U.S. Army Vs. U.S. Marine Corps: What’s The Difference?

A career in the U.S. military comes with not only the satisfaction of working hard to help others and further a cause you believe in but also a number of practical benefits such as fully paid college tuition. As a result, many people join one of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces at some point in their lives.

The U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps are two of the most well-known branches of the military, and their similarities often make it difficult to decide which to join.

In this article, you’ll learn a little bit about both of these branches and the differences between them in the hopes of helping you determine which one might be the best fit for you.

Key Takeaways

• The Army and the Marine Corps both have unique purposes, combat styles, structures, career opportunities, and specialties.

• The Army is the oldest and largest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and it operates mainly on the ground.

• The Marine Corps is one of the oldest and smallest branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, and it works closely with the Navy to operate on both the water and the ground.

Five Differences Between the Army and the Marine Corps

As you’re trying to decide whether to join the Army or the Marine Corps, it’s important to know the differences between the two. While the points in this article aren’t exhaustive by any means, they are some of the major ones to take note of as you continue your research.

1. They have different purposes. Both the Army and the Marine Corps are responsible for defending the United States, but they have different roles within that responsibility.

   The Marines Corps’ job is to seize and control land, oil rigs, or ships. One of the Marines’ defining features is that they are amphibious fighters, which means they fight on the land by way of the sea, which sometimes requires underwater combat.

   Because they can deploy anywhere in the world within a few days, they’re often the first to arrive at a conflict or carry out an objective.

   While they have many tasks similar to those of the marines, the Army is generally composed of land-based fighters who use troops, tanks, and artillery to get the job done. They do use planes and helicopters as needed, and some of the Army special forces are trained in amphibious combat, but all of this is to further their missions on the ground.

   Because they’re the largest branch, the Army has the widest variety of responsibilities around the world and people who are trained to make it happen.

2. They have different combat styles. Because both the Army and the Marine Corps have different purposes and jobs, they go about their missions differently.

   A Marine Expeditionary Unit will usually have assets in the air, on land, and in the sea. Other units will get backup from the Navy and Air Force, whether that comes in the form of planes, helicopters, or ships.

   The Army also gets backup from the Air Force and Marine Corps, but they don’t usually get help from the Navy.

   However, the Army typically is the first of the two branches to receive the latest and greatest weapons. The Marine Corps get them as well, but only after the Army does. Each branch prefers different weapons depending on the situation.

3. They structure their platoons differently. While they share many similarities in this area, there are some variations between the Army and Marine Corps platoons.

   Marine rifle platoons have three squads led by sergeants. Each squad has three fire teams led by corporals and composed of an automatic rifleman, an assistant automatic rifleman, and a rifleman.

   The Army’s platoons have an additional squad dedicated to infantry weapons, which the Marines don’t have in their platoons.

   The rest of the squads are also led by sergeants and are made up of fire teams. A team leader, an automatic rifleman, a grenadier, and a rifleman comprises each of these. One rifleman in each squad is also a long-range marksman.

4. They offer different career opportunities. If you join the U.S. Army, you will find more than a few opportunities to work in a non-combative role such as a doctor, linguist, or chaplain. You could even put your microbiology or engineering degree to work for the Army or find a position in the financial offices.

   If you want to work in the field, though, there are a wide variety of opportunities available. A few of the areas you can enter include:

   • Infantry

   • Corps of Engineers

   • Field or Air Defense Artillery

   • Aviation

   • Armor

   • Signal Corps

   • Electronic Warfare

   • Military Intelligence

   There aren’t as many options for non-combative roles in the Marine Corps, but there are a wide variety of jobs available in other areas such as aviation, as the Marines have their own air force, as well as Combat Support Roles such as:

   • Counterintelligence Specialist

   • Logistics Chief

   • Military Police and Corrections Marine

   • Military Working Dog Handler

   • Cyber Security Technician

   In addition to the variety of positions you can have as a soldier or marine, there are also different opportunities for pushing yourself further and joining the elite units of both branches. As a marine, you could join one of these teams:

   1. The Marine Raiders. A part of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command (MARSOC), the Raiders go on special missions with small teams, often behind enemy lines. Joining this group requires you to pass several testing and selection phases before beginning your nine-month Raider training.

   2. Force RECON Marines. Force RECON Marines are in charge of collecting intelligence about the enemy. To do so, they often go deep into dangerous territory. Marines who volunteer for the RECON course must also go through several training stages after they pass both boot camp and The Marine Corps School of Infantry.

   3. Scout Snipers and Other Special Operations Jobs. There are additional special operations positions available to marines, such as the Marine Scout Snipers. Their jobs are to provide backup for those on the field through long-range firepower. Only Lance Corporals can be selected for this training program.

   The Army has several elite forces as well, but they perform different tasks:

   1. Airborne. The soldiers in this program go through parachute training for three weeks so that they are ready to drop down into combat from a plane. Soldiers can sign up to begin this program after they finish basic training.

   2. Rangers. The Rangers are similar to the Force RECON Marines, as they conduct special operations in dangerous territory. There are two ways to become an Army Ranger: graduating from Ranger School or being selected from the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program.

   3. The Green Berets. These special forces soldiers have more specialized training than the Rangers, as their job is to train and participate in unconventional warfare around the world. Their 63-week-long training begins with the Special Operations Preparations Course, where soldiers are selected to go through Green Beret training.

   4. Snipers and other Special Forces jobs. The Army also has a sniper school that soldiers can be selected for, as well as the opportunity to be chosen for additional Special Forces jobs such as engineer sergeants or weapons sergeants.

5. They organize infantrymen into their specialties differently. Infantrymen in the Army are assigned or can choose a specialty to pursue after basic training. Some of these include:

   • Airborne

   • Mountain

   • Mechanized infantry

   On the other hand, Marine infantrymen are all trained for amphibious warfare and choose or are assigned to different weapons systems and tactics, rather than the specialties that the Army has.

   These include:

   • Rifleman

   • Machine gunner

   • Mortarman

   • Assaultman

   • Antitank missileman

About the U.S. Army

The U.S. Army was founded on June 14, 1775, making it the oldest branch of the U.S. military. It’s also the largest since, as of 2018, it made up 35% of the U.S. Armed Forces. The Army Reserve and National Guard are technically part of the U.S. Army as well, which adds to its size.

Motto and Mission

The Army’s motto is “This We’ll Defend,” and its purpose is to protect the U.S. on the ground, which usually involves infantrymen, tanks, artillery, and aircraft.

Enlistment and Training

To enlist in the Army, you need to be at least 17 years old and not over 35 years old. (You’ll need parental consent to enlist if you’re under 18, though.) You’ll also need to be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident.

Once you’re accepted into the Army, you’ll go through ten weeks of basic training before you begin more specialized training. This is called Advanced Individualized Training (AIT).

Jobs and Elite Forces

There are 190 types of jobs, called Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs), available in the Army, giving you a wide variety to choose from.

The Army also has several elite forces, including the airborne, the Rangers, and the Green Berets, all of which require additional training.

About the U.S. Marine Corps

While the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) was also founded in 1775, it’s a few months younger than the Army.

The Marines Corps is one of the smallest military branches, making up only 14% of the U.S. Military in 2018. It’s bigger than the Coast Guard but it’s the smallest of the main five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, which are the Army, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Air Force.

Motto and Mission

The Marine Corps motto is “Semper Fidelis,” which is Latin for “always faithful,” and it’s often shortened to “Semper Fi.”

Even though it’s its own branch of the military, the Marine Corps is technically under the Department of the Navy and usually travels on Navy ships. They are the ground force that can attack from the sea, whether they do so in the water itself, on land, or in the air, and they’re able to be anywhere in the world within days.

Enlistment and Training

The Marine Corps members are called marines, not soldiers, and they typically have to go through much more intense basic training than those in the Army do, creating a reputation for being some of the toughest and most highly trained fighters.

Marine boot camp training lasts about 13 weeks and is followed by USMC Specialty School. Marines must be between 17 and 28 years old to enlist.

Elite Forces

The Marine Corps has several special forces, including the Marines’ Special Operations Command (MARSOC) called the Raiders and the Force RECON Units.

Marines vs. Army FAQ

• Who is more respected: Marines or Army? The Marine Corps is the most respected branch of the US military by a wide margin, according to a 2014 Gallup poll.

  Interestingly, the same poll found that Americans consider the Army to be the most important military branch. Additionally, besides the Coast Guard, Americans ranked the Navy as the least important military branch.

  In short, Americans have conflicting views about importance vs. prestige when considering the military, as the Marine Corps is part of the Navy.

  A 2017 Gallup poll found that Americans have about an equally favorable view of the five military branches, with the Marines having a 6% edge in the “very favorable” category over the Army.

• Is it harder to be a Marine or a Navy SEAL? It is much harder to become a Navy SEAL than a Marine. there are about 2,500 Navy SEALs in the US right now, while there are nearly 200,000 active Marines.

  Navy SEALs play a role in maritime special operations, reconnaissance, taking direct action, counter-terrorism and counter-drug missions, and recovery of personnel. Overall, it’s a far more specialized role that requires an even more intense level of training than the US Marine Corps.

• Why is a Marine not a soldier? A Marine is not a soldier because of a semantic decision made by the US military, similar to how a member of the Navy is a sailor or a member of the Air Force is an airman.

  Marines are distinguished by their esprit de corps, traditions, specialized training, and mission.

• What makes the Marines different? The Marines are different because they’re independent but serve as part of another branch (the Navy), they’re often the first on the ground with special units in a combat situation, they’re the primary defenders of US embassies across the globe, and they’re the only military training program that requires martial arts training for hand-to-hand and close combat training.

Author

Abby McCain

Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.