why did the U.S. Marines (an amphibious force) fight in Afghanistan (a landlocked country)?
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Don’t think of the Marines as a water based fighting force. Each branch of the military has its role in operations. The following were explained to me a while back, so I could be wrong, but I think the broad strokes are correct.
According to US military doctrine, the Marines are the expeditionary and vanguard forces. They go in first, secure the area, make the initial assault.
The Army is the occupation force once a position is established. They bring the heavy stuff like armor, helicopters, artillery, and set up infrastructure and supply lines.
The navy secures sea routes and ports, provides sea (and air) power, and transportation. They’re all about mobilization of a complete force, and quickly.
The Air Force provide direct air superiority, ISR, transportation, and bulk supply. Air superiority and ISR are the things that win wars.
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