3rd Marine Littoral Regiment
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The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment is a
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
of the
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
that is optimized for
littoral The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas ...
maneuver in the Indo-Pacific Theater. Based at
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 U.S. Marine Corps facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County ...
, the regiment falls under the command 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 ...
and the
III Marine Expeditionary Force III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and ...
. It was known as the 3rd Marine Regiment from 1914 to 2022, when it was renamed as part of the
Commandant of the Marine Corps The commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) is normally the highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions. The CMC reports directly to the secr ...
' Force Design 2030 initiative.


Current units

The regiment comprises two
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
s, one littoral anti-air battalion, one combat logistics battalion, one communications company, and one headquarters company. * Headquarters Company 3rd Marines * 3rd Littoral Combat Team * 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion * 3rd Littoral Logistics Battalion *
3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, abbreviated as (3/3), is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps, based out of Kaneohe, Hawaii. Known as either "Trinity" or "America's Battalion", the unit falls under the command of the 3rd Marine ...
(will disband January 2023)


History


Early years

The 3rd Marine Regiment was originally formed as part of the 1st Provisional Brigade, created in March 1911. A 3rd Regiment was formed on 14 March 1911 by consolidating Marine detachments from the various ships of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet then at anchor within Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The regimental commander was Lieutenant Colonel Ben H. Fuller, who later became the 15th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1930-1934). Until 17 June 1911, the 3rd Regiment was stationed at Camp Meyer, Deer Point, Guantanamo Bay. Companies E, F, and H reverted to their original assignments as ships' detachments on 10–11 June, while the rest of the regiment's letter companies did so on 17 June, at which time the 3rd Regiment was disbanded. Another provisional regiment, tentatively designated as the 3rd, was formed on 21 April 1914 from Marine detachments of the ships that had converged on Vera Cruz. It was commanded by Major Albertus W. Catlin of . Assigned to support the activities of the 2nd Marine Regiment already ashore, the 3rd landed the same day it was formed. During the same period, another 3rd Regiment was assembled at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 22 April 1914, under the command of Colonel Franklin J. Moses. It departed for Vera Cruz on board SS Morro Castle the next day. With the arrival of Colonel Moses' 3rd Regiment at Vera Cruz on 30 April, all Marine units, except Major Catlin's command, were placed under the operational control of United States Expeditionary Forces, United States Army. Major Catlin's 3rd Regiment was disbanded the same date, with its personnel returning to their respective ships. During its stay in Mexico, Colonel Moses' command performed outpost and patrol duty and, at the same time, improved sanitary and living conditions within its sector. Colonel Moses died of pneumonia on 26 September, six days after being evacuated to the hospital ship, . He was succeeded by Major John H. Russell, Jr., who later became the 16th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1934-1936). The 3rd Regiment left Vera Cruz on 23 November, arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 4 December, and was disbanded the following day. The regiment was reactivated on 20 December 1916, from assets of the
1st Marine Regiment The 1st Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The regiment is under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force. The 1st ...
in the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
. They were attached to the 2nd Brigade and deactivated on 1 August 1922.


World War II

The 3rd Marine Regiment was reactivated on 16 June 1942, at New River,
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, as part of the
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
military expansion. They deployed to
American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
on 14 September 1942, and were attached to the 2nd Marine Brigade. The regiment redeployed to
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
on 23 May 1943, and were reassigned to 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 ...
at that time. The regiment fought at Bougainville and
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
. Four
Medals of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. Th ...
were awarded to members of 3rd Marines for actions during this period. Members of the unit were involved in the
Agana race riot The Agana Race Riot (December 24–26, 1944) took place in Agana, Guam, as the result of internal disputes between white and black United States Marines. The riot was one of the most serious incidents between African-American and European-American ...
while stationed on Guam. During the
Battle of Iwo Jima The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJ ...
the 3rd Marines were kept in Reserve and were not sent ashore. Following World War II, the regiment was ordered to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
to aid in the disarming of
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese units and to assist the Nationalist government in the occupation of Northern China in an effort to deny land to the
communists Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a so ...
.


Vietnam War

3rd Marines was one of the first Marine units into
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
when it provided security for the
Da Nang Air Base Da Nang Air Base ( vi, Căn cứ không quân Đà Nẵng) (1930s–1975) (also known as Da Nang Airfield, Tourane Airfield or Tourane Air Base) was a French Air Force and later Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) facility located in the city ...
in early 1965. Ultimately, 3rd Marines participated in 48 major operations in the Republic of Vietnam. The regiment departed South Vietnam in October 1969 and was initially relocated to
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 Oc ...
,
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 ...
and assigned to the 5th Marine Amphibious Brigade. During April 1971, the regiment became part of the
1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine 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 Expeditionary Force (I MEF). It is the ...
. Two months later, the regiment was moved to
Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay or MCAS Kaneohe Bay is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) airfield located within the Marine Corps Base Hawaii complex, formerly known as Marine Corps Air Facility (MCAF) Kaneohe Bay or Naval Air Station (NAS) ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, to assume the role of the ground combat component of the 1st Marine Brigade.


1980s & 1990s


Task Force Taro

3rd Marines was one of the first combat forces to deploy to
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
in response to the
Iraqi invasion of Kuwait The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was an operation conducted by Iraq on 2 August 1990, whereby it invaded the neighboring State of Kuwait, consequently resulting in a seven-month-long Iraqi military occupation of the country. The invasion and Ira ...
on 2 August 1990. The regiment, which became known as Task Force Taro in honor of the state and people of Hawaii, became the first American unit to be engaged by Iraqi
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 ...
, rocket and missile fire on 18 January 1991. They countered the Iraqi supporting attacks by conducting artillery raids into Kuwait as the first ground offensive actions of the war. Task force Taro was instrumental in the recapture of
Khafji Ras al-Khafji ( ar, رأس الخفجي ') or Khafji (الخفجي) is a town on the border between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It lies in what was before 1970 the Saudi Arabian–Kuwaiti neutral zone. The Japanese-owned Arabian Oil Company Ltd s ...
, was the first unit to advance into Kuwait, conducted the only heliborne
assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
of the war and secured the Marine Corps' final objective of the war,
Kuwait International Airport Kuwait International Airport ( ar, مطار الكويت الدولي, ) is an international airport located in the Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait, south of the centre of Kuwait City, spread over an area of . It serves as the primary hub for Kuw ...
. Following the cease-fire on 28 February 1991, the regiment redeployed to Saudi Arabia and subsequently completed its strategic redeployment to Hawaii two months later.


2000s

The 3rd Marines has deployed to both
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
as part of the
Global War on Terror The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant I ...
. One of their officers, Stephen J. Boada, was awarded the
Silver Star 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 e ...
for actions there. He became the first Marine in the regiment and from Hawaii to be awarded one of the major awards for valor since the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. An NCO from
1st Battalion, 3rd Marines 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines (1/3) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Nicknamed the "Lava Dogs", the battalion consists of approximately 800 Marines and sailors and falls under the comm ...
, Cpl Kristopher Kane, was later awarded a Silver Star for actions during the
Second Battle of Fallujah The Second Battle of Fallujah, codenamed Operation al-Fajr ( ar, الفجر, ) and Operation Phantom Fury, was an American-led offensive of the Iraq War that lasted roughly 6 weeks, starting 7th November, 2004. Marking the highest point of the ...
. The Regiment deployed to Afghanistan in late 2008 as Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Afghanistan (SPMAGTF-A). They became Regimental Combat Team 3 during
Operation Khanjar Operation Strike of the Sword or Operation Khanjar was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 4,000 U.S. Marines, Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan National Army, Afghan troops ...
in
Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...
. They returned to Helmand from late 2009 through May 2010, when it 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 combi ...
.


2020s

The Commandant announced a new program to forward deploy small maneuvering units called Marine Littoral Regiments to the South Pacific to counter China's aggressive policies in the region. The 3rd Regiment will be first to take part in the program. The
Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
could also be a potential partner in this program. On the 3 March 2022 the unit transitioned from 3rd Marine Regiment to 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment. This transition signaled a shift in the Marine Corps doctrine in the pacific.


Unit awards

* 
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Co ...
, 3rd Marine Regiment(and all units attached to or serving with) on BougainvilleUSMC Historical Monograph Bougainville and the Northern Solomons, USMC History Division, Headquarters Quantico, VA, Appendix I

/ref> *  Presidential Unit Citation (US), Presidential Unit Citation, 3rd Marine Regiment(and all units attached to or serving with), Guam


See also

*
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 ...
*
List of United States Marine Corps regiments A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...


References


External links


3rd Marine Regiment's Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:003 Infantry03 Military units and formations established in 1916 Infantry units and formations of the United States Marine Corps Military units and formations of the United States in the Gulf War 1916 establishments in the United States