The USMC and foreign policy--a revelation...

[Volpone]

So the other day I was studying a lesson on Expeditionary Operations for my professional education class in the Marines and the lightbulb finally came on:

Marines literally cruise around, looking for a fight.

The Marines have, like, 7 Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs), 3 on the West Coast, 3 on the East, and one in Japan. There are always at least two deployed. One from each coast will be out, one will be prepping to go out, and one will have just come back. And they sail around in ships. They have a planned schedule of stuff that they do for a six month "pump", but they're also ready to go wherever Uncle Sam needs to flex his muscle.

And they're always out there with the equipment they need so that if something comes up they can quickly arrive in an area and begin operations.

It's really sort of the equivalent of Batman or Spiderman doing his patrol.

Trippy.

 

[Dark Pickle]

They call us "First to Fight" for a reason

 

[Volpone]

It's funny, though, because it explains so much about why I don't thrive in the USMC culture. I really don't like confrontation and if I can resolve something quietly and without any conflict, I'm happy as can be.

Really, to be successful in the Marines you sort of need a personality where you stick your nose in other people's business and tell people what to do. You also really need to thrive in a dynamic, chaotic environment of constant change. Now I can function in it, but I don't enjoy it, so I'm not happy a lot of the time.

 

[Ramen]

There's always staying in the rear with the gear, though I would think marines sign up to fight, not to take inventory.

 

[Ancalagon]

They call us "First to Fight" for a reason

THE ARMY SONG!
(THE ARMY SONG!)

FIRST TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT
AND TO BUILD THE NATIONS MIGHT!

AND THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG!

PROUD OF ALL WE HAVE DONE,
FIGHTING TILL THE BATTLES WON

AND THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG!

AND IT'S HI, HI, HEY, THE ARMYS ON IT'S WAY
COUNT OUT THE CADENCE LOUD AND STRONG (two, three)!

FOR WHERE'RE WE GO,YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW
THAT THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG!

 

[Ancalagon]

So the other day I was studying a lesson on Expeditionary Operations for my professional education class in the Marines and the lightbulb finally came on:

Marines literally cruise around, looking for a fight.

The Marines have, like, 7 Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs), 3 on the West Coast, 3 on the East, and one in Japan. There are always at least two deployed. One from each coast will be out, one will be prepping to go out, and one will have just come back. And they sail around in ships. They have a planned schedule of stuff that they do for a six month "pump", but they're also ready to go wherever Uncle Sam needs to flex his muscle.

And they're always out there with the equipment they need so that if something comes up they can quickly arrive in an area and begin operations.

It's really sort of the equivalent of Batman or Spiderman doing his patrol.

Trippy.

Wait... please tell me you didn't make it to Captain (P) before realizing this!?!?


But yeah, that's why I don't like the Marines being in Iraq/Afghanistan still. Initial invasion, okay, but they shouldn't be an occupational force. Leave that to the Army.

 

[Volpone]

Well, yeah, I mean I understood it on the level of doctrine, but I never connected what it boils down to--we roam the Earth, looking to pick a fight. It's right there in the job description.

 

[Dark Pickle]

THE ARMY SONG!
(THE ARMY SONG!)

FIRST TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT
AND TO BUILD THE NATIONS MIGHT!

AND THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG!

PROUD OF ALL WE HAVE DONE,
FIGHTING TILL THE BATTLES WON

AND THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG!

AND IT'S HI, HI, HEY, THE ARMYS ON IT'S WAY
COUNT OUT THE CADENCE LOUD AND STRONG (two, three)!

FOR WHERE'RE WE GO,YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW
THAT THE ARMY GOES ROLLING ALONG!

“From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country’s battles
On the land as on the sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.

Our flag’s unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in ev’ry clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines

Here’s health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we’ve fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven’s scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.”

It's funny, though, because it explains so much about why I don't thrive in the USMC culture. I really don't like confrontation and if I can resolve something quietly and without any conflict, I'm happy as can be.

Really, to be successful in the Marines you sort of need a personality where you stick your nose in other people's business and tell people what to do. You also really need to thrive in a dynamic, chaotic environment of constant change. Now I can function in it, but I don't enjoy it, so I'm not happy a lot of the time.

I only lasted one enlistment for this very reason.

 

[Volpone]

Concur.

I think disabling T'Karma was Miss Manners' evil scheme to increase posting. Because I ordinarily I'd just rep that post. :S:

Oh, and ordinarily instead of telling a soldier he's wrong, I'll just diplomatically point out they are important too. After we take over a place, it is there job to occupy it.









And if they would just do their job in a competent manner, the Marines could get out of Iraq and Afghanistan. :ramen:

 

[Ancalagon]

Oh, and ordinarily instead of telling a soldier he's wrong, I'll just diplomatically point out they are important too. After we take over a place, it is there job to occupy it.

Depends on the place. Liberia, Panama, Grenada, shitholes like that ya'll could handle (w/our SOF of course), and I believe should handle.

However something the size of Iraq. No way could ya'll have done the whole invasion on your own.

And if they would just do their job in a competent manner, the Marines could get out of Iraq and Afghanistan. :ramen:

Hey! Who's Chief of Staff got fired for pointing out the obvious (we needed WAY more troops for the occupation)?

 

[starguard]

You DO know that the Marines are sent in first for a reason

Someone has to come up behind them and show them how its done....


The Marines go in to do the job FIRST


The ARMY goes in after them to do the job RIGHT!!

 

[Dark Pickle]

ARMY= Aint Ready (for the/to be) Marines Yet

 

[Sadistic Bastard]

To quote an old room-mate (Marine, Helicopter mechanic, and door-gunner when he wasn't wrenching on the transmission) who spent time in Mogadishu:

"Everything was calm and ok while we were there, nervous, but no one shot at us. And THEN the Army showed up....".

Seriously, I caught a little of the inter-service rivalry (the CG and Navy have no love lost between them...they hated us because we were better in every measurable sense, we hated them because they had nicer toys), but I'd never seen anyone as rabidly anti-army as this guy. He told me his attitude wasn't extreme...

-SB

 

[Conchaga]

US Army acronym'd backwards is
Yes, My Retarded Ass Signed Up

USMC also = Uncle Sam's Misguided Children.

All's fair in love and war between the branches.

 

[Sadistic Bastard]

Never heard a good one for the USCG.

But I did like the "Navy" one I heard:
"Never Again Volunteer Yourself!"

Fleaswtracen(Pac) (since the CG didn't have a sonar school they sent us to the Navy school) abuse:
"Hey, ever hear a Coast Guard sonar? Sounds like "Knee-deep, Knee-deep, Knee-deep...TOO-Deep, TOO-Deep...."

And of course:
"Hey, don't you CG guys all have to be over 6' tall so you can walk back to shore if your boat sinks?"
(response)
"Not at all, you can get a waiver if you know where ALL of the rocks are..."

-SB
(former ST2, and that good conduct medal was EARNED...you know how hard it is never to get caught?)

 

[Volpone]

I actually like the Coasties. It seems to me like they have some of the professionalism of the Marines while more like the Navy as far as being levelheaded and not "gung ho".

Two quick Marine stories about Somalia. (I can't site sources, so maybe they're BS, but they sound credible and I heard them from credible sources):

When the Marines landed in Mogadishu, the MEU commander arranged for a meeting with the warlord(s). He explained that, if they cooperated with the Marines, all would be well, but if they chose to fight the Marines...he turned and nodded to his radioman and a Cobra gunship came in low and fast and blew the holy shit out of something before flying back out to sea, "...all will not be well for you."

Other one was some Marines were patrolling and some Somali grabbed a pair of Oakley sunglasses off a Marine's face. The Marine shot him dead on the spot--and it was determined that it was a justified shooting. :bergman:

 

[Dark Pickle]

I made one up for the Air Force once...

Another Insipid Reason For Obstinately Refusing Civilian Employment

 

[Volpone]

Heh. At our platoon in The Basic School we had a 2nd Lieutenant that had been recycled from another company. I think it was that she couldn't shoot. So she'd make it to the range, fail to qual, and get recycled. Don't know how long this had been going on, but shortly after the range she tried to resign her commission. Exasperated, one of the Captains that was responsible for our platoon talked to us. "Does anyone here know what USMC stands for?" he asked. Without missing a beat one of the "mustangs" replied "You Signed the Motherfuckin' Contract."










Marines don't spell that good.