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1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a fast and mobilized armored
terrestrial reconnaissance Ground reconnaissance (also terrestrial reconnaissance, ground recon), is a type of reconnaissance that is employed along the elements of ground warfare Land warfare or ground warfare is the process of military operations eventuating in combat t ...
battalion of 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 ...
. Nicknamed the "Highlanders," their primary weapon system is the
LAV-25 The LAV-25 (Light Armored Vehicle) is a member of the LAV II family. It is an eight-wheeled amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicle built by General Dynamics Land Systems and used by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army. ...
Light Armored Vehicle armed with the M242 25mm Bushmaster chain gun. They fall under the command of the
1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
and the
I Marine Expeditionary Force The I Marine Expeditionary Force ("I" pronounced "One") is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 1st Marine Logistics Group. It i ...
. The unit is based out of the
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.


Organization

A LAV
platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
consists of 4 vehicles usually divided into an Alpha section and a Bravo section. The platoon commander will control one section and also be the vehicle commander (VC) of one of the LAVs and the platoon sergeant will control the other section as well as be VC. A crew consists of a driver, usually the most junior 0313 (the MOS designation for LAV Crewman), a VC, and the gunner. The gunner operates the main gun, the
M242 Bushmaster The M242 Bushmaster chain gun is a 25 mm caliber, 25 mm (25×137mm) single-barrel chain-driven autocannon. It is used extensively by the United States Armed Forces, U.S. military, such as in the Bradley fighting vehicle, as well as by other NAT ...
chaingun. The VC makes target acquisition changes and helps the gunner make adjustments. The remaining crew consists of Scouts ( 0311). The LAV can hold as many as 6 scouts, but in most cases, there are only 3–4 in the back. There is also 1 corpsman per platoon, and 1 Light Armored Vehicle Mechanic (2147, the MOS designation for the LAV Mechanic).


History


Early years

1st Light Armored Vehicle Battalion was activated in May 1985 and began receiving the first of its LAV-25 light armored vehicles in July 1985. On 9 October 1988, the battalion's name was changed to 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion.


Persian Gulf War & the 1990s

In August 1990, First Light Armored Infantry Battalion deployed to Southwest Asia in response to
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 ...
's invasion of
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
. During
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- ...
, 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion was the forward unit of the
1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
, conducting screening and counter-reconnaissance operations along the Kuwaiti-Saudi Arabian border. During
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 ...
, after breaching the Iraqi defensive positions, the 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion attacked north to locate and destroy enemy forces. On the third day of the ground offensive, the 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion was the first of the Allied Forces to enter
Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economic center of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Pal ...
, capturing Kuwait International Airport on 28 February 1991. The battalion redeployed to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in April 1991. On May 1, 1992, the 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion deployed to Los Angeles on a four-hour notice and assisted the Long Beach Police Department in quelling civil disturbances and looting. After a successful deployment as part of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Los Angeles, the battalion returned once again to
Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by ...
. On June 12, 1992, the 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion was redesignated as First Reconnaissance Battalion (Light Armored). Almost two years later, on March 1, 1994, the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion (Light Armored) underwent another name change and was redesignated First Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.


Global War on Terror

In December 2001, Bravo Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion deployed to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
as part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. It performed a variety of combat/reconnaissance missions in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. In January 2003, it was deployed to Southwest Asia in support of
Operation 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 ...
. The battalion, operating as part of Regimental Combat Team Five, was the first unit to cross the Iraqi-Kuwaiti Border on March 20, 2003. After attacking northward through Iraq, the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion was instrumental in securing the capital of
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
. Due to its unique mobility and reconnaissance capabilities, the battalion left Regimental Combat Team Five and was assigned to Task Force Tripoli. As part of Task Force Tripoli, the battalion advanced further north, ultimately securing former Iraqi dictator
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
's hometown of
Tikrit Tikrit ( ) is a city in Iraq, located northwest of Baghdad and southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River. It is the administrative center of the Saladin Governorate. In 2012, it had a population of approximately 160,000. Originally created as a f ...
. Following the cessation of major combat operations, First Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion moved from the northern portion of
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 ...
to the country's extreme southern area along the Saudi-Arabian border to halt and deter illegal smuggling into Iraq. The First Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion redeployed to the United States at the end of May 2003. In February 2004 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (-) again returned to Iraq. The battalion conducted security and stability operations in the Al Anbar province of western Iraq as part of Regimental Combat Team Seven. 1st LAR performed a wide range of critical missions, including key roles in regimental size operations, in order to capture or kill terrorist and insurgent forces. Additionally, the battalion was vital in patrolling the western borders of Iraq in order to prevent the infiltration of arms and insurgents from Ar Rutba in the south to Al Qaim further north. The battalion returned to the United States in October 2004. In July 2004, Charlie Company deployed with the 31st MEU in support of Operation Phantom Fury, Fallujah, Iraq. In March 2007, parts of the battalion were responsible for security and stabilization in the area around Ar Rutba in western Iraq. In September 2008, 1st LAR deployed again to the Al Anbar Province in western Iraq and conducted a Relief In Place (RIP) with 2nd LAR of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. 1st LAR conducted security and stabilization operations around Camp Korean Village and Ar Rutba before turning over the battlespace to 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines. 1st LAR then moved north to Sinjar Airfield, just west of Mosul, to conduct more security and stabilization operations. With them, they had elements of 1st Tanks, 2d tanks, A/1/2, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, a Tow Missile Platoon and Army and Navy support personnel. In April 2009 1st LAR conducted a RIP with 3d LAR and redeployed to Camp Pendleton, CA. (Note, Fox Company, 4th LAR was attached to 1st LAR for the duration of this deployment) In May 2010, 1st LAR deployed to Reg-E-Khan Neshin district (Rig District) in southern Helmand Province, Afghanistan. While there, 1st LAR Bn remained the southernmost unit attached to the MEF. Operating out of Combat Out Post (COP) Payne as the Battalion CP, the unit controlled a swath of 750 square kilometers in southern Helmand Province. Operations out of COP Khan Neshin Castle, Patrol Base (PB) Shabu, and COP Taghaz were conducted by Alpha Company (Arthur Co). PB South Station controlled Sar Banadar and terrain south of the river along the fertile terrain and was manned by Charlie Company (Celtic Co). The vastly unpopulated trafficking area to the south was controlled by Bravo Company (Beserker Co). Concurrently, Echo Company (Enormous Co), separated from the rest of the battalion, relying on British and Danish support, operated near Gereshk in central Helmand province and took part in hundreds of engagements and IED strikes in an attempt to control the only highway through Afghanistan at the time. Joint missions were conducted to close the gap between 3/1 and 1st LAR in October 2010. A substantial raid was conducted on Baghram Cha, a border town and chief logistical hub for Taliban activity in late October 2010, named Operation Steel Dawn. During the raid, 1st LAR, special operations forces, and Afghan forces neutralized Bahram Chah and destroyed the Bazaar and Taliban stronghold. 1st LAR conducted a RIP with 3rd LAR in November 2010. 1st LAR deployed again to Rig District in September 2011 and returned in May 2012.


Equipment

The
LAV-25 The LAV-25 (Light Armored Vehicle) is a member of the LAV II family. It is an eight-wheeled amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicle built by General Dynamics Land Systems and used by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army. ...
is an all-terrain, all-weather vehicle with night capabilities. It is air transportable via
C-130 The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...
, C-17 Globemaster, and C-5 Galaxy. When combat loaded there are 210 ready rounds and 420 stowed rounds of 25 mm ammunition as well as 400 ready rounds and 1200 stowed rounds of 7.62mm. There are 8 ready rounds and 8 stowed rounds of smoke grenades. A supplementary M240G 7.62mm machine gun can be pintle-mounted at the vehicle commander's station in the turret. The LAV-25 is fully amphibious with a maximum of 3 minutes of preparation.


See also

* List of United States Marine Corps battalions * Organization of the United States Marine Corps


References

;Web
1st LAR's official website
{{1stMarDiv LAR 1 1st Marine Division (United States)