Hm, the Marine's did nothing in the Gulf? Wow, you really missed a LOT of the war then, didn't you?
The airbase at Al Asad, did you happen to pass it? There is a small control tower there, run by a group of Marines. They managed to do ATC for 70% of the sorties that were flown during the war. That (at least to me) is a considerable contribution, considering the number of sorties we flew. And that's just one small group of under 20 Marines.
Then there's the intel Marines, one person in charge of keeping thousands safe.
Oh yeah, and then you've got the fact that the Marines were the first in, dealt with some of the worst hotspots, etc.
Of course, soldiers hardly ever recognize it, because when the Marines come in its usually because the soldiers either a) just got their asses kicked, b) need an area softened up before they go in.
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