Abolish the Air Force

[VMI_Marine]

I have recently been accused of indulging in pith, vinegar and general snarkiness of which I am wholly and completely guilty (mea culpa) so I am going to try to pitch softly here.

Unlike an ideal professional discussion, we can't hold these over beers, so some snarkiness is needed, IMO, to keep it from getting too dry and haughty.

Believe it or not, but the fate of our nation, our reality as we know it today, is really, truly, honest to God only what it is because of a couple of wars and a few decisive battles. A handful of those critical struggles were fought and solely won by U.S. Marines. Fact.

Well, your first assumption was wrong, but no offense taken. I am an active duty Marine, on my 5th deployment to the CENTCOM AOR since 2003. I simply don't buy the line that the Marine Corps is essential to national survival. I'm as proud of my chosen branch of service as the next Marine, but I think we have a tendency to delude ourselves and exaggerate our own "greatness". We've had some great tactical and operational victories, but there have been very few instances where the Marine Corps was strategically decisive in American history. As a retired SgtMaj at the Institute once put it, "America doesn't need a Marine Corps, America wants a Marine Corps." I'd ask you to expound on your statements, but I think we've hijacked this thread enough.