Army Officer Refuses Deployment to Iraq

[Demolama]

marines are and have been since they were created a part of the department of the navy and have maintained a small force.  So while you may be correct that the use of a small force consisiting of the department of the navy were sent  ashore to do business.. it was not the department of the army... and thats what made it ok for the "war" to be fought without a declaration of war

[KBCraig]

A distinction without a difference. If we placed all the armed forces under Navy control, would it matter?

The USMC is the smallest of the DoD forces (Coast Guard is smaller, but they're part of Homeland Security). And still, with 180,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines, they're larger than Britain's army, the entire military of Canada, and most of the armies of the world.

This constitutes a professional standing force designed for invasion and land warfare, since shipboard fighting is a thing of the distant past. Call them "Marines", put them under the Navy... they're still a standing professional army.

Kevin

[Demolama]

Marines were never meant to be the primary land forces.. which is why even today their forces are much smaller than that of the Army.  Why they were placed under the navy is because their true roll was to do ship to ship fighting and provide security for the ship, while their secondary role was indeed to help land forces.  A handful of marines i.e  20 or so on a ship is hardly a division.... where as an Army being transported would have at least tripled the amount on a ship and their sole duty is land invasion.

A distinction without a difference. If we placed all the armed forces under Navy control, would it matter?

yes it would matter seeing how it supersedes the Constitution.  A handful of marines who's primary job was to protect the ships and secondary job is to help land forces... is much different then a division of regular troops who's sole purpose is land invasion and land warfare.

When the marines were at their beginning the most in number there were were 1,000....  hardly big enough to do any damage to liberty... where as an Army when created reached  at least 20,000 or so.

Thats the difference... the primary role and the numbers