The
US Navy: the world's most powerful fighting force on the surface, beneath the surface,
and in the skies above the sea. The US Marines: tip of the spear of American
military power. How do the two services compare to each other
though? That’s what we’ll find out, in this episode
of The Infographics Show- the US Navy vs the US Marines. The US Navy was officially established on
October 13, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution creating the
Continental Navy. Mostly a token force that met with little
actual success during the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Navy was disbanded shortly
after the war with its last ship auctioned off in 1785. Almost ten years later, with threats to the
new republic's merchant shipping from north African Barbary pirates, first American president
George Washington created the Naval Act of 1794 which created a permanent standing Navy. Often forgotten by politicians, the navy would
languish throughout the 1800s with outdated and few ship designs, until the start of the
20th century, when by the end of WWI, the US Navy had more sailors and an equal number
of capital ships as the vaunted British Royal Navy. Earning stunning victory after victory during
World War II in the Pacific against the powerful Imperial Japanese Navy, the US Navy would
go on to become the world's most powerful, and important, naval force. Although technically a detachment of the US
Navy, the US Marines trace their founding to a resolution passed by the Second Continental
Congress on November 10, 1775, ordering Captain Samuel Nicholas to raise two battalions of
Marines capable of fighting both in ship-to-ship battles and land actions. Also disbanded after the Revolutionary War,
a need for a shipborne fighting force arose towards the end of the 18th century, as the
fledgling US prepared for the Quasi-War with France, waged exclusively on the high seas
between 1798 and 1800. The US Marines would come into their own during
the War of 1812 against Britain, where during the Battle of New Orleans, they were directly
credited with holding General (and future President) Andrew Jackson's center defensive
line. Leading US actions in the Pacific during World
War II, American marines would conduct an island-hopping campaign against entrenched
Japanese forces, leading to the bloodiest and most violent battles of the second World
War. So how do the two services compare? For starters, the US Navy maintains an 8 week
basic training course for new recruits, while Marine basic training lasts for 13 weeks. Navy basic training focuses on shipborne operations,
with recruits undergoing classes in fire fighting, ship-to-ship communication, and ship and aircraft
identification. Marine basic training, meanwhile, focuses
on marksmanship, battlefield first aid, and combat tactics. This training focus directly reflects each
service's mission statement, with the Navy's mission being to maintain, train and equip
combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining
freedom of the seas. The Marines' mission, on the other hand, is
to act as America's expeditionary force, forward deployed to win battles on land, sea, and
air. In terms of size, the US Navy has nearly 326,000
active duty personnel with nearly 99,000 reservists. They operate a total of 480 ships and 2,600
aircraft. The Marines on the other hand are about half
that size, with 182,000 active duty personnel and 38,500 reservists. Other than a few patrol craft, they operate
none of their own ships and instead are attached to US Navy vessels, but they do operate 1,300
aircraft. Marine aviation is split up into helicopter
and fixed-wing attack aircraft squadrons. For helicopter-based close air support, forward
air control, escort and reconnaissance, the Marines are equipped with the AH-1W SuperCobra,
AH-1Z Viper, and UH-1Y Venom light attack helicopter. The AV-8B Harrier II combat jet gives the
Marines the flexibility to also provide close air support, air interdiction, and surveillance
operations; as a 'jump jet' design capable of Short Take Off/Vertical Landing (or STOVL)
operations from amphibious assault ships or remote, rough airfields, the Harrier perfectly
suits the Marine Corps’ expeditionary nature. Beginning in 2016, the Marines began replacing
their vaunted Harriers with a STOVL version of the F-35 Lightning II. To provide air superiority for their ground
forces and to strike at surface targets, the US Marines are equipped with the F/A-18 Hornet
and now, the F-35B Lightning II. In effect, the US Marines are a ground combat
force with their own air force, more than a match on their own for most other nation's
militaries. The US Navy has no attack helicopters, but
does operate a large fleet of choppers for search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare,
anti-mine countermeasures, and transport. To establish and maintain air superiority
over a nation's coastal areas, and to defend US forces at sea from enemy air attack, the
Navy operates the F/A-18 and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. As multi-mission platforms, the navy's Hornets
and Superhornets can also be tasked with strike missions against enemy land targets or ships. While the navy is slowly phasing in the F-35C
Lightning II, it does not plan to completely eliminate its fleet of Super Hornets, and
to date has a further 10 new Super Hornets on order. Tasked with ensuring free-trade for all nations
across the world's oceans, the US Navy deploys very frequently. Sailors can be deployed between 6 and nine
months at a time aboard a ship, and return home for four to five months before deploying
again. As an expeditionary force, Marines have to
be constantly ready to deploy to anywhere the US needs manpower fast, and their deployments
can range from 30 days up to no longer than 2 years, depending on the state of global
affairs and the threat or prosecution of an ongoing war. The US Navy is the most powerful sea-based
fighting force in history and ensures that nations around the world have free access
to the open sea. American Marines have for over two centuries
been the tip of American firepower, fighting in every climate and settled continent in
the world. While their missions and equipment may differ,
both services are indispensable arms of the US military that work closely together to
achieve victory. So, would you ever consider joining the US
Navy or Marines? Let us know in the comments. Also, be sure to watch our other video called
What is a day in the life of a US Marine like? Thanks for watching, and as always, don't
forget to like, share and subscribe. See you next time!
