Why do the Marines have Fighter Jets when the Navy could support them with fighters?
Before I answer your question, I will address the myth that the Marine Corps is part of the Navy. Both the USN and USMC fall under the Dept. of the Navy. There have been, at least, two former marines who have served as Secretary of the Navy; both were later senators from the great state of Va. They were the current Sen. Jim Webb and former Sen. John Warner. I doubt that anyone would have claimed the Navy was part of the Marine Corps when former marines were serving as Secretary of the Navy. The Marine Corps has its own fighters so they can respond to the needs of the Marine Corps without having someone second guess them. Even so, they are sometimes second-guessed. In Desert Storm, Schwarzkopf made the final decisions and prevented Marine Air from attacking Iraqis during their offensive because he didn’t believe it was really an offensive. In the invasion of Grenada, Schwarzkopf was also involved in the autonomy of Marine Air. Some Blackhawks had crashed and other Army helicopters had m
