Should Army and Marines (or components of) consolidate?

As a true objective opinion, could a huge pile of money be saved by combining forces? YES! And that is true for ALL of the forces - just in supply/logistics, and administrative purposes - if all 4 branches used the same system it would reduce cost across the entire enterprise.

NOW the REAL question is: Would a combining of the USMC and the Army make a more effective fighting force?

For the last 15 years Navy Sailors have been filling specialized billets with boots on the ground embedded in Army units to fill gaps within other services. This demonstrates the training from one branch can directly translate to another branch and work side by side effectively.

To work, it would mean everyone involved would have to drop the ego of their past to combine the best of both forces to build a solid team. I will let the professional Soldiers figure out which would be a more effective fighting force.

Negative. Different training, recruiting, operations, and battle functions. I see it watering down the military rather than building up the ground combat units we have now. Specialization has created the world's strongest military.

Absolutely not. The Army is running on a corporate structure and are extremely quick to throw their comrade "under the bus". The marines actually focus on teamwork, physical fitness, effective training and a "Structured Order". The Army does not present too much of a "Structured Order" because it has become a over evolving "buddy system" that has been quite taxing to the standards of military service altogether. I have had the privilege of serving in both branches and I say "Absolutely NOT". In order for this type of merger to take place, there is alot of senior leadership to include E6-E9 and O5-O10 that needs to be expidited out of the military. As for Department Officials, the current staff needs to be relieved because current thought processes aligned with Marine standards will be extremely conflicting. The days of "dumbifying" our servicemen and servicewomen and "checking the block" on thraining are over.

No. Marines don't do heavy bureaucracy. Marines operate on next to nothing by default and expect next not nothing. They have a respect for their NCOs (in most cases) that is unparalleled. In a Marine Infantry Platoon a Corporal is a force to be reckoned with. Hell, a Lance Corporal is a force.

The other services tend to regard rank as a rate of pay. Marines only see Leaders and Future Leaders (or Future Civilians :-) ).

Back to bureaucracy, the other services, excluding possibly the Coast Guard, can't seem to operate without it, the Marines seem to live to subvert it. Getting the mission done is more important to a Marine than documenting it. I know I found every creative way I could to get what I needed without the hassle of paperwork. The only people that ever got worked up about it were the bureaucrats, but you can't argue with results. Whine about the method, but if the mission is complete, that's all that matters. That, to me, is where Marines live.

Institutional Improvisation. We tell our Privates, PFCs, and LCpls, on the occasion that they skyline themselves with a bad attempt, "good initiative, bad judgement." They learn to try again and again and again. The smart ones figure out how to make it work.

I'm sure the Army has plenty of sharp actors, and I personally know quite a few. The ones that most closely model the Marine improv mentality are the high-end SOF guys, Delta or Green Beret. They're all independent operators and have to think on their feet. I'm not saying all Marines are equal to Delta or GB, they're not, but as a service the Corps exhibits this mentality, this fortitude.

Besides the Coast Guard, you don't get that from any other service, at least from my casual observation. By way of example, I was on a counter drug mission on the Yuma border, back before that shepherd boy got shot, and the Army was overwhelmed by our reporting. They went so far as to say we out-reported/interdicted the SF group that came before us without resorting to the apparent finger pointing that went on. True story. Line company grunts, a Sniper and one Intel Analyst. No fancy training, no fancy equipment, barely any logistics. Get 'er done.

That's the Marine Corps. Semper Gumby, Get 'er done, Semper Fi.

What would they be called, MARMY, ARMINES, ARMMAR, RAMARM,ARINES? The answer is not "No ,but Hell No". Who sits around and thinks up this crap? All branches of the military, including Coast Guard, date wayyyy back and have their own Esprit Decors. Tell me this ain't gonna happen. What a slap in the face to the old and new jarheads, and the old Army Air Corps, and the "The Army Of One". This is preposterous.

I don't believe they should consolidate. Both have very different standards and values. I believe that the Maine Corps would and should never lower their standards. By the same token how can you all of a sudden make a soldier live up to the Marine way of life? Had the soldier wanted that lifestyle they would have joined the Marine Corps instead of the Army. The Air Force broke away from the Army, let them return to them. The Marine Corps was created to be the defenders of the Navy and this awesome country. So I say leave them alone and let them do their job. Leave them under the department of the Navy where they belong.

This is not a new idea. It failed because the roles and training are different. The USMC is a smaller precision unit designed to establish a foothold quickly in foreign territory. Then, they would secure the AREA and set up landuko dute where the USN and USAF would being in the USArmy. From that foothold, the USArmy would move forward into enemy lines and destroy the enemy. Although technology har changes, the basics have not.

I could more easily see an Army Air Corps with the integration of the Army and Air Force as opposed to an integration of the Marines and the Army. With the Air Force and Army coming back together it would be a rejoining of what once already existed. The Marines however have always been a part of the navy but have been elite part of that branch of the military. So from the Navy you have the Marines and the SEALS. From the army you have the Rangers, the Green Berets, and the airborne Corps. But you also have airborne Marines airborne Air Force, airborne Navy and airborne SEALS. It would almost make more sense to pull the airborne groups out completely and make them an elite special force as opposed to trying to intermingle the army and the Marine Corps. Having served in the Army and in the National Guard I just don't see how the pride of the two different branches would work to anyone's advantage.

Baloney

There will always be a United States Marine Corps

Semper Fidelis Leathernecks

Marine General Lejeune / luh jern would be upset.

Semper Fidelis & God bless all Leathernecks !

KEEP ATTACKING !!!

OOO RRAH !

SLAPPING MY FOREHEAD!
GOOD GRIEF...

My Dad served in both the USMC and Army told me that the Marine Corps is America's shock for on "Air, Land, and the Sea..." whereas the Army conquers continents. Both services have different roles. There's some sharing of course but good Lord. NO...

I think Ike tried to do that once upon a time.