Question about Marine ranks.............

[Bob Wright]

The US Marine Corps is an arm of the US Navy, that is, Marine Corps personell are considered in Navyal strength.

So, what I've often wondered is, why aren't Marine Corps ranks that of the Navy? But Marinen ranks are the same as the US Army. Why aren't Marine NCOs Petty Officers? Such as Rifleman, Third Class? Or Machine Gunner, First Class? And, officers are First Lieutenants instead og Lt. J.G. etc.?

Who knows?

Bob Wright

 

[Snake45]

Dunno that one, but I could tell you why a Lieutenant General outranks a Major General, if you're interested.

 

[Watertender]

During WW2 US Navy Aviation Machinist's Mates attached to the Marine Corps wore green and red chevrons instead of Navy colors

 

[Bullthrower338]

I was recently involved in a conversation between a naval Officer and a Marine NCO. The Naval Officer emphasized that the marine corp was in fact under the Department of the Navy, the Marine quickly rebutted “yes sir it is, the Men’s Department!” I laughed my butt off!

 

[dannyd]

That's easy, sailors did not want anyone to mistake them for the Guy's that should be going into the Landing Craft.

President Truman tried to disband the Fleet Marines unit the Winter of 1950/51.

One of greatest Marines that ever lived most people never herd of.

General Oliver P. Smith, Commanding General 1st Marine Division Korea 1950/51 He saved Truman's and MacArthur's bacon, but most of all he saved his Marines that winter.

 

[Watertender]

A friend who was a Navy Corpsman said that he was working for a doctor who was a Navy Captain. The doctor was up all night with a difficult case and left orders not to be disturbed
A Marine Captain came in and wanted to see the doctor. My friend told him that Captain X was not to be disturbed and the Marine said "You tell Captain X that Captain Y is here to see him NOW". My friend said Yes Sir and called Captain X.... He was there in full uniform in minutes and said "Captain Y! My office NOW"!!
My friend said he heard a 5 minute string of profanity from behind the door and the Marine left quickly.... My friend asked the doctor what his problem was and the doctor laughed and said he never found out!

 

[contender]

"yes sir it is, the Men's Department!"

OMG! Love it!!!!!!!!!

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

Military traditions all-to-often outlive their original purpose.

I'm often confused, for example, about the Army's use/distinction between the ranks of corporal and specialist. My son (CWO and former E6) says corporals were considered NCOs whereas specialists weren't. I occasionally wonder why that distinction was ever created. I'm similarly puzzled about the old Army's use of the 3-up-with-a-T-below "tech" sergeant designation. Hmmm...

The Air Force has a similar situation with their E-4 rank. E-4s used to be called "sergeants" but now are "senior airmen." In my days (1969-73), an E-4 had all of the privileges that an E-5 (or above) had, including use of the NCO club. I don't know about today's senior airmen.

And then there is the gunnery-sergeant (USMC) vs sergeant-first-class (USA) vs master-sergeant (USAF) variants of E-7 ranks, and the USA/USMC "staff sergeant" vs the USAF "tech sergeant variants of E-6 ranks.

Ultimately, I figure these differences are only ways for each branch to pee on the other branches.

Having been discharged in 1973 as an E-4, I tell people I was a sergeant - because that's what I was.

YMMV

 

[RoninPA]

Dunno that one, but I could tell you why a Lieutenant General outranks a Major General, if you're interested.

Actually, I DO know the answer to that without googling it. (BG, (S)MG, LG, G, G of the Army)

Johnny-Baseball - In the USAF now, when promoted to E-4 they start out as a Senior Airman. Then when they complete the Leadership School/Academy, they become E-4 Sergeants.

 

[GunnyGene]

Bob, it goes back to the formation of the Continental Marines in 1775. Essentially, the early rank structures of both were established prior to the formation of the Dept. of the Navy (1798).

You can get the details here (Downloadable in various formats or read on-line):

https://archive.org/details/RanksAndGrades1775-1969/mode/2up

United States Marine Corps Ranks And Grades, 1775-1969"'United States Marine Corps Ranks and Grades, 1775-1969' is a concise history of officer and enlisted grade structure. Official records and appropriate historical works were used in compiling this narrative, which is published for the information of those interested in this aspect of Marine Corps history."

 

[Snake45]

A friend who was a Navy Corpsman said that he was working for a doctor who was a Navy Captain. The doctor was up all night with a difficult case and left orders not to be disturbed
A Marine Captain came in and wanted to see the doctor. My friend told him that Captain X was not to be disturbed and the Marine said "You tell Captain X that Captain Y is here to see him NOW". My friend said Yes Sir and called Captain X.... He was there in full uniform in minutes and said "Captain Y! My office NOW"!!
My friend said he heard a 5 minute string of profanity from behind the door and the Marine left quickly.... My friend asked the doctor what his problem was and the doctor laughed and said he never found out!

A Marine Captain is the same rank as an Army Captain. A Navy Captain, OTOH, is equivalent to an Army/USAF/USMC "full bird" Colonel (three full ranks higher).

 

[Bob Wright]

Dunno that one, but I could tell you why a Lieutenant General outranks a Major General, if you're interested.

I think I know, but I'd like to hear your version as well. I think it has to do with the French word lieu, meaning "In place of..."?

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

Well, while the subject is being bantered around, the US Army at one time had a rank equivalent to the Navy's ensign. It was a Coronet, and the rank insignia was a coronet. This was dropped after pony a short life. And the coronet was, for a time, the emblem of the Infantry.

And, for whatever its worth Department: When I was in Koea, I served with the 3rd Infantry, the same unit that guards the Unknown Soldier's tomb, and serves as the Army's ceremonial unit in Washington, D.C. So was authorizied to wear the "black and buff" shoulder band. This was a black leather band worn around the shoulder and had three loops of buff leather showing from behind. This to identify the 3rd Inf. to following units.

There is much tradition in the military!

Bob Wright

 

[dweis]

The Department of the Nav is composed to twi service branches: the US Navy and th US Marine Corp. The Corps is independent to the Navy and is not controlled by the Navy. However both services operate as a joint force. The Corps’s main purpose is to be naval infantry and so its main delivery method is aboard ship. The two services operate together while each has its own command structure. N Mariines are aboard ships they are subject to naval shipboard regulations, but the Navy does not have tactical control over Marine operations. When it comes to strategy they work jointly.

USMC ranks are more similar to the Army’s because they fulfill similar operations when it comes to land warfare. The Corps has fewer ranks a than the ARMY and one USMC rank does not exist on the Army and vice-versa. The Coprs rans were modeled after the British Royal Mrines in 1775.

 

[Watertender]

A Marine Captain is the same rank as an Army Captain. A Navy Captain, OTOH, is equivalent to an Army/USAF/USMC "full bird" Colonel (three full ranks higher).

Yup! The Marine was unaware that the doctor in question was a Navy officer. I bet it was a chewing out that he never forgot!

 

[Snake45]

I think I know, but I'd like to hear your version as well. I think it has to do with the French word lieu, meaning "In place of..."?

Bob Wright

There are three principal officer ranks--General (4-star), Colonel, and Captain.

Below each principal rank is a Lieutenant--Lt. General, Lt. Colonel, and Lieutenants (1st and 2nd).

And below each Lieutenant is a Major--Major General, Major, and Sergeant Major.

Fun aside: Remember Catch-22's Major Major Major Major?

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Military traditions all-to-often outlive their original purpose.

I'm often confused, for example, about the Army's use/distinction between the ranks of corporal and specialist. My son (CWO and former E6) says corporals were considered NCOs whereas specialists weren't. I occasionally wonder why that distinction was ever created. I'm similarly puzzled about the old Army's use of the 3-up-with-a-T-below "tech" sergeant designation. Hmmm...

The Air Force has a similar situation with their E-4 rank. E-4s used to be called "sergeants" but now are "senior airmen." In my days (1969-73), an E-4 had all of the privileges that an E-5 (or above) had, including use of the NCO club. I don't know about today's senior airmen.

And then there is the gunnery-sergeant (USMC) vs sergeant-first-class (USA) vs master-sergeant (USAF) variants of E-7 ranks, and the USA/USMC "staff sergeant" vs the USAF "tech sergeant variants of E-6 ranks.

Ultimately, I figure these differences are only ways for each branch to pee on the other branches.

Having been discharged in 1973 as an E-4, I tell people I was a sergeant - because that's what I was.

YMMV

When I enlisted in the USAF in 1960 E-4 was an Airman First Class. An E-5 was a Staff Sergeant and was the first NCO grade.
In WWII USAAF and Army an E-4 was a Buck Sergeant. Also
I think grade E-8 and E-9 came along in the USAF in 1958. Before that highest grade was a Master Sergeant E-7

 

[beentheredone]

Having several retired Marines as friends, I can say I am pretty sure that Marines just aren't bright enough to learn the Navy ranks...

 

[Snake45]

When I enlisted in the USAF in 1960 E-4 was an Airman First Class. An E-5 was a Staff Sergeant and was the first NCO grade.
In WWII USAAF and Army an E-4 was a Buck Sergeant. Also
I think grade E-8 and E-9 came along in the USAF in 1958. Before that highest grade was a Master Sergeant E-7

When I was in, A1C was E-3 (two stripes), buck Sergeant was E-4 (three stripes), and Staff Sergeant E-5 had four stripes.

Pretty sure I still have couple of fatigue shirts with the A1C stripes on the sleeves. I always thought those were pretty cool looking.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

The Department of the Nav is composed to twi service branches: the US Navy and th US Marine Corp. The Corps is independent to the Navy and is not controlled by the Navy. However both services operate as a joint force. The Corps’s main purpose is to be naval infantry and so its main delivery method is aboard ship. The two services operate together while each has its own command structure. N Mariines are aboard ships they are subject to naval shipboard regulations, but the Navy does not have tactical control over Marine operations. When it comes to strategy they work jointly.

USMC ranks are more similar to the Army’s because they fulfill similar operations when it comes to land warfare. The Corps has fewer ranks a than the ARMY and one USMC rank does not exist on the Army and vice-versa. The Coprs rans were modeled after the British Royal Mrines in 1775.

Sometimes posts/threads are very entertaining and quite humorous.

"The Mens Dept" response has been driven into the deck so many times over decades and decades among others.

However, dweis had the most accurate response to the OP yet.

The squids and jarheads do share a lot though....all USN and USMC Aviation train together. As an Ordnance guy, my A school class was split 50/50 between Sailors/Marines. My SAMI School was the same and countless other schools/courses I attended. ALL were under the guidance of NAVREGS...even the DM course I attended.

I spent a lot of time with Marine Cadre/ASF......as proud as I am of my Navy, the average squid didn't match up to the average jarhead....."sometimes"......lol

 

[Bob Wright]

There are three principal officer ranks--General (4-star), Colonel, and Captain.

Below each principal rank is a Lieutenant--Lt. General, Lt. Colonel, and Lieutenants (1st and 2nd).

And below each Lieutenant is a Major--Major General, Major, and Sergeant Major.

Fun aside: Remember Catch-22's Major Major Major Major?

I've had a few Sgt. Majors who would fight you at the suggestion they were below a lieutenant! "No fuzzy faced shavetail schoolboy of a lieutenant is gonna tell ME....!!!!"

Top sergeants were tough old birsd!

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

Having several retired Marines as friends, I can say I am pretty sure that Marines just aren't bright enough to learn the Navy ranks...

"Having HAD several retired Marines as friends...."

Bob Wright

 

[Watertender]

I've had a few Sgt. Majors who would fight you at the suggestion they were below a lieutenant! "No fuzzy faced shavetail schoolboy of a lieutenant is gonna tell ME....!!!!"

Top sergeants were tough old birsd!

Bob Wright

Bob, any Marine Gunny or Navy Chief outranks an Admiral or General! Any officer worth anything was either an enlisted man or was helped to become a good officer by a top enlisted man...

 

[bobski]

i was wearing aviation greens with brown shoes as a cpo, as late as 1997.

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

Upon getting his engineering degree while an enlisted man in the 160th, my son applied for helicopter pilot training school. He was told, "You have your choice: become either a commissioned officer or a warrant officer." My son said that since he wanted to be a pilot the choice was easy. Because he knew that after the first couple of years of flying experience, warrant officers continued to fly helicopters, while officers flew desks. And so it has worked. He'll be up for CW-4 in a year. He would have been an O-4 candidate (major) had he chosen to become an officer.

 

[eveled]

I always wondered why the Navy has Seals, when they already had Marines.

 

[Watertender]

I always wondered why the Navy has Seals, when they already had Marines.

And why are there Seals at Marineland?

 

[bobski]

seals were suppose to be only heard of and not seen.

marines were always seen.

seals blew it when they all got full of themselves and learned to enjoy the spotlight.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I always wondered why the Navy has Seals, when they already had Marines.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get more humorous!

 

[epags]

A Marine Captain is the same rank as an Army Captain. A Navy Captain, OTOH, is equivalent to an Army/USAF/USMC "full bird" Colonel (three full ranks higher).

My favorite story is when I was an Air Force Captain and the time I called over to the Navy Officer's Open Mess and made a reservation for Captain 'epags'. Only worked once.