The 3rd Intelligence Battalion (3rd Intel) is a

Marine Corps Intelligence Marine Corps Intelligence is an element of the United States Intelligence Community. The Director of Intelligence supervises the Intelligence Department of HQMC and is responsible for policy, plans, programming, budgets, and staff supervision of ...

military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from ...

and

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 o ...

unit based at Marine Corps Base 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. It provides 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 d ...

(III MEF) with intelligence products and analysis.

Mission

The battalion's

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

is to plan and direct, collect, process, produce and disseminate intelligence, and provide counterintelligence support to the III MEF

command element In the United States Marine Corps, the command element (CE) is the command and control force of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). It provides C3I for the MAGTF. __TOC__ Role within the MAGTF The Command Element (CE), a headquarters unit ...

, the MEF major subordinate commands, subordinate

Marine Air-Ground Task Force Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF, pronounced MAG-TAF) is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined ar ...

s (MAGTF), and other commands as directed.

History

The battalion was activated on 1 October 1990 at Marine Corps Camp Courtney, Okinawa, as the 3d Intelligence Company, 3d Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Intelligence Group under the command of the III MEF. In December 1990, it was relocated to Camp Hansen. During June 1995, it was reassigned to Headquarters and Service Battalion at the III MEF. The battalion was designated as the 3rd Intelligence Battalion on 2 April 1999. In October 1999, it was reassigned to the III MEF Headquarters group. It has participated in various operations and exercises throughout the Pacific region during the course of its history. The battalion occasionally sends detachments in support of combat operations. In May 2009, it sent a detachment to Operation Enduring Freedom (ongoing since October 2007) under the

2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a brigade of the United States Marine Corps. It is part of II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). It advertises itself as a "middleweight" crises response force of choice in the European and Southern Comm ...

. The battalion's detachment arrived on

Camp Bastion Camp Shorabak (formerly Camp Bastion) is a former British Army airbase, located northwest of the city of Lashkargah in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The camp was situated in a remote desert area, far from population centres. The camp was buil ...

in South

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

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 bord ...

, on 19 May 2009. Its detachment provided critical intelligence leading up to and 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 Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade as well as 650 Afghan troops were involved, supported by NATO p ...

(2 July 200920 August 2009),

Operation Cobra's Anger Operation Cobra's Anger was a US-led offensive in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. About 1,000 Marines 150 Afghan troops were involved, as well as a Danish armor attachment. The operation began in the early hours of December 4th, 2009 ...

(4 December 20097 December 2009), and

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 com ...

(13 February 20107 December 2010). The Marines from the battalion's detachment returned home to Okinawa on 12 March 2010.

Subordinate units

* Headquarters Company * Intelligence Operations Company * Counter Intelligence/Human Intelligence Company

External links

3rd Intel's official website
1990 establishments in Japan Battalions of the United States Marine Corps Military intelligence units and formations of the United States Military units and formations established in 1990

Mission

History

Subordinate units

See also

External links