3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (3rd LAR) is a
mechanized infantryMechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
battalion of the
United States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. Their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they are part of the 1st Marine Division and I Marine Expeditionary Force. The unit is based out of the
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine PalmsThe Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center , also known as 29 Palms, is a United States Marine Corps base. It was a census-designated place officially known as Twentynine Palms Base located adjacent to the city of Twentynine Palms in southern San Bernardino County, California. As of the 2000...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Organization
An LAV Company consists 5 Platoons which utilize 3-4 vehicles usually divided into Headquarters(HQ) 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Weapons Platoons. Each platoon has a commander whom controls each section and is also the vehicle commander (VC) of one of the LAV'S, while the
platoon sergeantIn many militaries, a platoon sergeant is the senior enlisted member of a platoon, who advises and supports the platoon's commanding officer in leading the unit.-Singapore:...
will command another vehicle. A senior corporal or sergeant will command the other vehicles. The company commander and the company First Sergeant command 2 LAV-25 in the HQ platoon.
A crew consists of a driver, usually the least senior (0313, the MOS designation for LAV Crewman), a VC and the gunner. The gunner operates the main gun, the
M242 BushmasterThe M242 Bushmaster is a 25 mm chain-fed autocannon. It is used extensively by the US armed forces, as well as by NATO's and some other nations' forces in ground combat vehicles and watercraft...
chaingun. The VC makes target acquisition changes and helps the gunner make adjustments. The remaining crew consists of Scouts (
0311MOS 0311 is the United States Marine Corps Military Occupational Specialty code for Rifleman. It is the primary infantry MOS for the Marine Corps.-General information:...
). The LAV can hold as many as 6 scouts, but in most cases there are only 3-4 in the back. There is also 1 corpsman per platoon.
Early years
The 3d Light Armored Vehicle Battalion originally began as Company A (Reinforced), 1st Light Armored Vehicle Battalion in May 1983, and began receiving LAVs in April 1984. Company A, 1st Light Armored Vehicle Battalion became Company A, 3d Light Armored Vehicle Battalion in late 1985. The 3d Light Armored Vehicle Battalion, 27th Marines, 7th Marine Amphibious Brigade was activated on 11 September 1986. The Battalion was re-designated as the 3d Light Armored Infantry Battalion on 1 October 1988 and subsequently relocated to Okinawa, Japan in February 1989. The Battalion returned to Twentynine Palms on 18 July 1991 as part of Regimental Combat Team 7 (RCT-7).
Gulf War and the 1990s
Detachment 3d Light Armored Infantry Battalion deployed to
Saudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
on 16 August 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield, as part of the 7th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Task Force Lima. Later, the battalion conducted screening and deception operations as part of Task Force Shepherd, the forward unit of 1st Marine Division. On 25 January 1991, Company B saw combat in the first ground offensive action of the war by participating in an
artilleryOriginally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
raid with
5th Battalion, 11th Marines5th Battalion 11th Marines 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...
. On the night of 29 January 1991, during the battle of Umm Hjul, Company D was the primary unit to turn back a major Iraqi attack. Once the ground war commenced, 3d Light Armored Infantry Battalion again found itself at the forefront of action. While assigned to the First Marine Division Command Post on the second day of the ground war, Company B decisively repelled an Iraqi counterattack on the Command Post. Additionally, Company D provided a mobile screen for Task Force Ripper, the leading unit for the Division. On the third day of the ground offensive, Task Force Shepherd was the first coalition force to enter
Kuwait City-Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:...
and captured the
Kuwait International AirportKuwait International Airport is located in Farwaniyah, Kuwait, south of Kuwait City. It serves as hub for Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways. A portion of the airport complex is designated as Al Mubarak Air Base, which contains the headquarters of the Kuwait Air Force, as well as the Kuwait Air...
.
When a large earthquake hit the Philippines, the Company A participated in relief efforts. In April 1991,
Mount PinatuboMount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano located on the island of Luzon, near the tripoint of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga. It is located in the Tri-Cabusilan Mountain range separating the west coast of Luzon from the central plains, and is west of the dormant and...
erupted and once again, Company A was called upon to provide security against looters and participated in the clean up efforts. Company A returned to TwentyNine Palms on 7 August 1991, completing an arduous 15-month deployment.
From December 1992 to April 1993, 3d Light Armored Infantry Battalion deployed Company B and Company C along with the forward command group and forward logistics support for Operation Restore Hope in
SomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. The mission consisted of convoy escorts, delivering over 4,000 metric tons of grain to outlying areas.
On 1 March 1994, 3d Light Armored Infantry Battalion was re-designated as 3d Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion. The Battalion also participated in counter-drug operations in support of Joint Task Force 6 in
ArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
throughout 1994. It was during the early 1990s that the battalion’s nickname and radio call sign became “Wolfpack.” 3d LAR Battalion also continued to support the 1st Marine Division’s
Unit Deployment ProgramTo reduce the number of unaccompanied tours and improve unit continuity, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, established the Unit Deployment Program to provide for the deployment of units to the Western Pacific for periods of approximately six months...
requirement by rotating an LAR company to Okinawa, Japan every six months.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
In late January through February 2003, the Battalion, with the exception of Company C (on unit deployment in Okinawa), deployed with the 1st Marine Division to Kuwait in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom. Upon arrival, the Battalion attached Company B, 4th LAR Battalion, which was subsequently re-designated as Company E. On 21 March, 3d LAR Battalion and its attachments crossed into
IraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
with the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, attacking into the Rumaylah oil fields. The Wolfpack, along with
1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the "Highlanders," their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they fall under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force...
, led the Division’s lightning attack north, passing through
Task Force TarawaTask Force Tarawa was the name given to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. They were a Marine Air-Ground Task Force commanded by Brigadier General Richard F...
56 hours after attacking into Iraq, crossing the Euphrates, and continuing to attack north along Highway 1. On 23 March 2003, while advancing hundreds of kilometers in front of the Division to seize a bridge over the Tigris River, the battalion uncovered a night ambush by dozens of Iraqi irregular forces known as the Fedeyeen. This was the first major and only battalion-level engagement of the war which resulted in several dozen enemy killed in action and the destruction of Iraqi armor forces attempting to maneuver south against the Division. From the afternoon of 24 March until 1 April, the Battalion was attached to Regimental Combat Team 5.
On 31 March, the Battalion attacked north as part of Regimental Combat Team 5 and secured the northern portion of Hantush Airfield. On 10 April, the Battalion was tasked to provide a headquarters and two companies to
Task Force TripoliTask Force Tripoli was a United States Marine Corps air ground task force formed after the fall of Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. They were commanded by Brigadier General John F. Kelly, then Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Marine Division, and its mission was to continue the...
. This ad-hoc task force, composed of elements of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalions, as well as G/2/23 and TOW plt,
1st Tank BattalionThe 1st Tank Battalion is an armor battalion of the United States Marine Corps which is based out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California...
, and commanded by the assistant Division commander, continued to attack north towards
TikritTikrit is a town in Iraq, located 140 km northwest of Baghdad on the Tigris river . The town, with an estimated population in 2002 of about 260,000 is the administrative center of the Salah ad Din Governorate.-Ancient times:...
. The remainder of Task Force Wolfpack, Companies B, E, and approximately half of H&S Company, as well as the Rear Command Post element, remained outside
BaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
conducting stabilization operations while attached to
3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion is one of two active duty assault amphibian battalions in the United States Marine Corps. The battalion's primary weapon system is the Amphibious Assault Vehicle or AAV...
.
In its advance north towards Tikrit, the element of the Battalion attached to Task Force Tripoli made national headlines in the town of Samarra on 13 April when members of Company D rescued 7 American servicemen who had been taken prisoner earlier in the conflict. The rescued prisoners included two Army helicopter pilots and Shoshanna Johnson, a soldier from the same unit as
Jessica LynchJessica Dawn Lynch is a former Private First Class in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps. Lynch served in Iraq during the 2003 invasion by U.S. and allied forces. On March 23, 2003 she was injured and captured by Iraqi forces but was recovered on April 1 by U.S...
. An image from this moment is captured in the “Operation Iraqi Freedom” mural on a building in
29 PalmsTwentynine Palms is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It was previously called Twenty-Nine Palms...
. The Battalion reformed in Ad Diwaniyah on 21 April. By mid-June, the entire Battalion had redeployed to Twenty-nine Palms, with the last elements of the Division following in September. The Battalion suffered two non-combat deaths, no killed in action, and nine wounded in action during this deployment.
Operation Iraqi Freedom II
In November 2003, the Battalion was given a warning order to prepare to redeploy in August to Iraq in support of the Division’s resumption of support and stability operations in the Al Anbar province. The Battalion was ordered to deploy in August 2004 for a seven-month period. 3rd LAR conducted a relief in place with
1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the "Highlanders," their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they fall under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force...
at Korean Village, 35 miles (56.3 km) west of the city of Ar Rutbah, and fell under
Regimental Combat Team 7The 7th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California...
. During the early part of the deployment, Company D operated out of Al Qaim, north of the Euphrates River and along the Syrian border, while the remainder of the Battalion operated out of Korean Village.
Beginning 7 November 2004 Task Force Wolfpack led by Company C participated in
Operation Phantom FuryThe Second Battle of Fallujah was a joint U.S., Iraqi, and British offensive in November and December 2004, considered the highest point of conflict in Fallujah during the Iraq War. It was led by the U.S...
, the Division’s operation to retake
FallujahFallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
. Task Force Wolfpack’s primary mission was to attack to seize three key objectives on the Fallujah Peninsula—-the North and South Bridges and the Fallujah Hospital. Task Force Wolfpack suffered one killed in action and sixty-two wounded in action during this battle. During this time, Company C was attached to 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines and operated near the cities of Hit and
HadithaHaditha is a city in the western Iraqi Al Anbar Governorate, about 240 km northwest of Baghdad. It is a farming town situated on the Euphrates River at . Its population of around 100,000 people is predominantly Sunni Muslim Arabs...
securing the main supply routes and patrolling known insurgent areas.
In late November, Task Force Wolfpack departed the Fallujah peninsula and was attached to the US Army’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team (2BCT), 2nd Infantry Division in
RamadiRamadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
and supported the
2005 Iraqi national and provincial electionsElections for the National Assembly of Iraq were held on January 30, 2005 in Iraq. The 275-member National Assembly was a parliament created under the Transitional Law during the Occupation of Iraq...
. Upon completion of these operations in early March, Task Force Wolfpack returned to Korean Village where the Battalion reformed and subsequently conducted a relief in place with
2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they fall under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and II Marine Expeditionary Force. The unit is based out of the Marine Corps Base...
. The Battalion redeployed to the United States in early April 2005 and began preparations to redeploy to Iraq the following year.
Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07
In March 2006, 3rd LAR deployed in support of OIF 05-07.1 and subsequently became Task Force WOLFPACK by attaching C/1/10 as a provisional infantry company, one HET detachment and one CAG detachment. Immediately upon arrival, Task Force WOLFPACK detached Company D to RCT-5 in Fallujah to reinforce this AO in order to s
upport decisive operations in and around Baghdad, Iraq. In June 2006, Task Force WOLFPACK received Company D back from RCT-5 and began conducting more aggressive Counter Insurgency (COIN) operations in and around Ar Rutbah, Iraq.
In July 2006, Task Force WOLFPACK was tasked with splitting the battalion by providing a headquarters and maneuver capability to operate near Rawah, Iraq. Task Force Rutbah, which consisted of Company A, 3d LAR, C/1/10 and one half of Headquarters and Service Company (-), 3d LAR continued to conduct counter-insurgency operations in and around Ar Rutbah, Iraq. Task Force Rawah, consisting of one half of Headquarters and Service Company (-) (REIN), 3d LAR and Company D, 3d LAR, conducted a RIP with 4-14 CAV and subsequently began COIN operations in and around Rawah and Anah, Iraq. In September 2006, Task Force Rutbah and Task Force Rawah conducted a RIP with 2d LAR in both areas of operation. By early October 2006, the battalion had redeployed to Twentynine Palms, CA.
See also