On order, the 368th Military Intelligence Battalion provides well trained and equipped soldiers who conduct many

counterintelligence Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...

activities, to meet the

operational intelligence Operational intelligence (OI) is a category of real-time dynamic, business analytics that delivers visibility and insight into data, streaming events and business operations. OI solutions run queries against streaming data feeds and event data t ...

requirements of

Combatant Commands A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, an ...

and the

United States Intelligence Community United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

. Their mission is to provide intelligence and

electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...

(IEW) operations support for the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade in support of the

Korean Theater Theater in Korea or Korean theater are theater performances which were originally done in courtyards, but which have now moved to stages. Korean theater is performed in the Korean language, and is generally made up of Korean people. Rising to pr ...

. In peacetime, the battalion provides global

Human Intelligence Human intelligence is the intellectual capability of humans, which is marked by complex cognitive feats and high levels of motivation and self-awareness. High intelligence is associated with better outcomes in life. Through intelligence, humans ...

(HUMINT),

Signals Intelligence Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of ''signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ( ...

(SIGINT), and

Imagery Intelligence Imagery intelligence (IMINT), pronounced as either as ''Im-Int'' or ''I-Mint'', is an intelligence gathering discipline wherein imagery is analyzed (or "exploited") to identify information of intelligence value. Imagery used for defense intelli ...

(IMINT) support to

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

operations.

History

Activated at

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

on 16 September 1997, primarily from personnel, equipment and facilities of the inactivating 140th Military Intelligence Battalion, headquartered in

Bell, California Bell is an incorporated city in Los Angeles County, California, near the center of the former San Antonio Township (abolished after 1960). Its population was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census. Bell is located on the ...

, and the 373rd Military Intelligence Battalion, headquartered in

, the 368th MI Battalion retained neither the lineage nor colors of either inactivating battalion. Initially subordinate to the 259th Military Intelligence Group (West), the 368th Military Intelligence Battalion had companies and detachments located in Oakland, Bell,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

Fort Huachuca, Arizona Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation, established on 3 March 1877 as Camp Huachuca. The garrison is now under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is in Cochise County in southeast Arizona, appr ...

and

Tumwater, Washington Tumwater is a town in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. It is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the state ca ...

. Following the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the 368th trained, mobilized and deployed counterintelligence and all-source intelligence Soldiers in support of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) to Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as

Fort Lewis, Washington Fort Lewis was a United States Army post from 1917 to 2010 located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. Fort Lewis was merged with McChord Air Force Base on 1 February 2010 to form Joint Base Lewis–McChord. Fort Lewis, named after Meriweth ...

, the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and

Fort Richardson, Alaska Fort Richardson is a United States Army installation in the U.S. State of Alaska, adjacent to the city of Anchorage. In 2010, it was merged with nearby Elmendorf Air Force Base to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. History Fort Richardson ...

. Due to BRAC realignment, the headquarters was moved to a new facility at

Camp Parks Parks Reserve Forces Training Area (PRFTA), commonly known as Camp Parks, is a United States Army base located in Dublin, California, that is currently an active military and training center for U.S. Army Reserve personnel to be used in case o ...

, California in 2010. The 368th MI Battalion had Charlie Company located at the General George Smith Patton, Jr. United States Army Reserve Center in

until 2014 when the battalion reorganized its entire footprint to Camp Parks, California.

Insignia

;Distinctive Unit Insignia: :Description: A silver color metal and enamel device 2.86 cm (1 1/8 in.) in height, consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure (Oriental Blue) a helm Argent (Silver Gray), garnished of the first superimposed by a sword palewise Sable; a bordure wavy Gules fimbriated Argent. Attached below the shield is a black scroll inscribed "VANGUARD OF THE PACIFIC" in silver. :Symbolism: Oriental blue and silver gray are the colors traditionally used by the

Military Intelligence Corps The Military Intelligence Corps is the intelligence branch of the United States Army. The primary mission of military intelligence in the United States Army is to provide timely, relevant, accurate, and synchronized intelligence and electronic ...

. Red denotes valor and zeal; the wavy border alludes to the

Pacific Rim The Pacific Rim comprises the lands around the rim of the Pacific Ocean. The ''Pacific Basin'' includes the Pacific Rim and the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Rim roughly overlaps with the geologic Pacific Ring of Fire. List of co ...

, the ring of fire. The blue represents the Pacific Ocean. Black is the color of stealth and together with gray represents the military intelligence unit's night and day vigilance and covert and overt missions. The helmet and sword highlight the organization's combat preparedness. The unsheathed sword implies the vanguard position thus reinforcing the motto. :Background: The distinctive unit insignia was authorized on 11 September 1998. ;Coat of Arms: :Shield: Azure (Oriental Blue) a helm Argent (Silver Gray) garnished of the first superimposed by a sword palewise Sable; a bordure wavy Gules fimbriated Argent. Oriental blue and silver gray are the colors traditionally used by the

. Red denotes valor and zeal; the wavy border alludes to the

, the ring of fire. The blue represents the Pacific Ocean. Black is the color of stealth and together with gray represents the military intelligence unit's night and day vigilance and covert and overt missions. The helmet and sword highlight the organization's combat preparedness. The unsheathed sword implies the vanguard position thus reinforcing the motto. :Crest: That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Army Reserve: On a wreath of the colors, argent and azure, the Lexington

Minuteman Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...

proper. The statue of the Minuteman, Capt. John Parker (

Henry Hudson Kitson Henry Hudson Kitson (April 9, 1863, 1864 or 1865 – June 26, 1947) was an English-American sculptor who sculpted many representations of American military heroes. Romania's Queen Elisabeth knighted him after he sculpted a marble bust of h ...

, sculptor), stands on the Common in Lexington, Massachusetts. :Background: The coat of arms was authorized for the 368th Military Intelligence Battalion on 11 September 1998. ;Motto: ''"Vanguard of the Pacific"''

List of Commanders

References

{{reflist 368