3rd Battalion 2nd Marines
3/2 Insignia
Active	January 18, 1941
Country	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	Light infantry
Role	Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver
Part of	2nd Marine Regiment 2nd Marine Division
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Nickname	"Betio Bastards"
Motto	"We quell the storm, and ride the thunder!" "Unus Supra"
Battles/wars	Battle of Guadalcanal Battle of Tarawa Battle of Saipan Battle of Tinian Battle of Okinawa Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom

3rd Battalion 2nd Marines (3/2) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. They fall under the 2nd Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division. Image File history File links 32logobetio_bastards. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ... The 2nd Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. ... The U.S. 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground-force component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. ... Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is near Jacksonville, North Carolina, on the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. ... Operation Watchtower On August 7, 1942, the 1st Marine Division performed an amphibious landing east of the Tenaru River. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Julian Smith Shibasaki Keiji † Strength 35,000 3,000 troops, 1,000 Japanese workers and 1,200 Korean laborers Casualties 1,001 killed, 2,296 wounded 4,713 Japanese & Korean killed 17 POWs and 129 Koreans freed The Battle of Tarawa was a battle in... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Richmond K. Turner, Holland Smith Yoshitsugu Saito Strength 71,000 31,000 Casualties 3,426 killed; 13,160 wounded 24,000 KIA and 5,000 suicides; 921 prisoners The battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on... The battle of Tinian was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands from 24 July 1944 to 1 August 1944. ... Combatants United States U.K. Canada New Zealand Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Simon B. Buckner, Jr. ... Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders George H. W. Bush, Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan Al-Majid, Hussein Kamel Strength 660,000 ~545,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 - 100,000 dead, 100,000 - 300,000 wounded The 1991 Gulf War (also Persian... For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq arguably without the explicit backing of the... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to global crises. ... Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is near Jacksonville, North Carolina, on the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (901 km)  - % water 9. ... The 2nd Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. ... The U.S. 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground-force component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. ...

Subordinate Units

• H&S Company
• India Company
• Kilo Company
• Lima Company
• Weapons Company

History

World War II

Activated January 18, 1941 at San Diego, California. They were assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade during February 1941. Deployed to Koro Island with the 2nd Marine Division in June of 1942. Participated in the following World War II campaigns: Nickname: Americas Finest City Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates: Country United States State California County San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders City Attorney Michael Aguirre City Council Scott Peters Kevin Faulconer Toni Atkins Tony Young Brian Maienschein Donna Frye Jim Madaffer Ben Hueso Area    - City 963. ... The U.S. 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground-force component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. ...

• Guadalcanal
• Tarawa
• Saipan
• Tinian
• Okinawa

Following the war the battalion stood occupation duty in Kagoshima, Japan until February 1946 when they redeployed to Camp Pendleton, California. The battalion was deactivated on March 27, 1946. Operation Watchtower On August 7, 1942, the 1st Marine Division performed an amphibious landing east of the Tenaru River. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Julian Smith Shibasaki Keiji † Strength 35,000 3,000 troops, 1,000 Japanese workers and 1,200 Korean laborers Casualties 1,001 killed, 2,296 wounded 4,713 Japanese & Korean killed 17 POWs and 129 Koreans freed The Battle of Tarawa was a battle in... Saipan seen from the air A map of Saipan, Tinian & Aquijan Saipan (IPA: in English) is the largest island and site of the capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a chain of 15 tropical islands in the western Pacific Ocean (15°10’51”N, 145... Saipan, Tinian & Aguiguan (Click to enlarge) Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (14°59’51”N, 145°37’39”E). ... Combatants United States U.K. Canada New Zealand Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Simon B. Buckner, Jr. ... Kagoshima (鹿児島市; -shi) the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwest tip of the Kyushu island of Japan. ... Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is near Oceanside, California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

Post World War II history

3/2 was reactivated on December 28, 1950 at Camp Pendleton, and were again assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. They deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 ... USAF spy photo of one of the suspected launch sites The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States regarding the Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba. ...

The battalion deployed in August of 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield and later on Operation Desert Storm. In 1994 they participated in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia and Operation Deny Flight and Operation Provide Promise. They are currently deployed to Iraq until January 2007. See also: 2003 invasion of Iraq and Gulf War (disambiguation) C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of 34 nations led by the United States. ... Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders George H. W. Bush, Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan Al-Majid, Hussein Kamel Strength 660,000 ~545,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 - 100,000 dead, 100,000 - 300,000 wounded The 1991 Gulf War (also Persian... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Enforcement of the Bosnian no-fly zone, beginning 12 April 1993 and ending 20 December 1995. ...

Global War on Terror

In 2003, 3/2 deployed to Kuwait and beginning in March supported Operation Iraqi Freedom. Their training in the Kuwaiti desert and the subsequent invasion was chronicled in the TV documentary Virgin Soldiers which frequently airs on the Discovery Times Channel and the Military Channel. For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq arguably without the explicit backing of the... The Discovery Times Channel is a digital cable channel that is a joint venture of Discovery Communications and The New York Times. ... The Military Channel is a recent addition to the Discovery Channel group of programming options. ...

External links

United States Marine Corps Portal

• 3/2 Official Website