An Army officer sums up what makes Marines different

Sgt Richard Buckner - We went back and rebuilt some of Bulkeley for the Haitians and it later became Camp Delta /x-ray where we keep bad guys.

CPO (Join to see) - Civil affairs CAT-A team could be 4 man team of O-3/0-4, E-7/E-6 an E-5 and E-1/2/3/4. Special ops would go out along with a PSD of Mps or infantry in HUMVEES or MRAPs when I was in OEF in 2009. Good info CPO...I am always learning here on RP!

LTC (Join to see) - Thank you Sir I know how SOF works we are there Major support element that is a hole different world and I like the way it is set up. We go out with CAT teams and work alongside CA and use HUMINT because of the work we do in Building schools, town halls and water wells the CA mission is tasked element for us because of everything we do. The Navy Tried in NECC to crate there own CA element with one Seabee on every 4 man team did not work and SOF (SOCOM) told the Navy to stop that shit Army and MARINES already have it and are using your Seabees to help. So this is are mission now have teams all over Africa and I did a mission in South America. We are the ones supporting ODA on the VSP's.

CPO (Join to see) - good to know I am preaching to the choir! LOL you were a force multiplier of CA LOL!

Yes they do sir. I am a Navy Seabee and lot of how we train in small units and train in small unit leadership comes from the Marine Corps. We have a Marine Training element at Regiment level and every Battalion has a Marine Gunny or above usually 0311 and or and or some kind of SOF element background. That is because we have to be able to operate out on are own and need to know how to defend and operate outside of other elements supporting us. The other thing is they deploy just like Navy so have a better opportunity to conduct real world Operations on a dime. As we speak there is probably a MUE moving into Taiwan and I know a Seabee Recovery team in Okinawa and probably a Medical Team is standing by to go in and help set up recovery OPS. They don't need any stand up time they are ready to go. I believe small unit leadership is the key. I have been with the Army under a JTF and being a Seabee have been attached to I MEF twice under Combat and would say I like the way the Marines use their small unit leader concept and that is part of what makes us good at our job.

Are you really claiming that the Army changed up Basic to more reflect the Marine's Boot? I want some of what you are smoking, or you really don't know what goes on in Basic. You do realize they dropped end of course testing? They have dropped certain crew served weapons, unless you are actually combat arms? PT is mostly a joke? I know, you were writing sarcasm, which is really hard to detect.

SFC Don Ward - It was not sarcasm, nor am I smoking crack or weedSFC Don Ward. I am pretty clear on what goes on basic training, but not an expert. I went thru it myself many moons ago, and worked in around TRADOC the last 10 years of my Army Career on and off. So, I am pretty clear on the tasks and drills, and what was changed after 911, for both new recruits, pre-commissioning, and the basic officer leader course. Change is part of the Army, and the changes were needed and for the best. Things are different, but that does not mean it is bad.

I attended my son's graduation from Army Boot camp about three years ago. He was an inter-service transfer from the navy so went through basic as an E5. What I saw of the disrespect to his rank and the no-care attitude of his training NCOs when my son asked a subordinate rank to help clean up an area after graduation and he literally flipped him off and walked away while the training NCO watched, then shook his head and let him leave. Unless it's different today, a Marine DI would have been all over that guy and right in his face... If they've upgraded training... it's not working.