It’s probably no secret to anyone that in the United States, everyone is convinced that the Marines are the most ferocious warriors in the world. If you do not take the spetsura and the Soviet construction battalion, which has died in history, in principle, it can be so.
Logan Nye from "We are the Mighty" (that sounds like "We are powerful", what else can you expect from the American media?), Gave an overview of the differences between infantry and marine. And I found as many as five differences.
Nye, for comparison, was guided by the infantry manual for a rifle platoon and a similar document for a rifle platoon of the Marine Corps and the squads within those platoons.
It is clear that doctrine is doctrine, but field realities have their own nuances in the use of marine and conventional infantry.
Organizationally, army and marines rifle platoons have many elements in common. The main element of the squad is the shooter, each squad is divided into two mini-squads, or fireteams (combat teams "Alpha" and "Bravo" with the same set: commander, machine gunner, grenade launcher, shooter). Plus, each platoon has a radio operator and a medic.
Next comes the difference.
The Marine Platoon has THREE squads, each of which consists of three combat teams. The platoon leader is a lieutenant. The group commander (usually a sergeant) performs part-time the functions of a grenade launcher (M203), with him a two-man machine-gun crew (a machine gunner and his assistant) and another shooter.
There is no so-called heavy weapons in the platoon, but the ILC company has a weapons platoon of the Marine Corps, commanded by another lieutenant. The arms platoon is a very serious combat unit and consists of:
- mortar compartment (3 60-mm mortars M224);
- machine gun compartment (3 machine guns M240);
- grenade compartment (6 SMAW hand grenade launchers).
This platoon also has two specialists: a gunnery sergeant and a medic.
Army platoons are divided into two sections. The commander of an army rifle squad is usually a sergeant or senior sergeant who leads two four-man fire groups.
Each army fire group consists of a group commander (corporal), a machine gunner, a grenade launcher, and a gunner.
Here, too, there is a difference, the machine gunner does not have a second number, and the duty to shoot small grenades has been removed from the commander. The shooter, who plays the role of the second number among the Marines, is usually assigned the duties of the shooter of the squad or marksman, who must hit targets at a great distance. Not exactly a sniper, but something like that.
And, unlike the ILC, the infantry platoon has its own squad with heavy weapons. The weapons squad is usually headed by the most experienced sergeant. The squad also consists of two groups and is armed with two M240 machine guns and two Javelin anti-tank systems.
Obviously, the ILC platoon turns out to be more mobile precisely due to the fact that all heavy weapons are concentrated in a separate platoon, the responsiveness of which is entirely a headache for the company command.
However, the ILC arms platoon is a more serious combat unit than two weapon compartments on the one hand, due to a mortar battery, albeit a small caliber, and there are more machine guns in it.
However, each tank has its own battlefield. The weapons platoon of the ILC can create a significant advantage and reinforcement in the area where it will be thrown according to the order of the command. The presence of an armament unit in each rifle platoon of an infantry company of the US Army allows a more balanced support to the infantry squad both in defense and in the offensive.
Naturally, when making appropriate decisions at the battalion level, any unit can be given additional reinforcement in the form of mortars, machine guns and missile systems. This is the same for the US Army and the ILC.
The Marines complain that the army gets all the new items first. For example, the same M4 rifle hit the ILC almost a year and a half later than the ground forces. The same applies to such useful things as optical sights, laser sighting devices, tactical grips and other "gadgets" so dear to the heart of every soldier, which the Marine receives much later than his land counterpart.
And the choice in the infantry is more varied than in the ILC. If an infantryman needs to hit the enemy with something more significant than a bullet, he has such a tasty contraption at his disposal as the M320. And the Marine still only has the M203.
No, of course, the M203 is still relevant and not bad, but still it comes from the 60s of the last century, and therefore lacks the convenience of the M320 and such useful things as a night vision device and a handheld laser rangefinder. After all, the M203 is a very old model. And the M320 can be used without attachment to the machine, which is also a great advantage.
The army very quickly re-equips on the M320, but why the marines are mired in such conservatism is very difficult to say. For the mobile Marine, the M320, which can be used as an autonomous weapon, is a very good help in battle.
If the situation is completely out of control, but still does not require the call of the heavenly cavalry in the form of "Apaches", then the army has superiority. Need to use a more powerful rocket or grenade than from a grenade launcher? No problem!
Marines can use SMAW, AT-4, or Javelin. And for marines at lower levels, only SMAW is available. Yes, if the marines shout loudly, the battalion command can send Javelins to help, they are in the ILC, but the company has heavy weapons of battalion subordination.
You understand that in battle it is easy to miss the battalion command.
The same is typical for ordinary infantry, but their level of saturation with heavy weapons will be even higher, and it will be spread more evenly over platoons and companies.
Obviously, the infantry units of both forces are not completely independent on the battlefield. Both the Marines and the Army Rifle units seek help in the event of an unpleasant situation in battle.
Both marines and army companies can receive mortar, large-caliber machine-gun and rocket-grenade support from their battalion, in case the company funds are exhausted, or they are simply not enough.
And yes, at the brigade level, the infantrymen already have support from their own artillery and aviation.
And here, too, there are differences. The marines are supported by their own artillery, which is landed as part of an amphibious assault group, and air support can be provided by ground aviation, naval aviation, or aviation of the ILC. Who will be closer.
Air support for infantrymen, of course, will be provided only by the air force of the ground forces.
Specialties. A very interesting point.
Of course, the normal and the Marine are very different in terms of training. This is perhaps the deepest difference between the two.
It is clear that all Marines are preparing for amphibious operations, and not necessarily from ships. Land infantrymen do not need this at all, therefore, for the sake of advanced training, many prefer to receive specialization by type of terrain or method of warfare. These are airborne troops, rangers, mountain or mechanized infantry.
Rangers are highly valued and respected as the most difficult of these specialties. But it is no less honorable than the marine, and therefore many are trying to master this specialty.
In the Marine Corps, everything is different, they classify their soldiers according to weapons systems and tactics, and not according to specialties, like the infantrymen. The point here is that it is completely unclear where the Marine will fight tomorrow, because narrow specialization is completely useless here.
So the Marines do not have such a division, there are only arrows, machine gunners, mortarmen-snipers, attack aircraft and missilemen.
But within the military profession there are no limits for improvement. And any Marine who wants to move up the career ladder can go beyond the specialization of the standard infantry unit of the ILC and receive a specification of a different plan, for example, a reconnaissance.
In general, despite the similarities, the difference between the ILC and infantry units lies in the methods of use. The ILC is an arrowhead designed to inevitably and deadly destroy the enemy in any theater of operations, from the Arctic to the tropical jungle. It is a mobile and flexible tool for influencing the enemy.
The ground army infantry is a more specialized for a specific theater of war, but no less deadly tool.
The main thing in modern strategy is to know exactly where these troops can be used more effectively. And then victory will be inevitable.
Source: 5 differences between Army and Marine Corps infantry.
