16-003 Garand Picture of the Day

[RT Ellis]

[QUOTE=Paul S.;351840]I have to wonder if the Marines get 'hand me downs' because their share of the budget comes out of Navy's budget --- and the Navy wants the money for 'big ticket toys'.

This comment is exactly the myth I was kidding about in my previous post. The U.S. Marine Corps has been separately funded by congress since at least 1881, although there are some things like Navy Corpsmen assigned to the Marines that are trained and paid out of Navy appropriations. The Marine Corps for many years have returned funds to the Treasury by allowing portions of appropriations to go unspent, apparently to justify their existence by their frugality, which probably means shortage of some equipment items. It is common practice to issue used recycled equipment to units for training purposes, and to issue new equipment to deploying troops in both the Army and the Marine Corps, so in training situations often used but serviceable equipment is issued. This myth appears to have grown legs in the 1930s early 1940s when the branches of the armed forces were competing for funds that were being conserved by Congress, and all branches were virtually pleading for funds to produce modern aircraft, ships, and tanks. With the notable exception of the rifle M1 the infantry and Marines had to make due with "serviceable" equipment.