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Why are Marines called marines and G.I.s called soldiers

N

Narmer

Diamond Member
When the injured and dead from Iraq and Afghanistan are announced, it seems like the U.S. Military tries to differentiate between the different units. But aren't all these men and women soldiers?
 
No. They're all U.S. troops. 'Soldiers' refer to enlisted/warrant officer and officers of the U.S. Army. The U.S.M.C. has Marines. Navy/sailors, U.S.A.F./airmen. The word 'Marine(s)' is now always capitalized and the word Soldier(s) is beginning to be used in the same manner. You can call any service member a 'troop'.
 
well I don't know what I am talking about, but I am sure it helps to differentiate the different forces instead of just saying x # of soldiers.

hopefully this isn't a bullshit post
 
GI, is an abbreviation for General Infantry. Infantry is a ground force.

Marine, is a historically-based title for the hand-to-hand combat fighters used to protect British sailing ships (merchant and military) from pirates. This allowed sailors to focus on sailing the ship and the close combat fighters to focus their time and training on protecting the ship.

It can be disrespectful to provide general terms for military forces with widely differing job responsibilities and skills since people often take pride in their skills that set them apart from others. Additionally, using the correct term provides more specific information on a situation.

EDIT:
soldier
  1. a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in military service.
  2. an enlisted man or woman, as distinguished from a commissioned officer: the soldiers' mess and the officers' mess.
  3. a person of military skill or experience: George Washington was a great soldier.
To say that 10 soldiers lost their lives when the USS Cole was bombed several years ago does not convey the appropriate information.
 
no, the army has soldiers

marines are not soldiers and not part of the army, the marine corp is under the dept of the navy
 
Originally posted by: chusteczka
GI, is an abbreviation for General Infantry. Infantry is a ground force.

Marine, is a historically-based title for the hand-to-hand combat fighters used to protect British sailing ships (merchant and military) from pirates. This allowed sailors to focus on sailing the ship and the close combat fighters to focus their time and training on protecting the ship.

It can be disrespectful to provide general terms for military forces with widely differing job responsibilities and skills since people often take pride in their skills that set them apart from others. Additionally, using the correct term provides more specific information on a situation.

EDIT:
soldier
  1. a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in military service.
  2. an enlisted man or woman, as distinguished from a commissioned officer: the soldiers' mess and the officers' mess.
  3. a person of military skill or experience: George Washington was a great soldier.
To say that 10 soldiers lost their lives when the USS Cole was bombed several years ago does not convey the appropriate information.
Click to expand...

I thought GI was short for Government Issue, named for the government issued uniforms that most of them got becuase they were usually drafted.
 
Originally posted by: Hacp
Originally posted by: chusteczka
GI, is an abbreviation for General Infantry. Infantry is a ground force. . . .
Click to expand...

I thought GI was short for Government Issue, named for the government issued uniforms that most of them got becuase they were usually drafted.
Click to expand...

It seems we are both correct but your use is possibly more correct.

Wikipedia: GI
GI or G.I. is a term describing a US soldier or an item of their equipment. The term is often thought to be an initialism of "Government Issue" but the origin of the term is in fact "Galvanized Iron" after the letters "GI" that were stamped on US Army metal trash cans made from it. It was later assumed that GI stood for Government Issue and the term was applied to other equipment and the soldiers themselves. Alternative interpretations include General Issue, General Infantry, Ground Infantry, General Invasion, and Government Inductee.

During World War I, US soldiers sardonically referred to incoming German artillery shells as "GI cans".
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: Hacp
Originally posted by: chusteczka
GI, is an abbreviation for General Infantry. Infantry is a ground force.

Marine, is a historically-based title for the hand-to-hand combat fighters used to protect British sailing ships (merchant and military) from pirates. This allowed sailors to focus on sailing the ship and the close combat fighters to focus their time and training on protecting the ship.

It can be disrespectful to provide general terms for military forces with widely differing job responsibilities and skills since people often take pride in their skills that set them apart from others. Additionally, using the correct term provides more specific information on a situation.

EDIT:
soldier
  1. a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in military service.
  2. an enlisted man or woman, as distinguished from a commissioned officer: the soldiers' mess and the officers' mess.
  3. a person of military skill or experience: George Washington was a great soldier.
To say that 10 soldiers lost their lives when the USS Cole was bombed several years ago does not convey the appropriate information.
Click to expand...

I thought GI was short for Government Issue, named for the government issued uniforms that most of them got becuase they were usually drafted.
Click to expand...

GI does stand for Government Issue, but has nothing to do with the draft. The term started in WW2 and has continued.

USMC troops are called Marines due to ground forces stationed on ships have been called Marines for a very long time, longer then the USMC has been around. Since that is what they basically are, it is in their branch name and it is what they are called.

 
Originally posted by: chusteczka
GI, is an abbreviation for General Infantry. Infantry is a ground force.

Marine, is a historically-based title for the hand-to-hand combat fighters used to protect British sailing ships (merchant and military) from pirates. This allowed sailors to focus on sailing the ship and the close combat fighters to focus their time and training on protecting the ship.

It can be disrespectful to provide general terms for military forces with widely differing job responsibilities and skills since people often take pride in their skills that set them apart from others. Additionally, using the correct term provides more specific information on a situation.

EDIT:
soldier
  1. a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in military service.
  2. an enlisted man or woman, as distinguished from a commissioned officer: the soldiers' mess and the officers' mess.
  3. a person of military skill or experience: George Washington was a great soldier.
To say that 10 soldiers lost their lives when the USS Cole was bombed several years ago does not convey the appropriate information.
Click to expand...

G.I. stands for Galvanized Iron, the first evidence of marines in history was the Romans, and the Spanish had an equivalent of marines before the British.

Edit: And to say that 10 soldiers lost their lives would be correct as they were people engaged in military service.
 
marines were originally put on ships to keep the (often pressed into service) sailors from mutinying.
 
Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
I'd be pissed if anyone called me a soldier. I'm a Marine or a troop.
Click to expand...

Get over yourself. A person engaged in military service is a soldier. It is an all-encompassing term.

Edit: You're a soldier.
Click to expand...

A person in military service is a troop. A soldier is an army term.
 
Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
I'd be pissed if anyone called me a soldier. I'm a Marine or a troop.
Click to expand...

Get over yourself. A person engaged in military service is a soldier. It is an all-encompassing term.

Edit: You're a soldier.
Click to expand...

A person in military service is a troop. A soldier is an army term.
Click to expand...

A troop is a collection of soldiers. A soldier is a person engaged in military service for pay.
 
A troop is an element of a cavalry squadron. It can also refer to an individual service member. Sort of like tuna, I guess.
 
Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
I'd be pissed if anyone called me a soldier. I'm a Marine or a troop.
Click to expand...

Get over yourself. A person engaged in military service is a soldier. It is an all-encompassing term.

Edit: You're a soldier.
Click to expand...

A person in military service is a troop. A soldier is an army term.
Click to expand...

A troop is a collection of soldiers. A soldier is a person engaged in military service for pay.
Click to expand...

What about a troupe?
 
Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Originally posted by: chusteczka
GI, is an abbreviation for General Infantry. Infantry is a ground force.

Marine, is a historically-based title for the hand-to-hand combat fighters used to protect British sailing ships (merchant and military) from pirates. This allowed sailors to focus on sailing the ship and the close combat fighters to focus their time and training on protecting the ship.

It can be disrespectful to provide general terms for military forces with widely differing job responsibilities and skills since people often take pride in their skills that set them apart from others. Additionally, using the correct term provides more specific information on a situation.

EDIT:
soldier
  1. a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in military service.
  2. an enlisted man or woman, as distinguished from a commissioned officer: the soldiers' mess and the officers' mess.
  3. a person of military skill or experience: George Washington was a great soldier.
To say that 10 soldiers lost their lives when the USS Cole was bombed several years ago does not convey the appropriate information.
Click to expand...

G.I. stands for Galvanized Iron, the first evidence of marines in history was the Romans, and the Spanish had an equivalent of marines before the British.

Edit: And to say that 10 soldiers lost their lives would be correct as they were people engaged in military service.
Click to expand...

Actually it would be more correct to say 10 sailors lost thier lives.

 
Grunt (Pre-Marine)

Devil Dog (IIRC the Japanese soldiers nicknamed the Marines this for their tenacity)

Leatherneck

Jarhead (for obvious reasons, look at the haircut)

Then there's the obvious.....hero, but that applies to all who serve for this country.
 
Originally posted by: nutxo
Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Originally posted by: chusteczka
GI, is an abbreviation for General Infantry. Infantry is a ground force.

Marine, is a historically-based title for the hand-to-hand combat fighters used to protect British sailing ships (merchant and military) from pirates. This allowed sailors to focus on sailing the ship and the close combat fighters to focus their time and training on protecting the ship.

It can be disrespectful to provide general terms for military forces with widely differing job responsibilities and skills since people often take pride in their skills that set them apart from others. Additionally, using the correct term provides more specific information on a situation.

EDIT:
soldier
  1. a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in military service.
  2. an enlisted man or woman, as distinguished from a commissioned officer: the soldiers' mess and the officers' mess.
  3. a person of military skill or experience: George Washington was a great soldier.
To say that 10 soldiers lost their lives when the USS Cole was bombed several years ago does not convey the appropriate information.
Click to expand...

G.I. stands for Galvanized Iron, the first evidence of marines in history was the Romans, and the Spanish had an equivalent of marines before the British.

Edit: And to say that 10 soldiers lost their lives would be correct as they were people engaged in military service.
Click to expand...

Actually it would be more correct to say 10 sailors lost thier lives.
Click to expand...

It would be more appropriate, but that does not negate the fact that 'soldier' is also correct.
 
Originally posted by: MisterJackson
Devil Dog (IIRC the Japanese soldiers nicknamed the Marines this for their tenacity)
Click to expand...

it was the the germans during WWI at the battle of belleau wood, that came up with the name for us.
 
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