# Why are Marines (US) not "soldiers"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-marines-us-not-soldiers/1023254>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 21, 2025, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-marines-us-not-soldiers/1023254 "2025-09-21T06:31:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 42

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**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-marines-us-not-soldiers/1023254/42 "2025-09-21T16:34:34Z")

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> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> (And, lordy, it’s a better term than “warfighters.”)

God, yes. What a cringeworthy term. I feel like it’s a term thought up by [REMF](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/REMF)s to disguise the fact that they are REMFs.

So of course it’s being pushed hard by the biggest wannabe “warfighter” and REMF of all: the current SecDef. And don’t get me started on his [new moniker](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restoring-the-united-states-department-of-war/). 🙄

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