![HIMARS 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/HIMARS_3.jpg)
3rd Battalion 12th Marines (3/12) is an
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
battalion comprising four firing batteries and a Headquarters Battery. The firing batteries are not permanently assigned to the battalion- they are all on 6 month rotations in
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
from the
10th Marine Regiment and the
11th Marine Regiment (known as the Unit Deployment Program (UDP)). The battalion is stationed at
Camp Hansen,
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, Japan, and its primary weapon systems are the
M777
The M777 howitzer is a British towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and the United States. It was first used in combat during the US ...
lightweight howitzer with a maximum effective range of 30 km, along with the
M142
The M142 HIMARS (M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army and mounted on a standard United States Army Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) truc ...
High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The battalion utilizes the
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 ...
to fill its four firing batteries with detachments from artillery units across the Marine Corps.
Mission
Provide direct support of the
3rd Marine Division
The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with th ...
in time of conflict. 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
Civil-military operations or CMO are activities of a military force to minimize civil interference on and maximize civil support for military operations. CMO is conducted in conjunction with combat operations during wartime and becomes a central p ...
(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
In United States Army units, a Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) is a company (military unit), company-sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. Considered one unit, a Headquarters and Headquarters Company is essent ...
* Four firing
batteries rotating on unit deployment program (UDP) assignments from the
10th Marines and the
11th Marines
The 11th Marine Regiment is an artillery regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Known as the "Cannon Cockers", the regiment falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I M ...
.
History
World War II
3rd Battalion 12th Marines was activated on September 16, 1942, at
Camp Elliott
Camp Kearny was a U.S. military base (first Army, later Navy) in San Diego County, California, on the site of the current Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. It operated from 1917 to 1946. The base was named in honor of Brigadier General Stephen ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, as part of the 3rd Marine Division.
Deployed during January - February 1943 to Auckland, New Zealand
Participated in the following World War II Campaigns
Bougainville
Northern Solomons
Guam
Iwo Jima
Deactivated 28 December 1945
Reactivation and the Vietnam War
Reactivated 7 January 1952 at Camp Pendleton, California, as the 3rd Marine Division
Redeployed during August 1953 to Camp Gifu, Japan
Redeployed during February 1956 to Camp Courtney, Okinawa
Redeployed during April - May 1965 to the Republic of Vietnam
Participated in the war in Vietnam, April 1965 - November 1969, operating from
Quang Tri Province
Quang Nam Province
Thua Thien Province
Redeployed during November 1969 to Camp Courtney, Okinawa
Elements participated in evacuation operations in Vietnam and Cambodia, March - May 1975
India Btry 3/12 deployed and placed in reserve during the Mayaguez Incident May '75
1970s - 1990s
Elements participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Southwest Asia, 1990–1991
Elements participated in Operations Sea Angel, Bangladesh, May - June 1991
Elements Participated in Operation Fiery Vigil, Republic of the Philippines, June - July 1991
War on Terror
![Artillery battalion returns to roots during Exercise Desert Scimitar 130503-M-PC317-099](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Artillery_battalion_returns_to_roots_during_Exercise_Desert_Scimitar_130503-M-PC317-099.jpg)
Elements participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan and Philippines, 2001 into 2009
Elements participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, 2003 into 2007
Elements participated in Operation Unified Assistance, Southeast Asia, December 2004 - February 2005
Elements participated in humanitarian relief efforts, Philippines, February - March 2006
Elements participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, 2010
See also
*
List of United States Marine Corps battalions
This is a list of current United States Marine Corps battalions, sorted by the mission they perform.
__TOC__
Active units
Ground Combat Element battalions
The ground combat element (GCE) consists of those combat and combat support units whose ...
*
Organization of the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). The most senior Marine commissioned officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recr ...
Notes
References
:
;Web
Official Website
on GlobalSecurity.org
{{3rdMarDiv
Artillery battalions of the United States Marine Corps