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3rd Battalion, 11th Marines (3/11) is an
artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
battalion comprising three firing batteries, a Liaison Unit, and a headquarters battery. The battalion is based at the
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), also known as 29 Palms, is the largest United States Marine Corps base. The base covers a total area of 1,102 square miles. It was a census-designated place (CDP) officially known as Twentynin ...
, California and its primary weapon system is the
M777 The M777 howitzer is a British towed artillery, towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the Australian Army, ground forces of Australia, Canadian Army, Canada, Colombia, Indian Army, India, Saudi Arabian Army, Saudi Ar ...
lightweight howitzer with a maximum effective range of 25 miles. They fall under the 11th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.


Mission

Provide direct support fires to 7th Marine Regiment, and general support and reinforcing fires to other maneuver elements of 1st Marine Division during combat operations. That support may come in the traditional fashion of artillery support to maneuver forces, or by providing batteries to serve as provisional rifle companies. They also have the secondary mission of being the primary providers of civil-military operations (CMO). CMO is defined as the activities of the commander that establish, maintain, influence, or exploit relations between military organizations, Government and civilian organizations and the civilian populace.


Current units

* Headquarters Battery * Battery I (India Battery) * Battery K (Kilo Battery) * Battery M (Mike Battery) * Liaison Section (Fire Support Battery)


History


World War II

3rd Battalion 11th Marines was activated 1 May 1943 in the state of
Victoria, Australia Victoria, commonly abbreviated as Vic, is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania), with a land area of ; the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales), with a population of over 7 million; ...
as the 5th Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. The Battalion was redesignated 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines on 7 May 1944. During World War II, 3/11 participated in the Eastern New Guinea, Battle of New Britain,
Battle of Peleliu The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II by the United States Armed Forces, US military, was fought between the United States and Empire of Japan, Japan during the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign of World War II, from 15 Septe ...
, Battle of Guadalcanal and the
Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa Island, Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War, Impe ...
. Following World War II, Third Battalion participated in the occupation of North China from September 1945 to January 1947. In December 1946, the battalion was attached to the 7th Marines. The battalion was relocated to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California in January 1947 and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Brigade. The battalion was deactivated on 30 September 1947.


Korean War

3/11 was reactivated on 20 August 1950 at
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 ...
and was assigned to the 1st Marine Division, FMF. The battalion deployed in September 1950 to
Kobe, Japan Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...
and participated in the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, operating from Inchon,
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, the Chosin Reservoir, the East, Central, and Western Fronts. Third Battalion participated in the defense of the
Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...
from July 1953 to February 1955. The battalion was relocated to Camp Pendleton in February 1955.


Vietnam War

In May 1965, Third Battalion was attached to Regimental Landing Team Seven and deployed to the Western Pacific. The battalion was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division in June 1965 and was later reassigned to the 1st Marine Division in March 1966 to October 1970, the battalion participated in the war in
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, operating from
Chu Lai Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Núi Thành District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai International Airport. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: ''Khu Kinh Tế M� ...
,
Da Nang Da Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons (, ) is the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the Western Pacific Ocean of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one of Vietnam's most important p ...
, Dai Loc, and Hoi An. Third Battalion relocated to Camp Pendleton in October 1970 and was assigned to the Fifth Marine Amphibious Brigade. The battalion was reassigned in April 1971 to the First Marine Division, FMF.


The Gulf War and the 1990s

Third Battalion relocated to its current home at the
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), also known as 29 Palms, is the largest United States Marine Corps base. The base covers a total area of 1,102 square miles. It was a census-designated place (CDP) officially known as Twentynin ...
, California in February 1990. The battalion participated in
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 Operation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia from August 1990 to March 1991. From December 1992 to April 1993, the battalion was deployed as a Provisional Infantry Battalion to Mogadishu, Somalia for
Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF), also known as Operation Restore Hope, was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational military force deployed to Somalia from 5 December 1992 to 4 May 1993. It was established to replace United ...
. While in Somalia the battalion was instrumental in coordinating security for the city of Mogadishu with 12 other nations. On 20 January 1993, Pfc. Domingo Arroyo of Headquarters Battery was killed in an ambush while on patrol in Mogadishu. He was the first casualty of Operation Restore Hope.


Global War on Terror

The battalion once again deployed to Southwest Asia from January 2003 to July 2003 to support the
1st 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 ...
(I MEF) in
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's timely and accurate fires proved to be crucial in allowing I MEF to quickly move deep into Iraqi territory and topple the regime in 21 days of major combat operations. Immediately following the fall 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 ...
, the battalion assumed the mission of a Provisional Infantry Battalion and begun assisting in civil/military duties as well as conducting Security and Stability Operation (SASO) patrols in the capital city, securing hospitals and other vital infrastructure. In November 2003 the battalion again received orders to deploy to Iraq, but this time as a Provisional Military Police Battalion. The battalion quickly transitioned into its new job and deployed from February 2004 to September 2004. The battalion's motto of Semper Flexibils, Always Flexible, held true with the battalion participating in missions ranging from convoy escorts, combat patrols,
humanitarian assistance Humanitarian assistance is aid and action designed to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity during and after man-made crises and disasters. It encompasses a wide range of activities, including providing food, water, shelter, ...
, security force training, and controlling a battle space of over 40,000 square kilometers. In May 2005, the battalion became the first unit in the world to field the new
M777 The M777 howitzer is a British towed artillery, towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the Australian Army, ground forces of Australia, Canadian Army, Canada, Colombia, Indian Army, India, Saudi Arabian Army, Saudi Ar ...
lightweight howitzer. Feedback from the artillerymen of 3/11 led to modifications prior to being issued to other Marine and Army units. Currently, the battalion supports OIF by deploying individual batteries to fulfill the role of artillery support, as well as provisional MP; as well as supporting III MEF in Okinawa, Japan with the Unit Deployment Program by deploying a battery semi-annually. 3/11 deployed to southern
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 ...
in the spring of 2009 as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. They are part of the 17,000 troop increase announced by President Obama in mid-February. 3/11 operated as part of Regimental Combat Team 3 and was the only Marine artillery battalion in Afghanistan. The battalion built Fiddler's Green in July 2009 as a fire base for Operation Strike of the Sword.


See also

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


Notes


References

: ;Web
3/11's official website
{{1stMarDiv Artillery battalions of the United States Marine Corps 1st Marine Division (United States)