1st Battalion 10th Marines

1st Battalion 10th Marines

1/10 Insignia
Active
  • November 1, 1940 – November 18, 1947
  • December 1, 1948 – present
Country United States
Allegiance United States of America
Branch United States Marine Corps
Type Artillery
Role Provide fire support to the 2nd Marine Division
Part of 10th Marine Regiment
2nd Marine Division
Garrison/HQ Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Nickname(s) Nightmare
Motto(s) "First in the World"
Engagements World War II
*Battle of Guadalcanal
*Battle of Saipan
*Battle of Tinian
*Battle of Okinawa
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Iraqi Freedom
*2003 invasion of Iraq
Operation Enduring Freedom
Commanders
Current
commander		 Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Pritchard

1st Battalion 10th Marines (1/10) is an artillery battalion comprising three firing batteries and a headquarters battery. The battalion is stationed at Camp Lejune, North Carolina and falls under the command of the 10th Marine Regiment, part of the 2nd Marine Division. Its primary weapon system is the M777 lightweight howitzer.

Mission

The units' mission is to provide direct artillery support for the 2nd Marine Division in time of conflict. That support may come in traditional fashion, i.e. artillery support to maneuver forces, or by providing batteries to serve as temporary rifle companies. It also has the secondary mission of being the primary providers of civil-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.

Current units

History

World War II

The unit was activated on November 1, 1940 at San Diego, California, as the 1st Battalion, 10th Marines (1/10) and were assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force. The 2nd Marine Brigade was renamed the 2nd Marine Division on February 1, 1941.

During January 1942, 1/10 was deployed to American Samoa and detached from the 2nd Marine Division. In November 1942, the unit was redeployed to Guadalcanal and attached to the 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force and in December 1942, reassigned to the 9th Marines.

The 1st Battalion 10th Marines participated in the following World War II campaigns:

and subsequently in the occupation of Japan from September 1945 to June 1946.

During July 1946, 1/10 was relocated to MCB Camp Lejeune; then deactivated on November 18, 1947.

The unit was then reactivated to Camp Lejeune as the 1st Battalion, 10th Marines on December 1, 1948.

1960s-1980s

1/10 deployed to Cuba in response to the missile crisis from October to December 1962.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the battalion was deployed to Europe for participation in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercises.

Charlie Battery was deployed to Beirut, Lebanon in 1983. They lost a number of personnel in the bomb attack of that year. While deployed to Beirut, Charlie Battery was the first U.S artillery unit to fire the M-198 in combat.

During the 1980s, the battalion became a Cold Weather trained unit, conducting training at Fort Drum, New York and above the Arctic Circle. They also transitioned to the 155mm Howitzer during this period. They regularly supported training operations at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms, California.

1990s

The 1/10 participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Southwest Asia from August 1990 to February 1991.

A Detachment from B Battery aboard the USS Iwo Jima (LPH 2) during MARG 2-92 participated in Operation Provide Promise from July to November 1992.

From August to October 1994, an element of 1/10 participated in Operations Support Democracy and Uphold Democracy in Haiti.

Global War on Terror

In February 2003, 1/10 deployed to Kuwait, it then participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, in Iraq in March 2003. During the invasion the unit took part in the Battle of Nasiriyah.

Then again Battery B deployed to Iraq in June 2004 to Feb 2005 doing split battery operations from the cities Muhumadyia and Iskandariyah providing fire support for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit(MEU).

Between September 2007 and April 2008, elements of 1/10 deployed to Iraq and were stationed throughout the Al Anbar province as part of TFMP (Task Force Military Police).

From November 2010 to May 2011 1/10 participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

See also

Notes

    References

     This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
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