# Inter-service rivalries in the military **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inter-service-rivalries-in-the-military/566700 "2011-01-07T02:12:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inter-service-rivalries-in-the-military/566700/1 "2011-01-07T02:12:53Z")
I was reading a thread on the IMDB board for _The Last Detail_, where people were talking about the scene in that movie where the sailors get into a brawl with a group of Marines. Someone suggested that if there were Army soldiers in the brawl, the Marines and sailors would have gotten together to fight the “ground pounders”. The idea being that the Marines and sailors might fight each other but would both fight against the Army guys. First of all, is there any truth to this? If not now, then during the time that _The Last Detail_ took place (the 1970s)? Secondly, which services would band together in the following scenarios: A barroom brawl erupts between Sailors and Marines. Coast Guard guys come into the bar. Which side do they take? A barroom brawl erupts between Navy and Coast Guard guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take? A barroom brawl erupts between Air Force and Army guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take? ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inter-service-rivalries-in-the-military/566700/2 "2011-01-07T02:42:04Z")
I think this’ll end up in IMHO since I don’t believe there’s any real, concrete answer, so that’s how I’m going to treat it. > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I was reading a thread on the IMDB board for _The Last Detail_, where people were talking about the scene in that movie where the sailors get into a brawl with a group of Marines. Someone suggested that if there were Army soldiers in the brawl, the Marines and sailors would have gotten together to fight the “ground pounders”. The idea being that the Marines and sailors might fight each other but would both fight against the Army guys. Sounds correct to me, especially if they shared a ship. > [@](#): > > A barroom brawl erupts between Sailors and Marines. Coast Guard guys come into the bar. Which side do they take? They’d take the side of the bar farthest away from the fighting. > [@](#): > > A barroom brawl erupts between Navy and Coast Guard guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take? They’d probably just sit back and laugh until the tantrum was over and the Squids and Coasties laid down for their naps. > [@](#): > > A barroom brawl erupts between Air Force and Army guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take? Tough call. If the Air Force guys were pilots and flew ground support missions, the Jarheads would definitely want to protect their protectors. If the Air Force guys were regular REMFs, the fight wouldn’t last long enough for the Marines to do anything. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inter-service-rivalries-in-the-military/566700/3 "2011-01-07T02:50:36Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > The idea being that the Marines and sailors might fight each other but would both fight against the Army guys. The Marines attack the Army. The Navy guys sit back to watch while staring coyly at each other and sneak off to the back alley for some “camaraderie.” > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > A barroom brawl erupts between Sailors and Marines. Coast Guard guys come into the bar. Which side do they take? The Marines attack the Coasties. The Navy guys sit back to watch while staring coyly at each other and sneak off to the back alley for some “camaraderie.” > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > A barroom brawl erupts between Navy and Coast Guard guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take? The Marines attack the Army. The Navy guys sit back to watch while staring coyly at each other and sneak off to the back alley for some “camaraderie.” > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > A barroom brawl erupts between Air Force and Army guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take? The Army and Air Force guys slap each other like little girls. The Marines drink all their beer and steal their women. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inter-service-rivalries-in-the-military/566700/4 "2011-01-07T23:25:06Z")
> [@Rysdad](#): > > I think this’ll end up in IMHO since I don’t believe there’s any real, concrete answer, so that’s how I’m going to treat it. Good call. Moved from GQ to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inter-service-rivalries-in-the-military/566700/5 "2011-01-09T21:39:17Z")
This ex-USAF Sgt. has nothing to contribute, except to say that I’m totally cracking up right now. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inter-service-rivalries-in-the-military/566700/6 "2011-01-09T21:48:32Z")
Marines don’t take sides. They take countries. The Marine Corps was created so the Navy could go out with men. Purely sarcastic and antagonistic… ok, not purely, but kinda’. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inter-service-rivalries-in-the-military/566700/7 "2011-01-09T22:06:27Z")
> [@](#): > > A barroom brawl erupts between Navy and Coast Guard guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take? > > A barroom brawl erupts between Air Force and Army guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take? Marines would stand there, then get distracted by the funny feeling in their heads the rest of us call “thinking”. They wouldn’t do anything until the Army told them what to attack.