Harry Krause wrote:


I don't mean those sailors specifically. I mean, members of the armed
forces. But if sailors are not soldiers, then why do they have a
small-arms drill team.


Tradition?

Back in the days when naval combat routinely involved boarding or being
boarded, every man aboard was expected to be at least proficient with
close quarter weapons. Rifles wouldn't have been much use once at deck
level once the enemy was aboard, but snipers up in the rigging were
instrumental in bringing down enemy officers, enemy sailors on either
ship, and of course the enemy's own snipers up in the rigging.

As everybody knows, these naval riflemen were often called "marines"
and that explains why the Marine Corp was (still is?) a department of
the Navy.

The drill exercise promotes discipline, attention to detail, precision
of execution, and suppression of individual will, opinion, and attitude
in favor of the mission or function of the unit. All highly useful in a
military environment.