3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion
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| 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion | |
|---|---|
 3rd AAV's Insignia |
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| Active | September 16, 1942 - present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Mechanized battalion |
| Role | Amphibious assault |
| Part of | 1st Marine Division I Marine Expeditionary Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton |
| Nickname | 3rd Tracks |
| Motto | "YAT YAS" |
| Battles/wars | World War II * Battle of Bougainville * Battle of Guam * Battle of Iwo Jima Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom |
3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion is a mechanized battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Their primary weapon system is the Amphibious Assault Vehicle and they are part of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force. The unit is based out of the Camp Pendleton, California
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[edit] Mission
Land the surface assault element of the landing force and their equipment in a single lift from assault shipping during amphibious operations to inland objectives; to conduct mechanized operations and related combat support in subsequent operations ashore. The specific Mission Essential Tasks List (METL) includes:
- Preparing combat ready units for deployment and operations in support of the 1st Marine Division
- Preparing combat ready units for deployment and operations in support of Maritime Pre-Positioned Forces (MPF) to any AOR as directed.
- Providing sustained amphibious and ground mechanized support to the assault elements of the 1st Marine Division as well as other combat support as directed during subsequent operations ashore.
- Providing support to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion and other 1st Marine Division units in the clearing of lanes through minefields and other obstacles during amphibious operations and in support of subsequent operations ashore.
- Preparing combat ready units for deployment with designated Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) and deployment to Okinawa as part of the Unit Deployment Program (UDP) in support of 3rd Marine Division
[edit] History
[edit] World War II
[edit] Korean War
[edit] Vietnam War
[edit] 1980s and 1990s
Throughout the 1980s, 3rd AAV Batallion, written as 3AAB, deployed companies on its regular schedule of six month deployments to the forward units in Hawaii and Okinawa, including units aboard amphibious troop ships for fast-reaction forces in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and into the Persian Gulf. It shared personnel and vehicles with the 1st Armored Assault Battalion as part of the Unit Deployment Program.
From Camp Pendleton, Company 'D' became semi-permanently attached to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, as part of 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, a quick-reaction desert strike force. The company was instrumental in training Marines in desert warfare as they rotated in and out of the live-fire desert training area, a key to the Marine Corp's success in the 1991 Gulf War.
In August 1990, 3rd AA Battalion received orders to prepare for an overseas deployment to Southwest Asia as a response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. In the following month the unit deployed to Saudi Arabia and received shipments of its Assault Amphibious Vehicles from Maritime Prepositioned Ships to augment its current vehicle ranks. The unit divided into two main mechanized infantry task forces, along with 1st and 3rd Tank Battalions, to form Task Force Ripper and Task Force Papa Bear. The units trained and patrolled the Saudi frontier with Kuwait until the start of the ground war in February 1991.
After five days of combat the two task forces, along with other other Marine task forces, British and Pan-Arab units, captured Kuwait International Airport and a cease-fire was announced. During the march to Kuwait City, the mechanized infantry task forces were responsible for the defeat of numerous Iraqi regiments, the capture of tens of thousands of Iraqi prisoners, and the capture or detruction of thousands of enemy armored vehicles. The unit returned to Camp Pendleton in March 1991.
[edit] Global War on Terror
In 2003, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the 1st Marine Division. They first deployed in February of 2003 to Kuwait andcrossed the border into Iraq, pushing all the way to Baghdad. They served as the primary trasportaton of the infranty and proved to be an invaluable asset in the urban areas of Iraq. For their actions they received the Presidential Unit Citation in 2003 and the Navy Meritorious Unit Citation in 2006.
