3rd Civil Affairs Group
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 3rd Civil Affairs Group | |
|---|---|
 3rd CAG |
|
| Active | |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Civil Affairs |
| Role | The CAG provides civil-military operations support to I MEF or other MAGTF in order to reduce friction between the civilian population and the MEF or other MAGTF. |
| Part of | Marine Forces Reserve |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton |
| Motto | "Winning hearts and minds" |
| Battles/wars | Operation Desert Shield Operation Desert Storm |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Col Boris-Frank A. Nazaroff[1] |
3rd Civil Affairs Group (3rd CAG) is a civil affairs (CA) unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is based at Camp Pendleton, California. It is one of only two CA units in the Marine Corps, both of which are reserve units. The other unit is 4th Civil Affairs Group, based in Anacostia. 3rd CAG tends to support I MEF activities, while 4th CAG tends to support II MEF activities.
Recently, members of this unit have returned to the United States after completing an Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment.
Contents |
[edit] History
3rd CAG was activated June 6, 1985, at Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center, Los Angeles, with Colonel Dudley Thomas as its first commanding officer.
Between 1987 and 1988, under the command of Colonel William Alley, the group recruited and trained Marines to fulfill its mission of providing CA support to active forces in training exercises in the United States and overseas. During this period, CA Marines deployed worldwide in support of active forces.
During mid-August 1990, a provisional CA detachment, including the CAG's commanding officer, Colonel John M. Kaheny, deployed to Saudi Arabia to support the I MEF in Southwest Asia for Operation Desert Shield. CA teams worked with I MEF personnel to reduce the chemical threat posed by the extensive chemical storage facilities at the commercial port of Al Jubail. CA Marines assisted in formalizing relations with Saudi civil defense and police forces to coordinate civil and military traffic patterns. In late December the majority of 3rd CAG Marines returned to the United States. Lieutenant Colonel Mike Kromm led the reduced detachment of Marines in Saudi Arabia until the entire 3rd CAG was activated and deployed to Saudi Arabia in January 1991 for Operation Desert Storm. In April 1991, 3rd CAG returned home from deployment and was released from active duty.
Colonel Russ Andres assumed command of 3rd CAG in December 1991. Col Andres was instrumental in conducting an aggressive rebuilding campaign. The CAG started exploring the feasibility of providing tactical psychological operations support for mission accomplishment. Col Andres recognized the need to relocate the unit to Camp Pendleton to better support the active forces, specifically I MEF and its subordinate commands, and his persistence in the matter lead to approval by Marine Forces Reserve.
Colonel Mike Kromm assumed command of 3rd CAG in January 1994. Under his leadership the CAG relocated from Los Angeles to Camp Pendleton. Col Kromm initiated a program of providing liaison officers to I MEF, 1st Marine Division, 1st Force Service Support Group, Marine Expeditionary Units, and the I MEF MAGTF Pacific, increasing 3rd CAG's accessibility and support to fleet units. In the summer of 1994, 3rd CAG proposed a revised table of organization to Headquarters Marine Corps that added a psychological operations planning detachment. The CAG responded to potential hostilities in Iraq in October 1994 when two CAG Marines deployed again to Saudi Arabia.
Colonel Wesley F. May assumed command of the 3rd CAG in December 1995. The CAG continued to pursue the initiatives of previous commanders, to include active training and deployment with the 11th MEU, 13th MEU, 15th MEU, and 31st MEU. The CAG assumed the mission of Military Support to Civilian Authorities (MSCA), as a liaison function for I MEF.
From November 1995 through February 1996, 3rd CAG operated a displaced civilian refugee camp in Guam for Kurdish refugees during Operation Pacific Haven. The CAG supported Operation Joint Guard in Bosnia from June 1997 to January 1999.
In July 1998, Colonel Paul Beckhart assumed command of 3rd CAG. During his time as commanding officer, the breadth and tempo of 3rd CAG's operational commitments continued to expand and intensify. 3rd CAG Marines and Sailors supported the active components of all branches of the U.S. military during exercises and operations in Thailand, Korea, Kenya, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Japan, and the United States.
Under the leadership of Colonel Craig Boddington, who assumed command in January 2001, the unit remained committed to maintaining the high operational tempo it had established in years past. Boddington was promoted to brigadier general later that year.
Colonel Russell Doudt assumed command of 3rd CAG in October 2001. 3rd CAG supported United States Southern Command Humanitarian Civic Assistance operations in Central and South America, relying heavily upon the bilingual capabilities of its many Spanish-speaking Marines.
In 2001, 3rd CAG provided staff planning support to I MEF and its forward operating units engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as to III MEF in support of exercises in Thailand and Korea. In November 2001, 3rd CAG activated and deployed a detachment of ten Marines to Kosovo to support United Nations peacekeeping operations. In May 2002, a second detachment of ten Marines was deployed to Kosovo.
In January 2003, 3rd CAG was mobilized for Operation Enduring Freedom and sent to Kuwait to prepare for the possible attack of Iraq. After the completion of initial major combat operations in Iraq, 3rd CAG Marines helped restore Iraq's infrastructure and government, completing its first tour of Operation Iraqi Freedom in September 2003.
Colonel Michael Walker assumed command in October 2003. In January 2004, 3rd CAG was again activated for duty in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The CAG supported the I MEF in Al Anbar.
From January to October 2005, a detachment of 3rd CAG Marines was mobilized and deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom as the provisional 5th CAG, in support of II MEF in Al Anbar.
Colonel Boris-Frank A. Nazaroff assumed command in September 2005.
From January to October 2006, 3rd CAG was mobilized and deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom in support of I MEF in Al Anbar.
[edit] Unit decorations
Unit awards include the Presidential Unit Citation streamer, Navy Unit Commendation streamer, Meritorious Unit Commendation streamer, National Defense streamer with one bronze star, Southwest Asia Service streamer with two bronze stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary streamer, Global War on Terrorism Service streamer, and the Iraq Campaign streamer.
[edit] References
- ^ Lawrence, Cpl Virginia K., USMC. "3rd Civil Affairs Group Transfer of Authority to 4TH Civil Affairs", United States Marine Corps, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-27. (in English)
- 3rd CAG [2006-11-04]. 231st Birthday Ball Ceremony Program, pp. 4–6.
- 3rd CAG [2002-11-02]. 227th Birthday Ball Ceremony Program, pp. 6–7.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- 3cag.org - No website right now, but this domain is owned by a member of the unit, and has been an unofficial website of the unit in the past.
- California Marine Corps Reserve unit listing - lists 3rd CAG under Camp Pendleton
