The Dirt Navy

Here's more on the Navy's plan for its new naval infantry to complement its Brown Water Fleet idea:

Less formidable than SEAL commandos but more fierce than average swabbies, the hybrid sailor-soldiers would not elbow out Marines, said Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chief of naval operations. Marines are the Navy’s traditional combat troops, and blurring roles can be a touchy business in the rivalry-prone military....Under the blueprint announced in July, a number of sailors would “harden up” to fill the Marine void. The original concept called for a battalion-size force, or 600 to 800 sailors, but planners have been hammering out the nuts and bolts for months, and the reality could be much different.

But the Marines are worried:

his counterpart with the Marines – Gen. Michael W. Hagee – has questioned him repeatedly about its purpose.
“Gen. Hagee tells me he gets asked about it everywhere he goes by his Marines,” Mullen said.
Mullen stressed that the new force would not compete with the Marines but complement them.