The 3d Littoral Combat Team (formerly 1st Battalion, 3d Marines) is an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

unit in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

based out of

Marine Corps Base Hawaii Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), formerly Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a United States Marine Corps, U.S. Marine Corps facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward ...

. Nicknamed the "Lava Dogs", the unit consists of approximately 800 Marines and sailors and falls under the command of the

3d Marine Littoral Regiment The 3d Marine Littoral Regiment (3d MLR) is a regiment of the United States Marine Corps that is optimized for littoral maneuver in the Indo-Pacific Theater. Based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, the regiment falls under the command of the 3rd Marin ...

of the

3rd Marine Division The 3rd Marine Division is a division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry division ...

Subordinate units

Headquarters and Service Company A headquarters and service company is a company-sized military unit, found at the battalion and regimental level in the U.S. Marine Corps. The U.S. Army equivalent unit is the headquarters and headquarters company. In identifying a specific ...

(Headhunter) * Alpha Company (Ares) * Bravo Company (Banjo) * Charlie Company (Chaos) *Medium Range Missile Battery (Mako)

Mission

Conducts reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, employs and enables multi-domain fires, and establishes expeditionary sites in order to support the maritime campaign across the competition continuum.

History

1980s

Throughout the 1980s, 1/3 regularly deployed to

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

to serve as a forward staged unit in the Western Pacific area as part of the Marine Corps

Unit Deployment Program The Unit Deployment Program (UDP) is a system for assigning deployments of the United States Marine Corps. To reduce the number of unaccompanied tours and improve unit continuity, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, (CMC) established it to provide ...

. During the Unit Deployment Program, the battalion would regularly participate in exercises throughout the region, such as in Korea and Thailand. In December 1989, while at Okinawa, 1/3 responded to the

1989 Philippine coup attempt The 1989 Philippine coup attempt was the most serious attempted coup d'état against the government of Philippine President Corazon Aquino and part of a series of coup attempts against her. It was staged beginning December 1, 1989, by members o ...

as part of an amphibious task force and sent Marines ashore to reinforce the American Embassy. The battalion formed the

ground combat element In the United States Marine Corps, the ground combat element (GCE) is the land force of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). It provides power projection and force for the MAGTF. Role within the MAGTF The ground combat element (GCE), composed p ...

of CTF-79 (Commander, Landing Force,

Seventh Fleet The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of th ...

The Gulf War and the 1990s

In August 1990, 1st Battalion, 3d Marines deployed to

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

for

Operation Desert Shield , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

and took up defensive positions along the coastal highway leading to Kuwait. In February 1991, 1/3 assaulted into Kuwait as part of the ground war of

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

to liberate the country from Iraqi occupation.

The Global War on Terrorism

1/3 was on the

(UDP) to Okinawa, Japan during the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Due to their proximity to Afghanistan, the battalion's Company A was one of the first infantry units to deploy to U.S. Central Command, of which Afghanistan is a part, after the September 11 attacks. April 2003, 1/3 departed Kaneohe for another UDP in Okinawa, Japan. Alpha company, with Weapons company reinforcements left for the Philippines as the main support element under the guise of JTF-510. Alpha company carried out many joint missions with Navy SEAL/s, SWCC, and the CIA in terrorist surveillance activities, and security missions in Zamboanga Bay. In June 2004, 1/3 (also known at the time as Battalion Landing Team 1/3, and including Battery C 1st Battalion 12th Marines - also from Marine Corps Base Hawaii) set off to tour what was known as a standard deployment around the South Pacific region with the

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 Marines an ...

(MEU). In early September 2004, the unit arrived in Kuwait and soon after entered Iraq. The unit fought in the

Second Battle of Fallujah The Second Battle of Fallujah, initially codenamed Operation Phantom Fury, Operation al-Fajr (, ) was an American-led offensive of the Iraq War that began on 7 November 2004 and lasted about six weeks. A joint military effort of the United ...

as part of Regimental Combat Team 7 to clear the city of insurgents and reclaim the city. In one deployment, BLT 1/3 unfortunately lost more men compared to any Marine Corps Battalion during OIF/OEF. BLT 1/3 has produced one of very few nominations for the Medal of Honor thus far in the Global War on Terror, Sergeant Rafael Peralta. On January 26, 2005, a

CH-53E The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is a heavy lift helicopter operated by the United States military. As the Sikorsky S-80, it was developed from the CH-53 Sea Stallion, mainly by adding a third engine, adding a seventh blade to the main rotor, ...

Super Stallion helicopter crashed in the Al-Anbar province taking with it the lives of 26 Kaneohe Bay Marines, along with one Navy Corpsman and four Marine aircrew from a mainland unit. The majority of the 27 Marines lost in the crash were from Charlie Company of Battalion Landing Team 1/3. Battalion Landing Team 1/3 lost a total of 45 Marines during the course of their first combat tour in Iraq. In January 2006, the battalion deployed to eastern Afghanistan in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

. During this five-month deployment they operated throughout the

Korangal Valley Korangal Valley (alternatively spelled Korengal, Kurangal, Korangal; ), also nicknamed "The Valley of Death" is a valley in the Dara-I-Pech District of Kunar Province, eastern Afghanistan. Agriculture and forestry The valley is formed by a ...

and were known as "Task Force Lava." On June 1, 2006, 1/3 handed over their area of operations to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment and shortly thereafter returned to Hawaii. In March 2007, 1st Battalion 3d Marines deployed to Haditha,

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. 1/3 lost no Marines during this deployment, which was a first for the Marine Corps since the start of OIF. The battalion deployed to Karma, Iraq from August 2008 - March 2009. One Marine was killed and five were injured on December 21, 2008.

The battalion again deployed to Afghanistan in November 2009 through June 2010, taking up positions in and around Forward Operating Base Geronimo, FOB Geronimo, within the district of

Nawa-I-Barakzayi Nawa-I-Barakzayi is a village and the district center of Nawa-I-Barakzayi District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan near the Helmand River. See also * Nawa-I-Barakzayi District * Helmand Province * Helmand River The Helmand river (Pasht ...

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto language, Pashto/Dari language, Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering ...

. In February 2010, the battalion participated in

Operation Moshtarak Operation Moshtarak (Dari for ''Together'' or ''Joint''), also known as the Battle of Marjah, was an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) pacification offensive in the town of Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It involved a co ...

, the seizure of the

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

stronghold A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

of Marjah. The activities of Bravo and Charlie Companies were covered extensively in a series of articles by C. J. Chivers in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', and in the "At War Blog" posted on ''The New York Times'' website. A total of five Marines were KIA, along with one British reporter this deployment

The battalion deployed once more to Afghanistan in April 2011, taking up positions south of Forward Operating Base Delhi, FOB Delhi, in Garmsir District, Helmand Province.

Redesignation and littoral operations

1st Battalion, 3d Marines was redesignated as the 3d Littoral Combat Team on June 23, 2022, at a ceremony on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. This redesignation was driven by the Commandant of the Marine Corps'

Force Design 2030 Force Design 2030, also known as FD2030, is an ongoing force restructuring plan by the United States Marine Corps to reshape its combat power for future near-peer adversary conflicts that was introduced in March 2020 by the Commandant of the Marin ...

initiative to man, train, and equip forces in the Indo-Pacific capable of supporting sea control and sea denial operations in actively contested maritime spaces.

Gallery

1st-battalion-3rd-marines-logo hi-res.png, Old 1st Battalion, 3d Marine insignia

Awards

United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon

Presidential Unit Citation w/ 3

bronze stars The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

** Guam - 1944 ** Vietnam - 1965 - 1967, 1967 ** Afghanistan - 2010 * Navy Unit Commendation ribbon

Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...

w/ 1 bronze star & w/ 1 silver star ** Bougainville - 1943 ** Vietnam - 1965, 1968–1969 ** Southwest Asia - 1990 - 1991 ** Southwest Asia / OEF I - 2001 - 2002 ** III MEF - 2003 - 2005 ** OEF Afghanistan - 2006 ** OIF Iraq I MEF - 2007-2008 ** OIF Iraq II MEF - 2008 * Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon

Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon

Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or ...

w/ 2 bronze stars ** Vietnam - 1967 - 1968, 1968 ** Southwest Asia / OEF I - 2001-2002 ** III MEF- 2008-2010 * Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 4 bronze stars * World War II Victory Medal ribbon

World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal was a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. Histo ...

Navy Occupation Service Medal The Navy Occupation Service Medal was a military award of the United States Navy which was "Awarded to commemorate the services of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel in the occupation of certain territories of the enemies of the United St ...

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It was awarded to every member of the U.S. Armed Forces who served during any one of four s ...

w/ 3 bronze stars *

Korean Service Medal The Korean Service Medal (KSM) was a military award for service in the United States Armed Forces and was established November 8, 1950, by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary US military award for ...

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John F. Kennedy. The medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who, a ...

Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. ...

w/ 2

silver stars The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an ...

Southwest Asia Service Medal The Southwest Asia Service Medal (SASM or SWASM) was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service member ...

w/ 2 bronze stars *

Vietnam Cross of Gallantry The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry () is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal was created on August 15, 1 ...

w/ palm streamer * Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon

Iraq Campaign Medal The Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by Executive Order 13363 of U.S. President George W. Bush on 29 November 2004, and became available for general distribution in June 2005. ...

w/3 bronze stars *

Afghanistan Campaign Medal The Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM) was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004, and became available for general distribution in June 2005. ...

w/5 bronze stars *

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-SM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created through Executive Order 13289 on 12 March 2003, by President George W. Bush. The medal recognizes those military service ...

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-EM) is a United States Armed Forces award created by George W. Bush on 12 March 2003, through Executive Order 13289. The medal recognizes those military service members who have deployed over ...

Notable members

William R. Higgins William Richard Higgins (January 15, 1945 – July 31, 1989) was a United States Marine Corps Colonel (United States), colonel who was captured in Lebanon in 1988 while serving on a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission. He was held hosta ...

, platoon commander in C Company during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

Jan C. Huly Jan C. Huly is a former United States Marine Corps officer who retired on 7 November 2006 after almost 37 years of service. His last role was as Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations. Huly currently serves as the President and Ch ...

* Rafael Peralta,

Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

* Wayne Rollings, platoon commander *

Oliver North Oliver Laurence North (born October 7, 1943) is an American political commentator, television host, military historian, author, and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel. A veteran of the Vietnam War, North was a National Sec ...

Notes

External links

1st Battalion 3rd MarinesFacebook Lava Dogs USMC1/3's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Battalion, 3rd Marines Infantry battalions of the United States Marine Corps