of cooperation instead of mini fiefdom mentality where people do their specific little bit but absolutely nothing more.

They should certainly share fatigues to cut down on cost.

Better yet, how about they just move all non combat jobs to dod civilian/contractor and have uniformed personnel be combat jobs.

i fail to understand listening to a senior commander or senior enlisted who doesn't have a clue about what it means to be a troop or fight a war.

it'd save billions of dollars in healthcare, retirement, and cut the pog mentality out of the supposed combat forces who are sidelined by nonsensical regulations and formality.

There certainly are redundancies within the modern conflict as to the roles that the different services provide. To attempt to remove a structure is to threaten an organization with the gravest threat imaginable, loss of position and budget.

I used to think the same way when I was a young LCPL. I asked my seniors (SNCOs) why we needed both the Army and the Marine Corps. I was told that each branch had a purpose. The Army is a long - term, warfighting force. That's the reason for the large numbers. And also for occupation. You need numbers to occupy an area that has been taken.
The Marine Corps is mainly an assault force. Not meant for waging wars in the general sense. Marines move in quick to take an area Anna hold it till the Army arrives to occupy. Not to say the Marines can't fight! Only that the Corps was not meant to conduct extended campaigns.
I think this concept was behind the recent restructuring of the Army. To make them more like the Marine Corps terms of being more expeditious (deployable).

No we should not combine. One thing I have noticed throughout all this interservice rivalry is that not one of you has mentioned anything about the oath we all take as members of the military which is very sacred to me and that is the mission of each one of us. We are to support and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies foreign and domestic and to obey the orders of the president and the officers appointed over us. IF and this is a huge IF this topic was even being seriously discussed by anyone in the government it would fall to those in government to make that call. We as professionals in the arms would obey our orders and carry them out to the best of our abilities. And to do otherwise would be demeaning to those of our brothers and sisters who paid for our history with their blood and ultimate sacrifice. Stop the my branch is better than your branch crap and remember we all face the same enemy when looking down the sights of our weapons.

NO WAY. Problem is anything the Marines do, yes,maybe the Army could do, but at 10x's the cost. Frugality is a word foreign to the Army, the Marines pack a hefty punch for the dollar, so maybe the Army should look at how they conduct day to day business and take note. (I do understand many support funtions are provided the Marines on the USN's budget)....I was an active duty Marine 12 years, got out joined National Guard, Sept 11th happened boom ended up active duty Army retired at 1st opportunity....So as an enlisted Marine/soldier NCO, there are huge differences I saw as I swithched branches(attitudes/personnel), both do a great job for America, Marines just are more cost effective at it. Quality/Quantity/apples/oranges

Truman wanted to do things like this.. It was a bad idea then, and it still is. The Navy and Marine core function together as a maritime based force. If anything dissolve the Air Force back into the Army. Truman wanted to get rid of aircraft carriers and pretty much the Navy figuring the Air Force could just use the A-Bomb and that would end any conflict. Didn't think there would ever be another amphibious landing or need for the Marines again. The system as it is could use adjustments, the Navy has far too few ships but yet a far too large civilian supporting staff ashore. China is growing it's Navy rapidly and will be a significant blue water force in short order. Will there be a conflict? Nobody really knows but you can't assume there won't be and not build the forces necessary. The next conflict it will be too late to be building after it starts. You must have the forces necessary from the beginning.

NO WAY:)

Marines are fundamentally designed for a different mission. The Army is more diverse and the two would have to change from Boot Camp, where everybody goes through the same one.
Not mention Marine Corps pride and Tradition!
I say no to consolidating!

No.

It would mean going through a vast waste of money to do the consolidation. It would have little to zero benefit added. It would be a nightmare of reorganization. It would really mean dropping the size of the Marine Corps down to a minuscule size i.e. prior to WWI, and then sticking the rest in an Army uniform. It would cause unnecessary demoralization of a proud combat force, and create a mass exodus of service members who already have the amphibious mission set expertise.

What they should do is consolidate some of the officer, NCO, and MOS training to share best practices, and create cross service espirit de corps and mutual respect. They should enact cross service Officer and Senior NCO postings in Battalion and Brigade staffs. They should enact some cross service postings of Senior NCO to the Company level. They should derive a uniform evaluation system for both NCOs and Officers. They should also further consolidate R&D and logistics. This would foster inner operability and expectations between the ground branches.

As a Vet .. I don't think this is a good idea.
Marines are Marines and Soldiers are Soldiers.

However...
I have found that Marines and Paratroopers do have something in common ...
They both want to be Paratroopers...