In my country we only have the air force, army, and navy who cover the air, land, and the sea, respectively. What makes the Marines and Coast Guard different?
(Also, why do the Marines have a reputation for being bloodthirsty crayon chewers? Is that what makes them special?)
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Theoretically, the Marines are better thought of as the Navy’s Army (which they officially were until fairly recently). The Navy’s job is power projection and the Marines are a tool to do that. Anywhere a ship can go, we can invade. If your country has some people called Naval Infantry that specialize in amphibious operations, those are Marines in all but name.
The Cost Guard differs from the Navy in that they’re law enforcement. Before 9/11, they were part of the Treasury Department rather then the military, and even now they’re Homeland Security instead of Defense. They can be called up as part of the military in wartime which is why they have military style shops, but they more generally stop smuggling, maintain navigation aids like buoys and lights, and provide harbor security. So they’re in a weird spot of being an armed service, but not part of the military.
EDIT: Fixed a typo so the USCG stops illicit trade and not human intimacy.
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