YOU DO know what the Marine Corps' Mission is?
I'll try again, although you'll probably be completely happy to moronically run around in circles after the shiny objects that CurveLight throws into the thread to get your attention.
So, wanna have an intelligent discussion, or would you like to entertain the idiot?
What about deploying Marines to Iraq for 7 years is anything like the mission the marine corps the National Security Act of 1947 spells out?
Reading the mission statement of the Marine Corps is fine....it doesn't represent reality and the history of The Corps. Now read some history about World War One, World War Two, Korea, Viet Nam, tell me how "lightly armed assault troops" have elite fighter-bomber squadrons, numerous helicopter squadrons, main battle tanks and enough "Alligators" to cover the entire coast of China with heavily armed Divisions of Marines with their own artillery, Commando units, etc. etc.
and if the mission is to hold ground...they hold the ground ...That was their mission. What part of that is bamboozling you.
and what qualifies you to interpret the National Security Act and the orders of the President of the United States as it applies to the service of our Marines in Iraq??