U.S. 3rd Marine Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 3rd Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment
of the United States Marine Corps
based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii
. They fall under the 3rd Marine Division and the III Marine Expeditionary Force
.
battalion
s, and one headquarters company. Also, because of the geographic isolation, an artillery battalion (1/12) falls under the regiment:
. They were attached to the 2nd Brigade and deactivated on August 1, 1922.
, North Carolina
, as part of the World War II
military expansion. They deployed to American Samoa
on September 14, 1942 and were attached to the 2nd Marine Brigade. The regiment redeployed to New Zealand
on May 23, 1943 and were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division at that time. The regiment fought at Bougainville and Guam. Four Medals of Honor
were awarded to members of 3rd Marines for actions during this period.
Following World War II, the regiment was ordered to China
to aid in the disarming of Japan
ese units and to assist the Nationalist government in the occupation of Northern China in an effort to deny land to the communists.
when it provided security for the Da Nang Air Base
in early 1965. Ultimately, 3d Marines was to participate in 48 major operations in the Republic of Vietnam.
Following the retrograde of forces from Vietnam, the regiment was initially relocated to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
, California
and assigned to the 5th Marine Amphibious Brigade. During April 1971, the regiment became part of the 1st Marine Division. Two months later, the regiment was moved to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay
, Hawaii
, to assume the role of the ground combat component of the 1st Marine Brigade.
in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. The regiment, which became known as Task Force Taro in honor of the state and people of Hawaii, became the first American unit to be engaged by Iraqi artillery
, rocket and missile fire on January 18, 1991. They countered the Iraqi supporting attacks by conducting artillery raids into Kuwait as the first ground offensive actions of the war. Task force Taro was instrumental in the recapture of Khafji
, was the first unit to advance into Kuwait, conducted the only heliborne assault of the war and secured the Marine Corp’s final objective of the war, Kuwait International Airport
.
Following the cease-fire on February 28, 1991, the regiment redeployed to Saudi Arabia and subsequently completed its strategic redeployment to Hawaii two months later.
and Afghanistan
as part of the Global War on Terror
. One of their officers, Stephen J. Boada won the Silver Star
for actions there. He became the first Marine in the regiment and in Hawaii to be awarded one of the major awards for valor since the Vietnam War
. An NCO from 1st Battalion 3rd Marines
, Cpl Kristopher Kane, was later awarded a Silver Star for actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah. The regiment deployed to Afghanistan in late 2008 and became Regimental Combat Team 3 during Operation Khanjar
in Helmand Province
, and returned to Helmand from late 2009 through May 2010, when it participated in Operation Moshtarak
.
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Marine Corps Base Hawaii , formerly Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps base facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County of Honolulu. As of the 2000 Census, the base had a...
. They fall under the 3rd Marine Division and the III Marine Expeditionary Force
III Marine Expeditionary Force
The III Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps that is forward-deployed and able to deploy rapidly and conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to amphibious assault and high intensity combat. III...
.
Current units
The regiment comprises three infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s, and one headquarters company. Also, because of the geographic isolation, an artillery battalion (1/12) falls under the regiment:
| Name |
|---|
| Headquarters Company 3rd Marines |
| 1st Battalion 3rd Marines 1st Battalion 3rd Marines 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Nicknamed the "Lava Dogs", the battalion consists of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors and falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine... |
| 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and sailors... |
| 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines or ' is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps, based out of Kāne'ohe, Hawai'i, and consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors.The United States Marine Corps is a part of the Department of the Navy. Traditionally, the Navy has supplied it with... |
| 1st Battalion 12th Marines 1st Battalion 12th Marines 1st Battalion 12th Marines is an artillery battalion comprising four firing batteries and a Headquarters Battery. The battalion is stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and falls under the 12th Marine Regiment and the 3rd Marine Division... |
Early years
Originally formed as the 3rd Provisional Regiment, they were activated on December 20, 1916 from assets of the 1st Marine Regiment in the Dominican RepublicDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. They were attached to the 2nd Brigade and deactivated on August 1, 1922.
World War II
The 3rd Marine Regiment was reactivated on June 16, 1942, at New RiverMarine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for Brigadier General Keith B. McCutcheon, one of the fathers of Marine Corps helicopter aviation...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, as part of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
military expansion. They deployed to American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
on September 14, 1942 and were attached to the 2nd Marine Brigade. The regiment redeployed to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on May 23, 1943 and were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division at that time. The regiment fought at Bougainville and Guam. Four Medals of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
were awarded to members of 3rd Marines for actions during this period.
Following World War II, the regiment was ordered to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to aid in the disarming of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese units and to assist the Nationalist government in the occupation of Northern China in an effort to deny land to the communists.
Vietnam War
3rd Marines was one of the first Marine units into South VietnamSouth Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
when it provided security for the Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base
Da Nang Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...
in early 1965. Ultimately, 3d Marines was to participate in 48 major operations in the Republic of Vietnam.
Following the retrograde of forces from Vietnam, the regiment was initially relocated to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and assigned to the 5th Marine Amphibious Brigade. During April 1971, the regiment became part of the 1st Marine Division. Two months later, the regiment was moved to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay
Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay
Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay or MCAS Kaneohe Bay is a United States Marine Corps airfield located within the Marine Corps Base Hawaii complex, formerly known as Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay or Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, to assume the role of the ground combat component of the 1st Marine Brigade.
1980s & 1990s
3rd Marines was one of the first combat forces to deploy to Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. The regiment, which became known as Task Force Taro in honor of the state and people of Hawaii, became the first American unit to be engaged by Iraqi artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, rocket and missile fire on January 18, 1991. They countered the Iraqi supporting attacks by conducting artillery raids into Kuwait as the first ground offensive actions of the war. Task force Taro was instrumental in the recapture of Khafji
Khafji
Ras Al Khafji or Khafji is a town on the border between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It lies in what was before 1970 a neutral zone between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia...
, was the first unit to advance into Kuwait, conducted the only heliborne assault of the war and secured the Marine Corp’s final objective of the war, Kuwait International Airport
Kuwait International Airport
Kuwait International Airport is located in Farwaniyah, Kuwait, south of Kuwait City. It serves as hub for Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways. A portion of the airport complex is designated as Al Mubarak Air Base, which contains the headquarters of the Kuwait Air Force, as well as the Kuwait Air...
.
Following the cease-fire on February 28, 1991, the regiment redeployed to Saudi Arabia and subsequently completed its strategic redeployment to Hawaii two months later.
2000s
The 3rd Marines has deployed to both IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
as part of the Global War on Terror
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. One of their officers, Stephen J. Boada won the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for actions there. He became the first Marine in the regiment and in Hawaii to be awarded one of the major awards for valor since the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. An NCO from 1st Battalion 3rd Marines
1st Battalion 3rd Marines
1st Battalion, 3rd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Nicknamed the "Lava Dogs", the battalion consists of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors and falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine...
, Cpl Kristopher Kane, was later awarded a Silver Star for actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah. The regiment deployed to Afghanistan in late 2008 and became Regimental Combat Team 3 during Operation Khanjar
Operation Strike of the Sword
Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 4,000 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan troops were involved, supported by NATO planes. The operation began when units moved into the...
in Helmand Province
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
, and returned to Helmand from late 2009 through May 2010, when it participated in Operation Moshtarak
Operation Moshtarak
Operation Moshtarak was an ISAF pacification offensive in the area that is described as the "poppy-growing belt" of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. The combat operations started on February 13, 2010, and focuses on the Nad Ali District and Lashkar Gah district...
.
See also
- Organization of the United States Marine CorpsOrganization of the United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy . The most senior Marine officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Marine Corps so that it is ready for...
- List of United States Marine Corps regiments