5th Battalion 11th Marines
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| 5th Battalion 11th Marines | |
|---|---|
 5/11 Insignia |
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| Active | N/A |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Artillery |
| Role | Provide fires in support of 1st Marine Division |
| Part of | 11th Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton |
| Motto | "The Spirit of St. Barbara" |
| Engagements | World War II *Battle of Guadalcanal *Battle of Capr Gloucester *Battle of Peleliu *Battle of Okinawa Korean War *Battle of Inchon *Battle of Chosin Reservoir Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom *2003 invasion of Iraq |
5th Battalion 11th Marines (5/11) is an High Mobility Artillery Rocket System HIMARS battalion of three 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 M777 lightweight howitzer.
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[edit] Mission
Provide direct support of the 1st Marine Division and the Marine Expeditionary Units 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 Civilian 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.
[edit] Current units
Headquarters Battery
- Battery R - "Romeo," currently conducting transition to HIMARS weapon system.
- Battery S - "Sierra," currently preparing to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Battery T - "Tango," currently conducting operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
[edit] History
[edit] World War II
5th Battalion 11th Marie was activated on May 1, 1942 at New River, North Carolina. In June of that year they deployed to Wellington, New Zealand. They were re-designated on January 1, 1943 as the 4th Battalion, 11th Marines. During the war they participated in the following campaigns:
- Battle of Guadalcanal
- Eastern New Guinea
- New Britain
- Battle of Peleliu
- Battle of Okinawa
Following the surrender of Japan, the battalion was deployed to Tientsin, China as part of the occupation of northern China from October 1946 to January 1947. In January they returned to the United States to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Brigade. The battalion was deactivated on February 17, 1947. Later that year they were again activated on July 16 only to be deactivated again on September 30.
[edit] Korean War
The battalion was reactivated on August 4, 1950 at MCB Camp Pendleton and were assigned to the 1st Marine Division. In August they deployed to Kobe, Japan and fought in the war until the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953 . They participated in the following campaigns:
- Inchon/Seoul Campaign
- Battle of Chosin Reservoir
- East/Central Front
- Western Front
Following the war the battalion remained in Korea and participated in the occupation of the Korean Demilitarized Zone from August of 1953 until March of 1955 when they relocated to MCB Camp Pendleton
[edit] Vietnam War
The battalion was relocated to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. In February of 1966 the battalion deployed to the Republic of Vietnam as part of the 1st Marine Division. They fought in Vietnam Until October of 1970 operating from Chu Lai and Danang. They returned to the MCAGCC Twentynine Palms and were deactivated on November 15, 1974.
[edit] 1980s and 1990s
The battalion was reactivated on February 15, 1979 at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms, California from units that had comprised the 1st Field Artillery Group. They were redesignated as 5th Battalion, 11th Marines on October 1, 1984. The regiment participated in Operation Desert Storm from August 1990 until March of 1991. During July and August of 1994 the battalion helped fight major forest fires in the western United States.
[edit] Global War on Terror
The battalion participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and has made subsequent deployments to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
[edit] Unit awards
A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. 5/11 has been presented with the following awards:
| Ribbon | Unit Award |
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Presidential Unit Citation with one Silver Star and three Bronze Stars |
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Navy Unit Commendation with two Bronze Star |
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Meritorious Unit Commendation |
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Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Silver Star |
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World War II Victory Medal |
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Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia clasp |
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China Service Medal |
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National Defense Service Medal with two Bronze Stars |
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Korean Service Medal with one Silver Star and two Bronze Stars |
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Vietnam Service Medal with two Silver Stars and four Bronze Stars |
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Southwest Asia Service Medal with two Bronze Stars |
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Korean Presidential unit Citation |
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Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Streamer |
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Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Action Medal |
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Iraq Campaign Medal |
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Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal |
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Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.
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