For example, both the marines and the Navy fly planes, sail ships, and deploy soldiers.
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Because each branch specializes in a different type or combat. For example, the Navy focuses on ship-based warfare, but needs a small number of planes and a small number of high-level fighters to fulfill all of its operational needs.
It’s all about historical context.
Originally there were 2 primary branches, with 1 sub-branch. The Army handled fighting on land, and the Navy handled fighting at sea. The Marines, which still technically role up under the Navy, were a special class of soldier who provided a combination of police like function, as well as general defense of Navy vessels.
Eventually that close relationship with the Navy led to an expanded role for the Marines, whereby they were a fighting force that could be quickly deployed by the Navy to help with sea-born invasions.
The World Wars saw an increased role for airplanes in combat, and by the end of WWII the Army Air Corps was spun off into it’s own specialized branch known as the Air Force.
Then the Cold War saw an increase in need for troops at the ready, so we created the National Guard as a formalization of the militia that had been the core of America’s defense since it’s inception.
Each of these branches have their own well established chains of command, as well as budgets, as so it would be just about impossible to kill off/restructure them.
Allows for safety, as no one person controls every arm of the military wing. They all have different needs, purposes, uses, and supply chains. They all have their own leadership structures until you get to the very very top. Further to that, it is such a big beast, it would be hard to be functional without multiple “heads”
First off there are only two branches of the US military: The Army and The Navy. The Air Force is a corporation and The Marine Corps is a cult.
For a real answer to your question. Realistically the Army and Marine Corps share some overlap, as do the Navy and Air Force; at least superficially. The Marine Corps serves as our fastest reaction force, shock troops and genrally this is the branch you call when you just need something fucked up fast without a ton of concern for holding it. The Corps which is technically a department of the Navy specializes in amphibious warfare, and breaking hard point defenses.
The Army is a more controlled and slow, methodical force, they are excellent at holding ground and operating from strongholds.
The Airforce is planes and missiles over land. The Airforce tends yo have a very long reach, and gives us ground pounders support in the form of the most beautiful aircraft ever concieved, the A-10. They have other planes too, and all the cool gadgetry you could ever want, And their food is just better than anyone elses.
The Nave is boats planes and missiles over water. The navy is a massive force of hyoerpowerful warships that basically get used as taxis for Marines because nobody in their right mind would try to fight the US Navy. Àlso heavy into gadgetry, and just the silliest weapon systems.
Spaceforce… Lemme get back to you when they have actually done something important; and/or i figure out what they are doing that the Airforce couldn’t. Also Im still bitter about the fact that Space should have gone to the Corps, because SPACE MARINES.
Note:I was in the Marine Vorps, and wrote this with as little bias as I could
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The Army is a Lion. It is large and lumbering and travels in groups, but extremely lethal and dangerous. Can go on water, but that’s merely for transport and the infrequent bath.
The Navy is an Albatross. It can attack on land, but primarily lives and eats at sea. It usually only returns to land for rest or reproduction.
The Marines are Polar Bears. You don’t want to encounter them on land or sea. They move in small groups and are more solitary. They’re hard to see until they’re right on top of you, and it only takes one to fuck you up.
The Air Force are Eagles or Falcons. They have a home base and primarily deploy from land. They can swoop in fast and quick from up high, but are limited over large areas of water.
Coast Guard are Sharks. They’re mostly peaceful and keep to themselves, protecting their territory. However, sharks have some nasty teeth when they need to use them. They move slowly to conserve energy, but can turn into Usain Bolt at a moment’s notice.
Adding the Space Force, which are Squirrels scurrying to collect land objects and transport them up to a higher position to provide resources higher or weapons to be dropped from above. While primarily land based, their equipment is higher up and thus their mission is more one of resource management and surveillance. Also, they can dent the shit out of your car and cause you to swerve out of the way.
Asked to add the National Guard, which are Elephants. Pretty much sedentary and stay to a set area. Pretty lazy if you let them be, but are ridiculously territorial. Would rather take a nice bath or lounge in the sun, but if Hannibal calls on them can wreak serious havoc. Very gentle and kind animals, but don’t let a Carthaginian general cross the Alps with them. Even the Romans got into a catastrophe or four with them.
People have touched on the “different types of warfare” bit but have failed to address the underlying “Why?” Especially in an ELI5 format.
Picture this: You own a car factory, and you’re *really* good at building cars. Your workers are specially trained to build cars; you have specialized car-building assembly lines; and you even have big stockpiles of raw materials to meet unexpected building needs!
Then, one day, someone comes along and asks if you can build an airplane. Sure, you *technically* have the ability – your engineers are smart enough, you have the right tools, and those raw materials you have stocked up could be used for aircraft! Except you’ve been building cars for 50 years – there are certain ways of doing things that work for cars that *don’t work* for aircraft. It’s hard for you to do it differently because you’ve done it so long for one way…
Meanwhile, a brand new aerospace engineer out of college has none of the baggage and has spent his entire (but short) career understanding how to build planes.
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There are very specific problems for different domains of warfare that require distinctly different approaches. The Army, Air Force, and Navy are **very** different – they’re organized differently, they plan differently, they have *completely different cultures*. These differences have major impacts on the way they fight in their different domains. It’s *exceedingly* difficult to reconcile these differences (which is why Joint planning is such a big deal), but it’s also what makes each branch effective in its narrowly defined role.
Since no one is actually attempting to ELI5 here goes:
Air Force – own the sky period. Space and Air. Gun people on the ground only used to protect bases and rescue people who get shot out of sky.
Edit – own the sky: use aircraft and shared assets with the army (SAM systems) to maintain freedom of movement above whatever piece of geography. This means shooting enemy planes who are trying to shoot our planes. As well as shooting things on the ground that are trying to shoot other things on the ground or in the sky. Whatever the reason, the Air Forces primary job is to maintain the ability of the US forces to employ their mission sets where and when they want to. It’s much more complicated than that, but I’ll stop there.
Navy: bring fight to the enemy (called expeditionary warfare) in a couple distinct ways. Own the ocean and little areas on the edge of the water (littorals). Navy airplanes used just like the Air Force, but can float a “base” (aka Aircraft carrier) anywhere in the world, but for a limited time only (6 ish months typically).
Marines – take control of very specific objectives quickly. Self contained: ha(d) own tanks, has own shooters, has own boats (small), has own planes dedicated solely to protect all these things I just mentioned. They are selfish with their airplanes/helicopters – only used to protect marines on ground, but need to be able to defend themselves against enemies in sky (hence marine corp FA18). Marines are only designed to last by themselves for about (30) days. They will run ahead too fast and then be stuck without enough supplies unless they have support from another branch (air drops from Air Force, army logistics, navy resupply etc.) Also the marines have a few extra jobs in repayment for the free ride they get around the world – ship security at shore,embassy protection, etc.
Army – major invasion, and long term occupying force. When you think of a marine invasion, think of hundreds to a couple thousand marines. When you think of an army invasion, think more like 100,000 soldiers. The army is huge compared to the Marine corps. Everything is geared towards ground warfare. Helicopters are more like lightweight flying tanks than airplanes. Tanks are like armored trucks that shoot things. In any case these things all support the soldier on the ground.
Space force – hah! Actually they are just basically the offshoot of the air forces space domain. Own space.
Edit: Coast Guard – the coast guard is basically like a navy but they’re only allowed to operate within the “territorial waters” of the United States (USVI, etc included). They have airplanes and helicopters at their disposal to help them do a variety of missions including: trade route/water way security (I.e. fight pirates), rescuing people, inspecting vessels, breaking up ice flows to keep water ways navigable, interdicting drug runners and other illegal activity. If it happens in the water within 12 miles of the US coast, it’s their job to deal with. Despite them being not seen as a military, their training, discipline, and missions are as deadly serious as any other branch.
The question wasn’t what each service does, but why each service maintains and acquired capabilities which are duplicative of other services: because leadership of each service feels they must have ownership of those capabilities because they cannot trust the other service to provide it when and how they need it.
In a word, specialization:
* Army = bang, bing, bong
* Navy = row, row, row
* Air Force = zoom, boom, doom
* Marines = grunt, grunt, grunt
* Coast Guard = “Fisherman’s platter please”
Source: I’m an ex-Coastie aircrew who spent time at Army, Navy, Marine and Coast Guard air bases.
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