[Crimson Ghost]

The two are combined at the Presidential cabinet level in that they both fall under the Secretary of the Navy. The Army and the Air Force have their own Secretaries. In all other respects the Corps acts as its own branch of the armed forces.

The Marine Corps is one part of the Department of the Navy, just like the Navy is one part of the Department of the Navy. Both report to the Secretary of the Navy (a civilian). In other words, the Commandant does not report to the Navy.

Also, many people are surprised that some of the graduates from Annapolis become Marines. Here again it is the same thing. Annapolis is not the Navy Academy, it is the Naval Academy (meaning serves both naval branches).

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Though the armed services of the United States number only five, under Title 10, Title 16, Title 32, and Title 42 of the U.S. Code, there are actually seven uniformed services.
The five armed services, four under the Department of Defense (DOD) and one under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), are well known to most Americans.


Department of Defense


The US Army, founded June 16, 1775, is the oldest of the armed services.


The US Navy, established October 13, 1775, was abolished in February 1781, but reinstated September 7, 1781.


The US Marine Corps, established November 10, 1775 as sharpshooters (marine infantry) aboard naval vessels, is technically a part of the Navy Department. The Marine Corps, however, has its own air arm, and operates as an independent military service.


The US Air Force was established September 18, 1947 as part of the Defense Reorganization Act. It was formerly known as the US Army Air Corps and was part of the Department of the Army.


Department of Homeland Security

The US Coast Guard was established August 19, 1790, as the Revenue and Cutter Service under the Department of Treasury. It was subsequently moved to the Transportation Department and, in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was formed, it was transferred to that department. The Coast Guard functions under the authority of Title 32 or the US Code, and state control except in time of war when it is transferred to DOD where it operates as an element of the Department of Navy.


The two additional uniformed services, perhaps less well known to many Americans, are:

The US Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps. USPHS was established in 1889 as a network of hospitals and treatment facilities for sailors. It operates under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and runs a number of US Health Service hospitals throughout the United States.


The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), formerly the Coast and Geodetic Survey, was established in 1917, and operates under the Department of Commerce (DOC).


USPHS and NOAA differ from the armed services in they consist entirely of commissioned ranks, and have no enlisted personnel. Their uniforms are based on navy uniforms, but each service has its own unique insignia. They operate under the same military regulations as the armed services, except that they are only subject to the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) when they are detailed to the armed forces.
The purpose of commissioning NOAA (when it was the Coast and Geodetic Survey) was to prevent its personnel from being treated as spies should they be captured when carrying out battlefield surveys.

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So, yes. The Marine Corps is a department of the Navy.
The Mens Department.