Who deploys (to combat) more? Army or Marines?

SGT Suraj Dave — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 20:17:18 -0400

My dates of service are 9/2009 to 12/2013. I was a combat medic in the 101st Airborne. I deployed twice to Afghanistan. A year long one
and a 9 month one. When I went to Penn State to begin college in 2014, I joined the school veterans organization and noticed the most
strange thing. It was filled with mostly active duty marine veterans who served the same time as me, but most never did a combat deployment
. Only two or three of them did a short single 6 month afghanistan deployment. Everyone else (and the three marine combat veterans) spent
the majority of their enlistments going around the world on the boat trips, "deploying" to safe places like Guam, embassy guard, etc.... I was shocked because
almost every Army veteran I come across from my time period has done at least a year long combat deployment, though a lot of Army veterans similair to me
have done two. By the numbers, does being a marine make you less likely to deploy to combat than a soldier? I tried researching this
information but found no data. I am asking because a young family member is interested in joining the military, and I was going to suggest
the Marines because from my observations there is a less chance to see combat, and you get to see the world (something you dont really do in the Army,
you just train and deploy to combat). Before I give him or his parents false information, I just wanted to find data on the topic.

Response by LTC John Mohor made Apr 7 at 2020 8:37 PM

LTC John Mohor — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 20:37:15 -0400

SGT Suraj Dave I don’t think you can find data that will back up your hypothesis. Taking the small group that happens to not have combat deployment during your timeframe is as much a coincidence as statistics go. I’d just go with what you know about your service. It really depends on what your young friend may want to do. I know the Army being the largest service has better opportunity for faster promotions in the enlisted ranks. Coast Guard and Marines being the smallest have to outlast their peers awaiting their departure in order to get chances for “open” positions.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2020 8:56 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 20:56:43 -0400

Couple things.
Size of the force - Active Army is like 450,000 people. Active Corps is...much smaller.
Purpose of force - Marines are for bridging the gap between the Army and Navy, not an occupation force. The Army is the LAND component of the Defense force, so we hold, occupy, and fight primarily on LAND. Any maritime or air ops are in support of LAND ops. Marines fill the gap, and provide extra invasion force. They also have their specialty assignments like the embassies worldwide - that's a Marine only thing - there's many en embassy and consulate and at least 6-7 Marines at each.
So likely the Army deploys more to "combat" because it's bigger and the type of deployments. If it was a war on a country with a major coastline - there'd probably be a much bigger Marine presence.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Apr 7 at 2020 8:57 PM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 20:57:42 -0400

It’s all relative and attempting to find a ratio or formula is an impossible task.

I was in 2001-2012 and saw many times that Marines would be on 7 month on 7 month off rotations their whole 4 years. That was all of Camp Lejuene 2003-2008. Dwell time was eventually extended to 12 months but that’s still a short amount of time. Other units would be extended from 6 months to 9 on their deployments. Ground side support Marines would end up doing 15 month deployments due to shortages in their job field.

If someone is picking a branch it should be about the culture of that Military Branch. Wartime and deployment rotations are impossible to predict.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2020 9:32 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 21:32:15 -0400

SGT Suraj Dave Anyone wanting to join the military should do their own research and join the branch that appeals to them the most. You are mistaken if you think Marines get to see the world without seeing combat. The Marines and Army have specific missions. Go back over the years and I am sure that the percentage of Marines that see combat would at least equal the Army.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2020 3:21 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 03:21:38 -0400

Short answer is, yes the Marines are less likely to deploy to combat in our current environment of continuous war rotations. In the event that this changed and by some accident we were at peace for a few consecutive months then it would be the other way around.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2020 4:07 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 04:07:41 -0400

There is actually plenty of data out there. You just have to find it. For example, see attached links.
They’re a few years old, but give a decent breakdown of some numbers.

https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR100/RR145/RAND_RR145.pdf

https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/03/20/2-77-million-service-members-have-served-on-5-4-million-deployments-since-911-infographic/#4b4a537b50db

There’s a lot more out there. You just have to dig a little.

RAND_RR145.pdf

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Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Apr 8 at 2020 8:16 AM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 08:16:05 -0400

OK, how many of those Army Veterans landed in Afghanistan or Iraq in a Support or Combat Support role and how many served with Combat Units. Since the Navy provides that support for the Marines, a lot smaller footprint. I do know that Marine Combat deployments are shorter than the Army's. As you pointed out, a lot of Marine combat power is tied up in the seven (?) MEU that rotate in and out of floats their entire careers. Having that readily available combat power out there is a decision way over my pay grade, but I don't disagree with it.
One of the other things to look at is that certain Army Units deploy a lot more often than most, the 101st, 82nd, 25th, and 10th Mountain off the top of may head. Probably not going to see 1st Cav in Afghanistan or Iraq these days.

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made Apr 8 at 2020 11:13 AM

SFC Ralph E Kelley — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 11:13:00 -0400

And that's about the size of it...

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Apr 8 at 2020 2:26 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 14:26:32 -0400

Face value, look at the numbers... We have Armies (1st Army, 8th Army, 5th Army, etc...) that are larger than the entirety of the Marine Corps. The Marines couldn't deploy as often as we do, even if they wanted to. It's just not possible.

Response by SPC John Decker made Apr 8 at 2020 5:45 PM

SPC John Decker — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 17:45:01 -0400

That we have been engaged in combat operations for 20years (or thereabouts), should give you pause. I served from Aug of 81 'til Aug of 84. There were no active combat operations, anywhere. It was understood, back then, that Marines would be used as invasion forces with the Army being brought in after, to maintain the fight. To answer your question, maybe that thinking still applies.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Apr 8 at 2020 6:37 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 18:37:40 -0400

Apples and Oranges- there were more army folks in the Pacific in WWII than USMC. Some Army units deployed 7-9 times, many USMC3-4.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2020 9:09 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 21:09:08 -0400

Like others have echoed, no guarantee of not seeing combat regardless of what branch we’re talking about. Being in the Air Force, I’ve spent over a year deployed now, but in 4 month increments, due to how our aircrew deployments are handled, and others do 6 month deployments, albeit not nearly as often as aircrew and their maintenance would. I’d almost hazard to say if you go per capita, the AF may give the Army a run for its money..after all, we have to be around to support operations and get them where they need to go.

Ultimately, if someone isn’t comfortable with the idea of deployments into combat zones, then the military probably isn’t the right kind of work for them.

Response by Cpl David Moore made Apr 9 at 2020 4:55 AM

Cpl David Moore — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 04:55:27 -0400

There's Sunny Dave running down the U.S.M.C. again. I see you everywhere with the same disrespectful crap. You have a real inferiority complex dude.

Response by Cpl David Moore made Apr 9 at 2020 5:07 AM

Cpl David Moore — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 05:07:19 -0400

Guys he's not really interested in a answer to his question. He was known as Sunny Dave before. He pops up on Different Vet pages from time to time. He's always got the same theme which is to try to prove his opinion that The U.S.M.C gets all the glory while the Army does all the work. He's got a serious inferiority complex going on. He's stuff usually crosses the line from just good natured interservice rivalry into the disrespectful range.

Response by Cpl David Moore made Apr 9 at 2020 5:47 AM

Cpl David Moore — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 05:47:30 -0400

https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Research-Tools-Facts-and-Figures/Marine-Corps-Casualties-1775-2016/. There you go Sunny Dave. The WIA and KIA list of Marines up to 2016. I'd say in relation to it's size the U.S. M.C has done and given its share

Marine Corps Casualties 1775-2016

Marine Corps University

Response by Cpl David Moore made Apr 9 at 2020 7:45 AM

Cpl David Moore — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 07:45:33 -0400

This guy is just a Facebook troll with a inferiority complex. He goes by Sunny Dave or Sunny Dee. He pops up on Different Vet pages with this same mess each time. I'm not sure what his deal is but every time it's the same post trying to make a point that he thinks Marines don't fight and die in war. He's a disrespectful prick and nothing more.

Response by SSgt Stephen Palmbos made Apr 9 at 2020 10:07 PM

SSgt Stephen Palmbos — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 22:07:58 -0400

I was Air Force and deployed 5 times in my first six years and the. Got stationed in AK and didn’t deploy anymore. I think a lot has to do with specialty and location, at least in the Air Force.