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Why are the Marines and Coast Guard branches?

The Coast Guard is under The Department of Homeland Security. Looking at the jobs they do (maritime search and rescue, and law enforcement) why are the Fire Departments or Police Department not a branch also? The Marines are a department of the Navy that are infantry specialized into inserting amphibiously. Even though they do have tanks, planes, and helicopters, their function is to support the infantry. Why is the Army Airborne not a separate branch since they specialize in inserting from the air weather or not it is through parachutes, or air assault through helicopter landings? This is not a Army vs. Marine discussion. Also, no disrespect to the Marines or the Coast Guard, because they both perform excellent jobs and take their work seriously. I just was wondering.

Public Comments

1. well the coast guard is a department of homeland security and they are a branch because they are military if another country tried to invade they would protect our coast along with the navy but they specialize here only in america hence homeland security and as for the marines being a department of the navy we have to be our own branch most the the navy doesn't have the leadership skill the Control a Ground unit. so we are our own branch but our funding comes out of the navy's budget because they are the ones that give us rides around the world that's how we can be any were in 24 hours. if we had our own budget we would have every thing we needed and that would make us lazy, soft, fat, or even weak. living of there budget makes us make things last or we make do. if we live in crap we will be happy in crappy country's like iraq the marine corps is like america's little pit bull they keep us in a cage, beat us, miss treat us and every once and a while they let us out to kill some thing
2. Wow, Metro was the stereotypical Marine.... Not that there is anything wrong with Marines. Being in the Navy, I often wonder why there are so many different branches myself. It all comes down to tradition and reputation. The Navy doesn't have the history of being fierce warriors, but of being tough Sailors. The powers that be are too caught up in tradition to unify the military into just 2-3 branches. Hell, why does every branch have it's own Aviation field? They should make it just 3 branches, flying, floating, and bullet-sponge. The Coast Guard doesn't just defend our home ports, they also defend our ports away from the US. The bottom line is tradition, history, and money. To change to the way things should be would be too much of a break from all.
3. The same reason, the Navy, Army, and Air Force are branches of the military. The Marines are not a Dept. of the Navy. Both the Marine Corps and the Navy come under the Dept. of the Navy on equal footing. At one time, all the branches of the military came under the War Dept. Fire Depts. and police Depts. are local authorities, not federal. Army airborne is not a special branch because they are part of the Army just like Marine Recon and the Marine Air Wing are part of the Marines.