4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
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| 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion | |
|---|---|
 4th LAR Insignia |
|
| Active | September 23, 1987 - Present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Mechanized infantry battalion |
| Role | Screen in advance of maneuver units |
| Part of | 4th Marine Division Marine Forces Reserve |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton |
| Nickname | "Iron Horse Marines" |
| Battles/wars | Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom |
4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (4th LAR) is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps reserve. Their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they are part of the 4th Marine Division and Marine Forces Reserve. The unit headquarters is at Camp Pendleton, California but other units in the battalion are located throughout the United States.
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[edit] Mission
Conduct combined arms reconnaissance and security operations as part of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) to establish a designated secure area, provide combat information, reaction time, and maneuver space. On order, it conducts combined arms offensive and defensive economy of force operations to preserve the combat power of the MAGTF.
[edit] Current units
| Name | Location |
|---|---|
| Headquarters and Services Company | Camp Pendleton, California |
| Alpha Company | Camp Pendleton, California |
| Bravo Company | Fort Detrick, Maryland |
| Charlie Company | Riverton, Utah |
| Delta Company | Quantico, Virginia |
| Echo Company | Syracuse, New York |
| Fox Company | Eastover, South Carolina |
[edit] History
[edit] The 1980s and 1990s
The 4th Light Armored Vehicle Battalion was activated on September 23, 1987. From December 26,1990 to April 24, 1991 deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. The Battalion's assets were spread out over hundreds of miles of desert terrain and were utilized by the Marine Command to constantly probe the boundaries of Iraqi controlled areas. The Battalion executed Reconnaissance and Counter Reconnaissance Operations, emergency extraction of friendly forces, breaching of berms and minefields along the Iraqi and Kuwait border and prisoner capture and control. On October 1,1996 the battalion was re-designated as the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.
[edit] Global War on Terror
From February 24, 2003 to September 16, 2003, 4th LAR deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Alpha and Bravo companies were mobilized in early February 2003 and deployed with 1st and 3rd LAR Battalions respectively, participating in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The remainder of the battalion was activated in early March 2003 and quickly deployed to Iraq.
In May 2003 the battalion was reconstituted as a whole and conducted surveillance and reconnaissance operations along the Iraq/Iran Border. On June 2, 2003 the battalion moved to the 1st Marine Division HQ, located in Al Hilla to act as the Division quick reaction force. Bravo Company was based in Ad Diwaniyah, and generally conducted missions separately from the rest of the battalion. On June 13, 2003 Task Force Scorpion was activated and moved to the Northern Babil province with orders to secure Army convoy routes in and out of Forward Operating Base Dogwood. The core of Task Force Scorpion was initially formed around 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, consisting initially of H&S and Alpha Companies, 4th LAR; Charlie Company, 1st Battalion 4th Marines, two platoons from Force Reconnaissance; an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) detachment; and elements of Radio Battalion. The Task Force was later reinforced with Delta Company and two other active duty infantry companies from 1st Battalion 7th Marines. Task Force Scorpion's offensive posture and heavy patrolling effectively reduced the number of attacks on American soldiers in the area.1 The battalion conducted numerous raids and was eventually awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its work as part of I Marine Expeditionary Force.
Since OIF I, Marines from the battalion have continued to support on-going combat and security operations associated with the GWOT. Several Marines returned to Iraq with the 1st Marine Division, serving as members of the Division Commander's Personal Security Detachment and as military advisers to Iraqi infantry units. In 2006, members of Co A and H&S Company were mobilized and formed the 4th Provisional Security Company and deployed to the Horn of Africa. Also in 2006, Co B was mobilized and returned to Iraq to serve as a small boat unit conducting riverine security operations.
[edit] References
1. Defend America.com article re Task Force Scorpion
2. Feature: Raid in Iraq's 'Indian Country'
