| 1st Battalion, 12th Marines | |
|---|---|
 1/12 Insignia | |
| Active | 1 September 1942 –26 May 2023 |
| Country |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Artillery |
| Role | Provide fires in support of 3rd Marine Regiment |
| Part of | 12th Marine Regiment 3rd Marine Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Hawaii |
| Nickname(s) | "Kings of Battle" |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | LtCol Joseph L. Gill II [1] |
Provide direct support of the 3rd Marine Regiment 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 (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.
1st Battalion, 12th Marines came into existence during World War II. The battalion was activated 1 September 1942, at San Diego, California as the 4th Battalion, 12th Marines and assigned to the 3rd Marine Division.
During October 1942, the battalion relocated to Camp Dunlap, California. They were deployed to Auckland, New Zealand during March 1943, then redeployed during July 1943 to Guadalcanal. During this period, the battalion was heavily involved in numerous campaigns including the Battle of Bougainville, Battle of Guam and the Battle of Iwo Jima.
After being re-designated on 5 April 1945 as 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, the battalion was relocated during December 1945 to Camp Pendleton, California and as deactivated on 8 January 1946.
Five years later, the battalion was reactivated on 20 June 1951 at Camp Pendleton, California and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division. In August 1953, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines deployed to Camp Mcnair, Japan and redeployed to South Camp Fuji, Japan during March 1956. During March and April 1965, the battalion was called upon to deploy to the Republic of Vietnam. They participated in the Vietnam War from April 1965 to September 1969, operating from Phu Bai, Danang, Cam Lộ, Khe Sanh and Camp Carroll. The battalion after the Vietnam war was reduced to cadre status.
During October 1969, the battalion was re-established at Camp Pendleton, California and assigned to the 5th Marine Division. One year later, in November 1969, they were reassigned to the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
In April 1971, the 1/12 was reassigned to the 1st Marine Division. The battalion deployed in June 1971 to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and was later reassigned to the 1st Marine Brigade. During the 1970s and 1980s, the unit participated in numerous training exercises to remain combat ready. 1st Marine Brigade re-designated on 30 August 1985 as the 1st Marine Amphibious Brigade. In the years that followed, 1st Marine Amphibious Brigade was re-designated as the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
1st Battalion, 12th Marines participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in Southwest Asia during September 1990 to April 1991. In September 1994, the battalion was reassigned to 3rd Marine Division as part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, Hawaii.
From July 2004 through April 2005, Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They were attached to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines and deployed to Fallujah, Iraq participating in Operation Phantom Fury.
From March 2007 through October 2007 and September 2008 through April 2009, 1st Battalion 12th Marines conducted the provisional mission of Task Force MP operating in the Al Anbar province of Iraq.
In April 2011, Charlie, Alpha and Headquarters and Service Battery of 1/12 deployed to Helmand Province, with Echo Battery of 2/12 deployed to Outpost Shrine in Kajaki, Afghanistan to replace 1st Battalion, 10th Marines as the main artillery unit in the area. [2] Bravo Battery remained in garrison for live fire during training exercises.
2nd Battalion 12th Marines was deactivated following Operation: Desert Storm due to defense cut-backs and the relocation of 12th Marine Regiment from Camp Foster to Camp Hansen, both in Okinawa. 3rd Battalion maintains its headquarters at Camp Hansen and sources the Unit Deployment Program as the headquarters element for deployed artillery batteries drawn from across the Corps. 3/12's permanent firing batteries have been reassigned to other units: Battery K to 2nd Battalion 11th Marines, Battery L to 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines, and Battery I to 1st Battalion, 11th Marines.
The battalion was deactivated at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on 26 May 2023. [3]
Smith, Charles R. (Charles Richard). A Brief History of the 12th Marines. Washington, D.C: Historical Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, 1972. Print.
Loewenson, Irene. “Historic Marine Artillery Battalion Deactivates on Hawaii,” June 5, 2023. https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2023/06/05/historic-marine-artillery-battalion-deactivates-on-hawaii/.
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 the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1stMAW) and the 3rd Marine Logistics Group forms the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The division was first formed during World War II and saw four years of continuous combat in the Vietnam War. Today, elements of the 3rd Marine Division are continuously forward deployed and forward postured to carry out the US Government's mission of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific in conjunction with its sister services.
The 4th Marine Division is a reserve division in the United States Marine Corps. It was raised in 1943 for service during World War II, and subsequently fought in the Pacific against the Japanese. Deactivated after the war, the division was re-formed in 1966 and elements of the division deployed during the Gulf War in 1990–1991, as well as during the Iraq War. It is currently the ground combat element of the Marine Forces Reserve and is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has units throughout the United States.
3rd Battalion, 11th Marines (3/11) is an artillery 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, California and its primary weapon system is the M777 lightweight howitzer with a maximum effective range of 25 miles. They fall under the 11th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.
The 1st Marine Logistics Group is a logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, with several subordinate elements located at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. It is the logistics combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (2/1) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based in Camp HORNO on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Nicknamed "The Professionals," the battalion consists of approximately 1,200 Marines and Sailors. Normally they fall under the command of the 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.
3rd Battalion, 6th Marines (3/6) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Also known as "Teufelhunden", it consists of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. They fall under the 6th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division.
The 3d Marine Littoral Regiment is a regiment of the United States Marine Corps that is optimized for littoral maneuver in the Indo-Pacific Theater. Based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, the regiment falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Division and the III Marine Expeditionary Force. 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' Force Design 2030 initiative. The 3d MLR has participated in the 2022 and 2023 Balikatan exercises in Northern Luzon, Philippines.
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 Marine Expeditionary Force. Its primary weapon system is the M777A2 howitzer with a maximum effective range of 30 km, however the 5th Battalion has converted to fire the HIMARS weapon system.
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines (2/3) was an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii consisting of approximately 1,000 Marines and sailors. The battalion fell under the command of the 3rd Marine Regiment and the 3rd Marine Division. The battalion was deactivated in January 2022 as part of the Marine Corps' ongoing Force Design efforts.
1st Battalion, 11th Marines (1/11) is an artillery battalion comprising five firing batteries and a Headquarters battery. The battalion is stationed at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California. Its primary weapon system is the M142 HIMARS rocket artillery launcher and the M777 lightweight howitzer. The battalion is under the command of the 11th Marine Regiment, part of the 1st Marine Division.
2nd Battalion, 11th Marines (2/11) is an artillery battalion comprising four firing batteries and a Headquarters Battery. The battalion is stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Its primary weapon system is the M777 lightweight howitzer. The battalion was the first in the Marine Corps to fully transition from the M198 Howitzer. They fall under the command of the 11th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.
5th Battalion, 11th Marines (5/11) was a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) battalion consisting of four Firing Batteries and a Headquarters Battery. The battalion is stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the first active duty HIMARS Unit in the Marine Corps. They fall under the command of the 11th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division. This is the only battalion in the 11th Marine Regiment not using the M777A2 lightweight howitzer.
1st Battalion, 10th Marines (1/10) is an artillery battalion composed of five firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion is stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and falls under the command of 10th Marine Regiment, part of 2d Marine Division. Its primary weapon system is the M777A2 155 mm lightweight howitzer.
5th Battalion 10th Marines (5/10) was a US artillery battalion comprising three firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, USA and its primary weapon system was the M777A2 howitzer, with a maximum effective range of 30 km. They fell under the command of the 10th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division. The battalion was known by its nickname of, "The Five and Dime."
3rd Battalion 10th Marines (3/10) was an artillery battalion that consisted of four cannon firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and its primary weapon system was the M777-A2 howitzer with a maximum effective range of 30 km and the M-252 Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS). 3/10 fell under the 10th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division. The battalion was deactivated at Camp Lejeune on 26 April 2013.
1st Battalion 14th Marines (1/14) was a reserve artillery battalion comprising three firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion was based in Alameda, California. Its primary weapon system was the M198 Howitzer. It was part of the 14th Marine Regiment of the 4th Marine Division.
3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion is one of two active duty assault amphibian battalions in the United States Marine Corps. The battalion is tasked with transporting US Marine forces and their equipment from assault ships to shore, and equipped with the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV), which replaced the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). The battalion is part of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force. The unit is based in Camp Pendleton in California.
The 1st Battalion 9th Marines (1/9) was an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I, it served until the mid-2000s when it was deactivated to make room for one of three light armor reconnaissance battalions. During the Vietnam War, 1/9 sustained an especially high casualty rate as they faced extraordinary challenges and hardships during their tour. General Võ Nguyên Giáp promised President Ho Chi Minh that he would wipe out the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, as a present for the leader's birthday. In describing the fate that awaited the Marines in the valley, Giap allegedly used the term "Di Bo Chet", translated as the "Walking Dead". He viewed that the Marines should be considered already dead, just not buried yet. However, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, proudly and defiantly adopted "The Walking Dead" as its nickname due to the unit's persistence and resilience.
3rd Battalion, 12th Marines (3/12) is an artillery 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 from the 10th Marine Regiment and the 11th Marine Regiment. The battalion is stationed at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, and its primary weapon systems are the M777 lightweight howitzer with a maximum effective range of 30 km, along with the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The battalion utilizes the Unit Deployment Program to fill its four firing batteries with detachments from artillery units across the Marine Corps.
1st Transportation Battalion (TB) was a General Support (GS) logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps that was headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The unit last fell under the command of Combat Logistics Regiment 1 and the 1st Marine Logistics Group until deactivation on 12 January 2024.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps .| Leadership |
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| 3rd Marines |  | |
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| 4th Marines | All battalions are part of other regiments in 1st Marine Division, the regiment in turn hosts units training at the Jungle Warfare Training Center. | |
| 9th Marines | All battalions are part of other regiments in 2nd Marine Division. | |
| 12th Marines | ||
| Other Battalions | ||
