1st Battalion, 7th Marines, History, Operation Enduring Freedom
The first incident occurred while providing security, 25 June, when Sgt. Thomas Spitzer, a Scout Sniper assigned to the Scout Sniper Platoon, was killed in action. The second occurred during a dismounted combat patrol, 9 Aug., when Staff Sgt. Brandon Dodson, a platoon sergeant with Baker Co., stepped on an improvised explosive device. Dodson was severely injured, but he maintains a positive attitude and is committed toward his recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.


1st Battalion, 7th Marines, History, Operation Enduring Freedom
On 1 October 2014, the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, transferred their area of responsibility to 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, a U.S. Army command based out of Fort Hood, Texas.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines
1st Battalion, 8th Marines (1/8) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The battalion consists of approximately 1000 Marines and sailors and is nicknamed "The Beirut Battalion." The battalion fall under the command of the 8th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines
The unit's history dates back to World War II where it fought in numerous campaigns in the Pacific including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. During the Cold War, it was part of Operation Blue Bat in Lebanon in 1958, the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the intervention in the Dominican Republic in 1965, and the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing in Lebanon where 241 Marines, sailors and soldiers lost their lives. In 1991, it took part in operations during the Gulf War. Since 2001, 1/8 has fought the Global War on Terrorism by serving numerous tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Activation
1st Battalion, 8th Marines was commissioned on April 1, 1940, in San Diego, California and was assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade. The 2nd Marine Brigade was re-designated February 1, 1941, as 2nd Marine Division. After the outbreak of war, the 8th Marine Regiment with an assortment of other division assets formed the 2nd Marine Brigade and was dispatched to garrison American Samoa.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II
Deployed during January 1942 to American Samoa and detached from the 2nd Marine Division, they participated in the following World War II campaigns:


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Guadalcanal campaign
On 4 and 5 November 1942 (D+90) the 8th Marines (1st, 2nd, 3rd BN's) led by Colonel Richard H. Jeschke arrived from American Samoa, landing as reinforcements on Guadalcanal.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Guadalcanal campaign
On 12 January, the Marines began their advance with the 8th Marines along the shore and 2d Marines inland. All along the front of the advancing assault companies the going was rough. The Japanese, remnants of the Sendai Division, were dug into the sides of a series of cross compartments and their fire took the Marines in the flank as they advanced. Progress was slow despite massive artillery support and naval gunfire from four destroyers offshore. In two days of heavy fighting, flamethrowers were employed for the first time and tanks were brought into play.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Guadalcanal campaign
The 2d Marines was now relieved and the 6th Marines moved into the attack along the coast while the 8th Marines took up the advance inland. Naval gunfire support, spotted by naval officers ashore, improved measurably. On the 15th, the Americans, both Army and Marine, reached the initial corps objective. In the Marine attack zone, 600 Japanese were dead. The 8th Marines was essentially pinched out of the front lines by a narrowing attack corridor as the inland mountains and hills pressed closer to the coastal trail.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Guadalcanal campaign
On 31 January, the 2d Marines and the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, boarded ship to leave Guadalcanal. 1st Battalion 8th Marines headed for Wellington, New Zealand. The 8th Marine Regiment losses on Guadalcanal were 115 killed, 451 wounded, and 9 missing.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
1st Battalion 8th Marines departed the USS Sheridan (APA-51) via LVT's, and waited at the line of departure. Watching the battle unfold from sea as the division reserve, the battalion was ordered ashore after several hours. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of confusion and the word didn't reach the commander for some time. After 18 hours out at sea, 1/8 landed on Red Beach 2 at 06:15 on November 21, 1943 (D+1).


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
As soon as 1/8 began coming ashore, the murderous onslaught started. The LVTs didn't fare any better than the D-Day landings and were quickly bogged down by the reef. The men of 1/8 landed on the far right of Red 2 after wading over 500 yards ashore. The battalion commanding officer, Major Lawrence C. Hays reported to Colonel David M. Shoup, the newly promoted commander of the 2nd Marine Regiment, at 08:00 with about half his landing team. 1/8 had suffered more than 300 casualties just getting ashore; others were scattered all along the beach and the pier. Worse, the unit had lost all its flamethrowers, demolitions, and heavy weapons.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
Col. Shoup directed Major Hays to attack westward, but both men knew that small arms and courage alone would not prevail against fortified positions. The Marines of 1/8 fought hard all day. Despite the slow progress, Col. Shoup ended his 16:00 hours message to General Smith with the line, "Casualties: many. Percentage dead: unknown. Combat efficiency: We are winning."


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
Col. Edson issued his attack orders for D+1 at 04:00 hours. 1/8, attached to 2nd Marines was to attack at daylight to the west along north beach to eliminate Japanese pockets of resistance between Beaches Red 1 and 2. On Red Beach Two, Major Hays launched his attack promptly at 07:00, attacking westward on a three-company front. Engineers with satchel charges and bangalore torpedoes helped neutralize several inland Japanese positions, but the strongpoints along the re-entrant were still dangerous. Marine light tanks made frontal attacks against the fortifications, even firing their 37mm guns point blank into the embrasures, but they were inadequate for the task. One was lost to enemy fire, and the other two were withdrawn.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
Hays called for a section of 75mm halftracks. One was lost almost immediately, but the other used its heavier gun to considerable advantage. The center and left flank companies managed to curve around behind the main complexes, effectively cutting the Japanese off from the rest of the island. Along the beach, however, progress was measured in yards. The bright spot of the day for 1/8 came late in the afternoon when a small party of Japanese tried a sortie from the strongpoints against the Marine lines. Hays' men, finally given real targets in the open, cut down the attackers in short order.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
The toughest fight of the fourth day (D+3) occurred on the Red Beach One/Two border where Colonel Shoup directed the combined forces of Hays' 1/8 and Schoettel's 3/2 against the "re-entrant strongpoints. The Japanese defenders in these positions were clearly the most disciplined—and the deadliest—on the island. From these bunkers, Japanese antiboat gunners had thoroughly disrupted the landings of four different battalions, and they had very nearly killed General Smith the day before. The seaward approaches to these strongpoints were littered with wrecked LVTs and bloated bodies.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
Major Hays finally got some flamethrowers (from Crowe's engineers when LT 2/8 was ordered to stand down), and the attack of 1/8 from the east made steady, if painstaking, progress. Major Schoettel, anxious to atone for what some perceived to be a lackluster effort on D-Day, pressed the assault of 3/2 from the west and south. To complete the circle, Shoup ordered a platoon of infantry and a pair of 75mm halftracks out to the reef to keep the defenders pinned down from the lagoon. Some of the Japanese committed hara-kiri; the remainder, exhausted, fought to the end.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
Hays' Marines had been attacking this complex ever since their landing on the morning of D+1. In those 48 hours, 1/8 fired 54,450 rounds of .30-caliber rifle ammunition. But the real damage was done by the special weapons of the engineers and the direct fire of the halftracks. Capture of the largest position, a concrete pillbox near the beach, enabled easier approaches to the remaining bunkers. By 13:00, it was all over. At the Red 1/Red 2 pocket there was no accurate count of Japanese dead.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
There were an estimated 1,000 Japanese alive and fighting on the night of D+2, 500 on the morning of D+3 and only 50-100 left when the island was declared secure at 13:30 D+3. 2nd Marine Division suffered 894 killed in action, 48 officers and 846 enlisted men, with another 84 of the survivors later succumbing to their wounds.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tarawa
Following the battle 1/8 along with the 2nd Marine Division was shipped to the big island of Hawaii. 1/8 remained in Hawaii for six months, refitting and training, until called upon for its next major amphibious landing, the Battle of Saipan in the Marianas in June 1944.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Saipan
1st Battalion 8th Marines landed on Green Beach on 15 June 1944. Confusion on the beaches, particularly in the 2d Marine Division area, was compounded by the strength of a northerly current flow which caused the assault battalions of the 6th and 8th Marines to land about 400 yards too far north. This caused a gap to widen between the 2d and 4th Marine Divisions.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Saipan
On D+1 8th Marines moved east into the swamps around Lake Susupe. On 20 June the 8th Marines wheeled from facing east to attack northward into the foothills leading to Mount Tapotchau. The following day saw the Marines attack all along the line. The 8th Marines worked its painful way into the maze of ridges and gullies that formed the foothills of Mount Tapotchau.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Saipan
On the west side of Saipan, the 2d Marine Division had a memorable day on 25 June. In a series of brilliant tactical maneuvers, with a battalion of the 8th Marines clawing up the eastern slope, a battalion of the 29th Marines (then attached to the 8th Marines) was able to infiltrate around the right flank in single file behind a screen of smoke and gain the dominating peak without the loss of a single man. Over the next several days the 8th Marines encountered four small hills strongly defended by the enemy. Because of their size in comparison with Mount Tapotchau, they were called "pimples." Each was named after a battalion commander. Painfully, one by one, they were assaulted and taken over the next few days.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Saipan
Bypassing the town, the 2d Marine Division drove towards Flores Point, halfway to Tanapag. Along the way, with filthy uniforms, stiff with sweat and dirt after over two weeks of fierce fighting, the Marines joyfully dipped their heads and hands into the cool ocean waters. By 4 July 1/8 and the 2nd Division were moved into the reserve force in order to prepare for the attack on Tinian.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
At 17:05 on July 24, (Jig Day), 1/8 disembarked from the USS Calvert (APA-32) coming ashore at White Beach 1 at the request of the 4th Marine Division commander. The battalion was requested at 15:15 hours, however due to communication delays it didn't arrive until that evening. 1/8 was assigned as the 4th Marine Division reserve and was ordered to support the 24th Marine Regiment. Once ashore the battalion dug in at a place on the line near 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
On July 25 (Jig+1), Lieutenant Colonel Hays' 1st Battalion, 8th Marines began the day under the tactical control of the 24th Regiment. The battalion received orders to relieve the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, along the coast on the extreme left flank of the beachhead. This shift was accomplished at 09:20, almost the same moment that Hays' unit reverted to its parent regiment, the newly landed 8th Marines. The latter, now attached to the 4th Division, assumed the northernmost sector of the front with 2 medium and 2 light (flamethrower) tanks from the 2nd Tank Battalion attached. 8th Regiment then began to struggle northward toward Ushi Point.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
Using the same tactics employed along the beach by the 24th Marines on Jig-Day, 1/8 supported by armored amphibians afloat and tanks ashore, inched slowly through the gnarled coastal terrain and snare-like undergrowth. Marines found the zone littered with bodies—Japanese counterattackers of the night before that required careful examination for suicidal survivors. At first there was no opposition, but as the unit pressed farther to the north resistance began to develop along the coast. There, survivors of the counterattack, holed up in the craggy coral, fired occasional challenging bursts at the Marines.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
By 11:15 the advance had bogged to a virtual standstill in the face of an especially knotty core of opposition near the water's edge. The rugged terrain around the strong-point forbade effective use of supporting tanks, and the armored amphibians, because of the shore's configuration, could not hit the area. To relieve the deadlock, Lieutenant Colonel Hays ordered his battalion to pivot on the left and wheel in an arc to the beach. This maneuver, striking the enemy at right angles to the original direction of advance, was successful. Within 15 minutes a pocket of 20 to 25 well-concealed riflemen had been reduced.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
As the 8th Marines advanced, their front expanded, and at 11:30 the commander, Colonel Wallace, ordered his 2d Battalion up on the 1st Battalion's right to attack eastward. This zone included the built-up area around Ushi Point Airfield as well as the strip itself. Since most of the Japanese troops originally assigned to this area had expended themselves against the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, on the night of Jig-Day, they could oppose this attack only with occasional, ineffective small-arms fire. The advance swept rapidly through the area. The 1st Battalion, too, gained momentum after destroying the beach strong-point and pushed northeastward along the coast. By dark the 8th Marines, having pushed about 200 yards past Objective O-2, stopped and carefully tied in lines for the night.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
At 06:30 on 26 July (Jig+2), 1/8 along with the 8th Regiment were ordered back to 2nd Marine Division Control in order to facilitate the day's attack. With the 8th Marines on the left, the 2nd Marine Division began pushing eastward. 8th Marines swept rapidly across the Ushi Point flats. The airfield had been abandoned, but the Marines carefully searched each position to make certain that none of the enemy were lying in wait. By noon Colonel Wallace, the 8th Marines' commander, reported his assault battalions (1st and 2nd BN) on the east coast.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
8th Regiment, now designated division reserve, began searching for enemy stragglers west of Objective O-3. 2nd Division's successful 2,500-yard push to the east coast now made it possible for the landing force to attack in a single direction, south. 1/8 and the 8th Regiment remained the division reserve until 31 July.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
The night of 31 July - 1 August turned out to be the busiest of 1/8 and the 8th Regiment. The entire division's success depended on the 8th Marines success of reaching the heights of Objective O-8A. The going was tough due to the steep climb, but by the afternoon a platoon from A Company followed by a platoon from C Company 1/8 made a breakthrough and reached the summit. That night the Japanese launched a vicious local counterattack against 1/8's left.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
The situation was touch and go for a short time, one section of the Marines' front was even forced back a few yards, but the attackers were too few for the task they had assumed, and the Marines overcame the assault. Japanese counterattacks continued throughout the night, probing at 1/8's gaps in the line. They solved the issue by stringing concertina wire between foxholes.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
At 14:55 on 1 August, 8th Marines reached their final objective with only sporadic resistance. 1/8 was then assigned the lion's share of mop up operations. On 6 August the 8th Marines assumed responsibility for the entire 2d Division sector and continued mopping-up activities. The next day the regiment also took over the 4th Division area, relieving the 23d Marines, which had patrolled that sector since 4 August.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
At noon, 10 August, the 8th Marines became part of the Tinian Island Command, but the mop-up operations continued. On 25 October  8th Marines left 1st Battalion 8th Marines on Tinian and moved back to Saipan. After five months' garrison duty, 1/8 left Tinian and moved back to Saipan on 1 January 1945. For the 8th Marine Regiment securing Tinian came at a cost of 36 KIA and 294 WIA, the highest casualties of the five regiments assigned to the 2nd Marine Division.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Tinian
Tinian had a strategic significance not fully apparent to the Marines who captured it in July 1944: slightly over a year later, 6 August 1945, the island provided the Army Air Forces a site from which the B-29 Enola Gay carried out the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. From the same field three days later another B-29 carried a second bomb, which was dropped on Nagasaki.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Okinawa
The 2nd Marine Division (including 1/8) remained as an amphibious reserve from 1–10 April 1945, when it was sent back to Saipan to minimize casualties from Kamikaze attacks off the coast of Okinawa.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Okinawa
In late May, the 8th Marines of the 2nd Marine Division finally got a meaningful role in the closing weeks of the Okinawa campaign. Colonel Clarence R. Wallace and his 8th Marines, with Lt. Col Richard W. Hayward leading 1/8, arrived from Saipan, and were committed to the campaign.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Okinawa
Between 3–9 June, 1/8 and the 8th Marines conducted amphibious landings to capture two outlying islands, Iheya Shima and Aguni Shima. The purpose of the mission was to provide more early warning radar sites against the kamikazes devastating the naval fleet offshore. No enemy contact was made on the operation.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Okinawa
Following the missions at Iheya Shima and Aguni Shima, General Roy Geiger assigned the 8th Marines, 1/8 included, to the 1st Marine Division, and by 18 June they had relieved the 7th Marines and were sweeping southeastward for the final overland assaults in the south.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Okinawa
Army Lt. General Simon Buckner, commander of the Okinawa operation, took an interest in observing the 8th Marines as this was their first time in action on Okinawa since the regiment entered the lines in the drive to the south. Buckner went to a forward observation post on 18 June, watching the 8th Marines advance along the valley floor. Japanese gunners on the opposite ridge saw the official party and opened up. Shells struck the nearby coral outcrop, driving a lethal splinter into the general's chest.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Okinawa
He died in 10 minutes, one of the few senior U.S. officers to be killed in action throughout World War II. Marine General Geiger took over, declaring organized resistance on the island over on 21 June. The first battalion 8th Marine regiment suffered its last combat death of World War II the next day on 22 June 1945.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Battle of Okinawa
1/8 and the 8th Marines, attached to the 1st Marine Division, received the Presidential Unit Citation for their part in the Okinawa campaign. They would return to Saipan, until called upon for occupation duty in Japan


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Occupation of Japan
1/8 deployed during September 1945 to Nagasaki, Japan, and participated in the occupation of Japan from September 1945 – June 1946. By 18 October, all units of the 8th Marines had established themselves in and around Kumamoto and begun the by-now familiar process of inventory and disposition.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Occupation of Japan
On 29 October, a motor convoy carrying the major part of 1/8 moved from Kumamoto to Kagoshima city to assume control of western Kagoshima. The battalion had to start anew the routine of reconnaissance, inspection, inventory, and disposition that had occupied it twice before.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, World War II, Occupation of Japan
By early 1946, 2nd Marine Division began taking over areas once occupied by soon to be deactivated Army units; 8th Marines were moved to Kumamoto and Kagoshima. They relocated during June–July 1946 to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and were deactivated November 18, 1947.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Reactivation
The battalion was reactivated November 1, 1950, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, as the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines and assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. It deployed to the Mediterranean and the Caribbean at various times from the 1950s through the 1990s.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, 1958 Lebanon crisis
BLT 1/8 had already been deployed to the Mediterranean since 9 January and was due to rotate back to the U.S., but due to the unrest in Lebanon their deployment was extended. At 09:00, 18 July, the third battalion (2/2 and 3/6 being the first two) of the 2d Provisional Marine Force, BLT 1/8 under Lieutenant Colonel John H. Brickley, landed at Yellow Beach, four miles north of Beirut, where they remained and reinforced their positions.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, 1958 Lebanon crisis
On 21 July 1958, BLT 1/8 received permission to begin motorized patrols. The patrols reconnoitered up to 20 miles east of the position of 1/8 north of the city. The biggest medical problem confronting the Marines in Lebanon was the outbreak of dysentery. During the period 18–31 July, BLT 1/8 alone suffered 48 cases. On 14 August 1/8 took over 2/2's former position where is remained until leaving in September.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Cuban Missile Crisis
On 20 October 1962, 1/8 received orders to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. On 22 October 1962, 1st Battalion 8th Marines arrived in echelon at Naval Air Station, Guantanamo Bay. The line companies went into defensive positions at Leeward Point, except Company B, which took up a position on the Windward Side. 1/8's mission was the defense of the airfield until relieved. On 18 November 1962, President Kennedy lifted the naval blockade of Cuba.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Cuban Missile Crisis
By 6 December 1962 it was announced that 1/8 would be airlifted to Cherry Point, NC by 12 December 1962. Company A (Rein) remained at Leeward Point until about 7 January 1963. 1/8 suffered two casualties (WIA) due to a friendly fire incident on 7 November while a sentry was investigating a telephone silence at Outpost Sneezy.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Dominican Republic
By May 2, 1965, 1/8 had been designated as the airlift alert battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edward F Danowitz. The first increment departed shortly after midnight onboard C-130s for San Isidro Air Base. The leading elements of the battalion, consisting of Lieutenant Colonel Danowitz and Company D, touched down at the airfield at 05:20 on 3 May 1965. By 21:00 the entire battalion was in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Dominican Republic
On 4 May 1965, upon orders from RLT-6, the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines was transported by helicopters from San Isidro into LZ-4 where it established its Command Post in the Belle Vista Golf House located next to the Embajador Hotel. For the next three days the battalion's and attached units' vehicles moved through the newly opened LOC with all the landing teams equipment and supplies. The battalion was directed to provide security in its area of responsibility around the golf course and to provide one officer and 60 enlisted men for the security of the beach supply area (Red Beach) at Haina.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Dominican Republic
The 3rd Battalion 6th Marines was relieved by 1st Battalion 8th Marines on 10 May 1965. After moving into its new positions, 1/8 was directed to straighten the eastern boundary along Phase line CAIRO. The battalion also assumed the responsibility for providing security to the American Embassy. The final withdrawal of Marine units began on 2 June 1965. The 1st Battalion 8th Marines was relieved in place by the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry. 1/8 embarked on board the USS Monrovia (APA-31) and the ship departed the area for Morehead City, North Carolina, arriving on 6 June. 1/8 suffered 4 Marines wounded in action (WIA) during the campaign.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Multinational Force in Lebanon
The battalion participated as part of the multinational peace keeping force in Lebanon, May – November 1983. On Sunday morning at 06:22, October 23, 1983, Battalion Landing Team 1/8, the ground combat element of the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit, was the main victim of what came to be known as the Beirut barracks bombing when a truck loaded with 12,000 pounds of explosives crashed through the gates of the BLT headquarters at the airport in Beirut, Lebanon. Casualties that day were 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and 3 soldiers killed with an additional 100 injured. The majority of these casualties were from 1/8.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
In December 1990 1/8 deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield where it remained until Operation Desert Storm began in February 1991. On February 24, 1991 at 06:15, 1/8, which was designated as one of three assault battalions leading the way for the 2nd Marine Division, reported to be at the edge of the obstacle belt in lanes Green 5 and 6. The enemy's defensive belts consisted of the two minefields and the wire obstacles noted in earlier intelligence reports. The Green lanes, carrying 1/8 were not as quickly cleared as the Red and Blue lanes. Several of the engineer vehicles had struck mines and been put out of action. Line charges had caught on overhead power lines, or had failed to detonate.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
On the right, between two minefield, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, encountered Iraqi troops. Company A had the mission of guarding the battalion's flank in this area; accordingly, the 3d Platoon was ordered to secure a building, surrounded by a chain-link fence, located 800 meters to the east. The platoon was mounted in assault amphibious vehicles. As they came within 300 meters of the building, Iraqi soldiers inside it opened fire with rocket-propelled grenades. The platoon dismounted, and under cover of the vehicles' .50-caliber machine guns, attacked through volleys of grenades.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
Within 100 meters of the building the platoon was pinned down by automatic weapons fire. The 3d Squad was ordered to attack the building while the rest of the platoon laid down covering fires. In open view of the Iraqis and under fire, Sergeant William J. Warren, leader of the 3d Squad, stood up and moved among his fire teams, giving orders and encouraging his men. He maneuvered his teams to within 20 meters of the building, and then led an assault through a hole in the fence.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
As the squad entered the building, the shaken Iraqi troops fled from it, seeking escape across the desert. By 10:20 that morning, all three assault battalions (1/6, 1/8, and 2/2) of the 2nd Marine Division were reporting that they were in contact with the enemy. On the right 1/8 was still coming through the breach on lanes Green 5 and 6. It then moved into an Iraqi brigade-size position in which it destroyed a large number of tanks and APCs. By nightfall of the first day of the ground war 1/8 had met General Key's intent and successfully moved through the breaches.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
On 25 February 1991 (G+1) at 06:20 the "Reveille Counterattack" began. Apparently maneuvering to hit the regiment's logistics trains, a battalion-sized Iraqi unit of tanks and mechanized infantry collided with 1st Battalion 8th Marines. Fighting back with its own attached tanks and air support, the battalion accounted for 39 Iraqi tank and APC "kills". In the crucial first minutes of this attack, Sergeant Scott A. Dotson led his vehicle-mounted TOW section up to positions from which it could most effectively engage the enemy armor. Although under heavy fire itself, within minutes this section had destroyed eight Iraqi tanks.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
This attack may have been a part of a brigade-sized counterattack; its disruption caused die hard enemy survivors to move into prepared positions, where they would be encountered the next day. As the 8th Marines (1/8, 2/4, and 3/23) came up into position on the right flank of the 2nd Marine Division's zone, certain adjustments had to be made. 1/8 was returned to the operational control of its parent regiment by nightfall; since it was already in the 8th Marines' zone, no movement was required. During the morning attack, the 1st Battalion 8th Marines was moving forward as the division's easternmost battalion.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
The third day of the ground war, 26 February 1991 (G+2), also began with an antitank engagement. Throughout the morning, all division elements were reporting the movements of, and engagements with, enemy formations. However, 1st Battalion 8th Marines, was to be the focus of the enemy's attention once again. The battalion had arrived along Phase Line Horse the previous evening (25 February), and was the right flank battalion of the entire 2nd Marine Division.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
The commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Bruce A. Gombar, had positioned his battalion into an L-shaped defensive position for the night, in order to secure this eastern flank. The unit was set along two roads, the main north–south road leading from Kuwait City, and an east–west road intersecting with it just above the area of the "ice-cube." Company A was on the battalion's right, facing east, and supported by a combined anti-armor team.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
In the center was the tank company attached to the battalion, Company B of the 4th Tank Battalion, which was set in along the intersection of the two roads. On the left was Company C, 1/8 also supported by an antiarmor team from weapons platoons, supplemented by attached antitank TOW unit.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
At 02:30 1/8 was struck by a two-pronged attack of APCs and dismounted infantry coming from the northeast and northwest. The attack hit the road intersection held by the tank company and the boundary between 1/8 and 2/4 which was set in at the "ice-cube." The battalion's eastern flank also received some accurate artillery fire, causing five casualties. The battalion's tanks and CAT Platoon worked very effectively at beating back this attack. They destroyed several enemy armored vehicles, some of them within only 75 meters of the battle positions.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
Pushing through to the final objectives, 1/8 was placed on the division's extreme right, tied in with the 1st Battalion 5th Marines of the 1st Marine Division. The battalion aimed at two small hills, from which it could control the road, as its objectives. Near to these was a suspected Iraqi strongpoint in an agricultural area known as the "Dairy Farm." Artillery fired preparation missions on this area as the companies began their final assaults on their objectives. In gathering darkness the battalion's progress slowed as it entered the increasingly restrictive nature of a more urban area.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
By 18:00 on 26 February, 1/8 had secured its section of the road and established anti-tank ambushes along it. In its movement north the 1st Battalion 8th Marines bypassed some Iraqi formations. With Al Jahrah secured by nightfall and Arab forces bypassing the division on 27 February 1991, the day's action would be the last of the war. During the war the following units were attached to 1/8: Company B, 4th Tank Battalion; Company C, 2d Combat Engineer Battalion; Company D, 2d Assault Amphibian Battalion.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm
By mid-March 1/8 was preparing to move back to Saudi Arabia, and by April they were preparing for redeployment back to Camp Lejeune, NC. The cost to the 2nd Marine Division was six killed in action, and 38 wounded. There were also three non-battle deaths and 36 non-battle wounded.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
On 5 March 2003 Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/8 departed Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) on board the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), USS Nashville (LPD-13), and USS Carter-Hall (LSD-50). The 26th MEU sailed directly to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in order to prepare for the potential invasion of Iraq.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
Following the Turkish government's denial of the usage of their country for a northern invasion, BLT 1/8 was forced to deploy from Crete and fly nearly 1,100 miles via U.S. Marine C-130 transport aircraft and 440 miles from the far Eastern Mediterranean Sea via CH-53 and CH-46 helicopters into Northern Iraq. On 12 April, the battalion began combat operations in  Irbil and Mosul, Iraq as part of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - North (TF - Viking) for Operation Iraqi Freedom.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
During combat operations in Iraq, 1/8 suffered 1 Marine wounded in action (WIA) on 21 April 2003 from Weapons Company 81mm Mortar Platoon during a night-time probing attack on the Mosul Airport. By 1 May 2003, the battalion was relieved by the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division. The battalion withdrew from Mosul, Iraq and returned to the Iwo Jima ARG waiting in the Mediterranean Sea.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
The battalion deployed in June 2004 to Iraq as a part of Regimental Combat Team 1 and later RCT-7, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced). From June 2004 to January 2005, 1/8 conducted combat operations in Al Anbar Province in Area of Operations (AO) Denver and later AO Raleigh, including operations in Rawa, Anah, Little Anah, Haditha, Baghdadi, Barwana, Abu Buyatt, ASP Wolf, Hit, Al Asad, Haqlanyih, Karmah, Naser Wa Saleem, Abu Ghuraib, and Fallujah.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
1st Battalion 8th Marines was one of the lead battalions during Operation Phantom Fury from 8 November to 9 December 2004 leading the assault into Fallujah. During combat operations in Iraq from June 2004-January 2005, 1st Battalion 8th Marines (Reinforced) suffered 21 Marines killed in action (KIA) and nearly 150 Marines wounded in action (WIA) with 17 KIA's and 102 WIA's coming in three weeks in Fallujah in November 2004. 1/8 conducted a relief in place with their sister battalion 3/8 and returned to Camp Lejeune by 1 February 2005.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
From 6 June - 6 December 2006, 1/8 was the Battalion Landing Team of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Various elements of 1/8 conducted combat operations in Iraq. One Marine from 1/8 Scout Sniper Platoon was killed in action and several other 1/8 Marines and a Corpsman were wounded on 1 November 2006, while conducting operations in Haditha, Iraq.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
In September 2007, the battalion deployed a fourth time to Ar-Ramadi in Al Anbar Province in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Battalion suffered one Marine killed in action and numerous others wounded during combat operations. The battalion was instrumental in denying the enemy freedom of movement and as a result violence in the war ravaged city declined.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
In 2009, 1/8 returned to Iraq for its fifth and final rotation to Al-Taqaddum in Al Anbar Province in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In June, the battalion lost a Marine due to a non-hostile incident.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
In August 2010, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines deployed to Musa'Qaleh and Now Zad, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 10-2, Regimental Combat Team 2, First Marine Division (Forward), I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force. The unit's performance in counter-insurgency operations in the two districts were integral in the stabilization of the region and development of Afghan National Security Forces. 1/8 suffered the loss of five Marines and one Navy Hospital Corpsman that were killed in action and numerous others wounded in action during their deployment to Helmand Province.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
From January to August 2012, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines deployed to Afghanistan again to conduct counter-insurgency operations in Northern Helmand Province. 1/8 suffered three Marines and one Navy Hospital Corpsman killed in action during their second deployment to Helmand Province.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
After leaving Mosul in May 2003, 1/8 took part in a training exercises in Albania, received port calls to Crete, Malta, and Italy, and conducted training and counter-terrorism operations in Djibouti, as well as remaining in the Persian Gulf on board ship as a reserve force for the U.S. Central Command. While in the Persian Gulf, the MEU received a port call to the United Arab Emerites.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
As the situation began to rapidly deteriorate, 1/8 and the 26th MEU were ordered to Liberia. The MEU left the coast of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, sailed back through the Suez Canal and took up a position off the coast of the west African nation. In an impressive show of force, the U.S.S. Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group sailed in-line roughly 3 miles off the coast of Liberia.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
On 14 August 2003, elements of the battalion eventually inserted into Roberts International Airport and at the Freeport of Monrovia on Bushrod Island outside of Monrovia, Liberia as part of Operation Sheltering Sky. A rifle company from 1/8 and supporting units from the 26th MEU conducted airfield security operations as part of Joint Task Force Liberia in an effort to facilitate the transition of governmental operations from the regime of Charles Taylor to a democratically elected government.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
Following port visits to Rota, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal where Marines and sailors of the 26th MEU manned the rails, the battalion finally returned to Camp Lejeune, NC on the 20th anniversary of the Beirut barracks bombing on 23 October 2003.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
While serving as a rapid ready force, 1/8 was called upon to help provide security and perform humanitarian operations in New Orleans following the devastation of the Category 5 storm. A small contingent of Alpha Company Marines were allowed to travel to Alabama in order to repair storm damage of fallen A Co. 1/8 Marine Bradley Faircloth's mother's home.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, History, Global War on Terrorism and additional operations (2001-present), Iraq War
On 6 June 2006 1st Battalion 8th Marines deployed as the ground combat element of the  24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. On 18 July 2006, it was announced that the 24th MEU, along with the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, would be directed to Lebanon, to assist in the evacuation of almost 15,000 U.S. nationals who had become trapped in Lebanon, following a series of Israeli strikes which made the Beirut International Airport nonoperational, and similarly destroyed a number of major roads out of the country. This would become known as the largest evacuation of American citizens from a foreign country since the Vietnam War.


1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 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. 1st Battalion, 8th Marines has been presented with the following awards:


1st Battalion, 9th Marines
The 1st Battalion 9th Marines (1/9) was an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I, it served until the mid-2000s when it was deactivated to make room for one of three light armor reconnaissance battalions. During the Vietnam War, 1/9 sustained the highest casualty rate in Marine Corps history. This earned them the nickname "The Walking Dead".


1st Battalion, 9th Marines
In late 2005, the battalion was reactivated and attached to the 8th Marine Regiment at MCB Camp Lejeune. Although the first full company has deployed, 1/9 was not expected to be ready for deployment as a battalion until May 2008. On 19 April 2007, 1/9 was officially stood up with all of its subordinate units fully manned.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines
As of 29 August 2014 the battalion has been deactivated due to a force shaping initiative and downsizing of the Marine Corps. On the occasion of this deactivation, one of its former officers lauded: "Not a better battalion in the world".


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, Subordinate units
The battalion was composed of four rifle infantry companies and one headquarters and services company:


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, World War I
The battalion was activated on 20 November 1917 at Quantico, Virginia as the 9th Regiment. During December 1917 they were deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and attached to the 3rd Provisional Brigade. They were relocated during August 1918 to Fort Crockett, Galveston, Texas, and detached from 3rd Provisional Brigade. They moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during April 1919 and deactivated 25 April 1919.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, World War II
The battalion was activated on 1 March 1942 at San Diego, California and were assigned to the 2nd Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division. They were reassigned during August 1942 to Amphibious Corps, Pacific Fleet and shortly thereafter relocated during September 1942 to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division. They deployed during January–February 1943 to Auckland, New Zealand and from there participated in the following World War II Campaigns:


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, World War II
Following the surrender of Japan the battalion was detached during December 1945 from the 3rd Marine Division and returned during December 1945 to Camp Pendleton, California. They were formally deactivated on 31 December 1945.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, Vietnam War
During the Vietnam War, the unit earned the name "The Walking Dead" for its high casualty rate. The battalion endured the longest sustained combat and suffered the highest killed in action (KIA) rate in Marine Corps history, especially during the Battle of July Two. The battalion was engaged in combat for 47 months and 7 days, from 15 June 1965 to 19 October 1966 and 11 December 1966 to 14 July 1969. Based on a typical battalion strength of 800 Marines and Navy hospital corpsmen, 2,892 Marines passed through the unit over those 47 months; 25.89% (747) were killed in action (KIA) and 0.0007% (2) were missing in action (MIA).


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, Vietnam War
1/9 participated in the following operations during the Vietnam War:


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, 1980s and 1990s
During most of the 1980s and 1990s, the battalion rotated between Camp Pendleton, California and Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan. This consisted of six months overseas and 18 months in California.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, 1980s and 1990s
1st Battalion, 9th Marines, Fleet Marine Force(REIN), Camp Pendleton, California, served on several overseas deployments. 1/9 was re-designated as Battalion Landing Team One Slant Nine (BLT 1/9) and deployed as the infantry element of the 13th MEU/SOC and 11th MEU/SOC. During its deployments, the Marines and Sailors of 1/9 became a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) that was Special Operations Capable (MEU/SOC). The Marines and Sailors were trained in Counter Terrorism, Downed Airman Rescue, Embassy evacuations, SPIE rigging, fast roping, rubber raiding in their inflatable boats for boarding and insertion, and rappelling. Much of the training was spent on foreign Soviet weapons and Soviet military doctrine. The Battalion served in the Gulf War.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, Operation Restore Hope
In September 1993, 1st Battalion 9th Marines commanded by LtCol. Silva were the battalion deployed as the ground combat element of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The 13th MEU arrived off the coast of Somalia in early October in direct response to the Battle of Mogadishu fought on 3 and 4 October 1993. The 13th MEU and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit formed the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (1st MEB) commanded by General Peter Pace. 1st MEB remained on station ready to provide support to United States and United Nations forces.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, Operation Restore Hope
1st MEB was disestablished when the 22nd MEU (SOC) was reassigned to the Mediterranean area of operations in mid-November. The 13th MEU remained as the principle rapid response force in support of the joint task force and participated in Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope. They also developed and executed two humanitarian assistance operations. The first, Operation Show Care took place in the cities of Marka and Qoryooley from 11–14 November. From 1–3 December 1993, Operation More Care was conducted in the Old Port of Mogadishu. Both operations provided needed medical and dental assistance to Somali citizens.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, Operation Restore Hope
The 13th MEU (SOC) continued its presence mission through January, providing aircraft for the "Eyes Over Mogadishu" missions as well as sniper support at the United States Embassy compound. On 2 February, 1994, the 24th MEU (SOC) relieved the 13th MEU (SOC).


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, Operation Restore Hope
The battalion was deactivated on 9 September 1994 and redesignated 2nd Battalion 1st Marines. The battalion remained inactive from 1994 through 2007.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, Global War on Terror
In April 2005 the Marine Corps began reactivating the 1st Battalion 9th Marines. In April 2006, after only a 30-day work-up cycle, Alpha Company deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and completed a successful six-month deployment to Forward Operating Base Grizzly in Camp Ashraf, Iraq. During this time the company conducted security and stabilization operations north of Al Khalis in the Diyala Governorate, working jointly with Military Police, Cavalry and Field Artillery units from the National Guard. Alpha Company returned in October 2006 without the loss of any Marines. 1st Battalion 9th Marines was officially reactivated in April 2007.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, Global War on Terror
In March 2008, the Battalion deployed to Al Anbar Province on a 7-month deployment, and took over sole responsibility of Ar Ramadi and all security missions in the immediate area. The Battalion was divided into Police Transition Teams (PTT) and worked directly with Iraqi Police developing them into a more efficient professional police force to provide a more safe and secure living environment for the local populace. 1/9 returned from deployment in October 2008.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, History, Global War on Terror
In May 2011, 1/9 deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan. This would be the first time the "Walking Dead" would fight in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The Battalion detached Alpha Company and attached it to 3rd Battalion 6th Marines in the city of Marjah for this deployment. The deployment was a success, and no Marines were lost in action. From September, 2012 to December, 2012, Alpha Company deployed to Al Jaber, Kuwait, providing security forces for MAG-40. 1/9 deployed to Helmand Province Afghanistan from Sept 2013 to May 2014 in support of operation Enduring Freedom and shortly after returning from this deployment the unit cased their colors again.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, Medal of Honor recipients
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States". The following table contains the names of the men who were recipients of the Medal of Honor while serving in 1/9. They are listed in accordance to the "Date of Action" in which the Medal of Honor citation was made.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, Navy Cross recipients
The Navy Cross is the highest medal that can be awarded by the Department of the Navy and the second highest award given for valor. The following names are of the men who were recipients of the Navy Cross while serving in 1/9.


1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 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. 1st Battalion, 9th Marines has been presented with the following awards:


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops
The 1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops (1863–1864) was an Arkansas State Cavalry battalion during the American Civil War. The unit is also some times referred to as Pettus' Battalion or Trader's Battalion, Arkansas State Troops. The unit was eventually consolidated with other units in late 1864 to form the Newton's 10th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops was originally organized as a group of Volunteer Companies raised from the militia regiments of southern Arkansas, immediately following the fall of Little Rock, Arkansas, to Union forces in September 1863. Governor Harris Flanagin began organizing a new force of state troops issuing a proclamation on August 10, 1863, just a month before the capitol fell, announcing that he had been authorized to raise new regiments of state troops and that by special agreement these new units could not be transferred out of the state by Confederate authorities.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
After the fall of Little Rock, recruiting was far more difficult than it had been in the first years of the war. The constant transfer of Arkansas troops into the eastern theater of the war, across the Mississippi River from their homes, was a major objection by the remaining population of men eligible for military service. With Federal forces now occupying the state capitol, the Confederate state government had no way of enforcing conscription laws in the counties behind the Union lines, except during raids by Generals Price and Shelby in 1864. The remaining Confederate regiments were plagued by desertions.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
On September 16, 1863, in the immediate aftermath of the fall of the state capitol, Governor Flanagin issued General Order No. 6 from Arkadelphia, which called into service the militia regiments of the counties of Clark, Hempstead, Sevier, Pike, Polk, Montgomery, La Fayette, Ouachita, Union, and Columbia in order to resist the Federal army. The Governor's order directed the regiments to march to Arkadelphia at the earliest possible day. Companies were to be mounted and commanders were to compel persons evading the call to come to the rendezvous. The intent was to form companies of twelve-month mounted volunteers.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
Only six physicians, one druggist, millers to supply the wants of the country, clerks, sheriffs, postmasters, and persons in the employ of the Confederate States were exempted from the order. In describing this call in a letter to General Holmes dated October 18, 1863, from Washington, Arkansas, the new Confederate state capitol, Flanagin stated that he issued the order calling out the militia, as an experiment, expecting to get volunteers.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
The order succeeded so well as to get companies organized in the counties where the call for the militia was enforced which resulted in seven companies being collected under the call. Flanagin also stated that "the troops raised by the State are more than double all the troops raised by volunteering, or by the conscript law, within the past few months".


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
On October 26, 1863 Governor Flanagin directed his Adjutant General Gordon N. Peay to:


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
visit Lewisville, in La Fayette County, and see Captain Ford, who has been raising a company of mounted riflemen under the State. I have been informed that this company has been sworn into the service of the Confederate States. If so, the only thing to be done is to communicate this fact to General Fagan. If the State troops which can be raised in La Fayette County are already raised you are authorized to disband the militia. If convenient, I would like for you to go to Union County.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
Captain Holloway has been raising a company of mounted riflemen in that county. If his company is organized, you can disband the militia of that county. If the colonel is inefficient, and Captain Holloway has not got his company formed, let him swear his men in and get the militia together, and compel those who are liable to the conscript law to go into the State or C. S. service.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
These new units of Arkansas State Troops were placed under the overall command of Col. William H. Trader who was detailed to Governor Flanagin by General E. Kirby Smith. Col. Trader remained in command of the state troops until he resigned in June 1864.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
On January 14, 1864, Governor Flanagin, through General Peay, issued General Orders, No. 8. which directed the following named companies of Arkansas mounted volunteers, which had been called into the service of the State under the proclamation of the August 10, A.D. 1863, compose and be designated as the 1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops:


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Organization
Allen T. Pettus was elected Lieutenant Colonel of this battalion.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Battles
The unit spent the winter of 1863–64 serving on patrol in the area around Washington and Arkadelphia during the winter of 1863–64. The Battalion was commanded by Colonel W. H. Trader during this period and participated in the Battle of Poison Springs as a part of Cabell's Cavalry Brigade. Both the troops and Colonel Trader were cited for gallant conduct during the battle.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Battles
A few days later the troops of the Battalion under Lt. Colonel Thomas Gunter and Lt. Colonel A. T. Pettus participated in the Battle of Marks' Mill, April 25, 1864, as a part of Brigadier General William L. Cabell's Division. Lieutenant Colonel Pettus was killed during the battle and Captain P. K. Williamson of Company A commanded the battalion until the unit was increased to a regiment and transferred to Confederate service.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Battles, Transfer to Confederate Service
In August 1864 when the term of enlistment for these state troops was about to expire, Adjutant General Peay issued an order which directed that companies be allowed to vote on the subject of being transferred into Confederate service. However, the chance to vote on being transferred was merely a matter of form because Peay's order also had directions for those who refused transfer to Confederate service:


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Battles, Transfer to Confederate Service
Men whose terms of service have expired, and who are not willing to be transferred, will be reported to and turned over to the proper enrolling officer of the Confederate States for conscription. Men whose terms of service have not expired and who are opposed to the transfer will be required to serve until the expiration of their term of enlistment, and such as do not then re enlist will be turned over to the proper enrolling officers of the Confederate States for conscription.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Battles, Transfer to Confederate Service
On September 5, 1864, the Arkansas State Troops, including Pettus' 1st Battalion were consolidated with other units into one regiment of cavalry to be designated as the 3rd Regiment of Arkansas Cavalry, with Col. Robert C. Newton assigned to the command of the regiment until an election could be held for field officers. The companies of this regiment included:


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Battles, Transfer to Confederate Service
This unit was mustered into the Confederate Service on the October 31, 1864, as the 10th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment. Col. Newton was elected Regimental Commander. The unit spent much of the winter of 1864–1865 skirmishing along the Arkansas River Valley.


1st Battalion, Arkansas State Troops, Surrender
It appears that rather than surrender, the 10th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment simply disbanded. It served until May 31, 1865, when the unit's Hempstead County encampment was abandoned, as most of the unit's soldiers were at home on furlough for the wheat harvest.


1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF
The 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Canadian Army. Raised for service during the First World War as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), it was formed in November 1914, in Brandon, Manitoba. Originally a mounted infantry unit named the 1st Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, which was expanded, following its rerolling and dismounting as an infantry unit, by absorbing other units of the Canadian Mounted Rifles.


1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, History
Following the outbreak of the war, the Canadian Government decided to raise an initially volunteer force for service overseas, with the force to be known as the Canadian Expeditionary Force. As a unit of this force, the 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles was formed on 7 November 1914 in Brandon, Manitoba


1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, History
Part of the 1st Brigade Canadian Mounted Rifles, the unit landed in France on September 22, 1915, where the conditions of the Western Front made its mounts more of a hindrance than a benefit. On January 1, 1916, both CMR brigades (six regiments) were dismounted, converted to infantry and reorganized as the 8th Infantry Brigade (four battalions). The 1st Regiment, CMR, became the 1st Battalion, CMR, and it absorbed half the personnel of the 3rd Regiment, CMR (the other half going to the 2nd Battalion, CMR).


1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, History
The battalion fought in most of the 3rd Canadian Division's engagements until the end of the war. The 1st CMR, along with the 4th CMR, was manning the 3rd Division's front on June 2, 1916, when the Germans launched their assault at the outset of the Battle of Mount Sorrel. Its positions were overrun, and 557 of its 692 members (80%) were killed, wounded or captured.


1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, History
The battalion was rebuilt over the summer, and it was one of the first Canadian Corps units to attack when the corps shifted to the Somme. On September 15, 1916, the 1st CMR was in the first wave attacking Mouquet Farm. Although the attack gained ground, the Canadians did not take the strong point, but the assault was considered a successful diversion from the main attack on Courcelette.


1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, History
At Vimy Ridge the 1st CMR took 350 prisoners but suffered 365 killed and wounded.


1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, History
Following the end of the war,  and efforts of demobilisation, the battalion was disbanded on November 15, 1920.


1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF, History, Perpetuation
Perpetuation of the 1st Battalion, CMR, was initially assigned to the Manitoba Mounted Rifles and the Saskatchewan Mounted Rifles. The Manitoba Mounted Rifles converted to artillery in 1946 as the 118th Medium Battery, RCA (in Fort Frances) and this battery was virtually disbanded (see Supplementary Order of Battle) in 1965. The Saskatchewan Mounted Rifles merged into the 16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse in 1936, which converted to infantry in 1941 as the Battleford Light Infantry (16th/22nd Saskatchewan Horse). This regiment merged into the Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers in 1946, which in turn became part of the North Saskatchewan Regiment (Machine Gun) in 1955. This infantry regiment (now simply "The North Saskatchewan Regiment") continues to perpetuate the battle honours and traditions of the 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment
The 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment (1 PARA), is a battalion of the British Army's Parachute Regiment. Along with various other regiments and corps from across the British Armed Forces, it is part of Special Forces Support Group.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment
A specialized airborne light infantry unit, the battalion as of 2006 has been the main contributor of manpower to the British Army's Parachute Regiment and is capable of a wide range of operations. Personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations and training, 1 PARA is part of Special Forces Support Group and regarded as the elite of the Parachute Regiment deployed to assist United Kingdom Special Forces in a supporting role as well as being the main part of the hunter force on SF selection.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment
All personnel complete the Pre Parachute Selection (P Company) course at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire (previously at Aldershot, Hampshire).


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, History
The 1st Battalion can trace its origins to 1940, when No. 2 Commando trained as parachutists. In 1941, the battalion was assigned to the 1st Parachute Brigade which also included the 2nd and 3rd battalions. The 1st Parachute Brigade was part of the 1st Airborne Division and remained with it throughout the war.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, History
The battalion took part in operations in Tunisia in late 1942 to May 1943, suffering heavy casualties. The battalion and the brigade took part in Operation Fustian, when the Allies invaded Sicily and, again, suffered heavy casualties and was withdrawn to England in late 1943 to train and prepare for the Allied invasion of France. The battalion wasn't used in the initial invasion on 6 June 1944, D-Day, but was held back in the UK in reserve in case any of the five invasion beaches encountered serious difficulties and needed support. The plan turned out not to be required.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, History
During the fighting in Normandy numerous plans to drop the 1st Airborne were formed, none of which came to fruition. Finally, in September 1944, the battalion dropped into Arnhem the Netherlands with the rest of the 1st Airborne Division, as part of Operation Market Garden, where they suffered extremely heavy casualties and never saw combat again for the rest of the war.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, History
After the war the battalion was reconstituted in 1946, and affiliated to the Brigade of Guards and served with the 6th Airborne Division in Palestine. It was disbanded in 1948, only to be reformed by the renumbering of the 4th/6th Battalion. The battalion was part of Operation Musketeer in 1956.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, History
In the 1970s, the battalion first deployed to Northern Ireland in Operation Banner. The battalion was involved in the Ballymurphy Massacre in August 1971, when 11 Catholic civilians were shot dead and many wounded over a two-day period. In January 1972, both the press and some in the Army accused the battalion of brutality against protesters outside Magilligan internment camp.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, History
A week later, on 30 January 1972, the battalion carried out the Bloody Sunday killings, when they opened fire on unarmed protesters in Derry, leaving 14 Catholic civilians dead and 13 wounded; the greatest killing of British subjects by government forces in one incident since the Irish War of Independence. The second official inquiry of the killings found 1st Para's actions "unjustified and unjustifiable". To date, none of the members of 1 Para have been prosecuted.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, History
The battalion was involved in another controversial shooting incident on 7 September 1972, when soldiers shot dead two Protestant civilians and wounded others in the Shankill area of Belfast. A unit of the Army's Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) refused to carry out duties until the battalion was withdrawn from the Shankill.


1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, History
The battalion was involved in the NATO operation in Kosovo in 1999, Operation Agricola. In 2003, they were deployed to the Persian Gulf for Operation Telic in Iraq where two multiples of No. 8 platoon fought their way out of the town of Majar al-Kabir. The battle occurred in June 2003, following the invasion of Iraq. During the battle, six Royal Military Policemen of 156 Provost Company were killed by a mob.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) is a regular motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion of the 34th Brigade (Australia) on Balikpapan in 1945 and since then has been deployed on active service during the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, the Vietnam War, Unified Task Force in Somalia, East Timor, Iraq War and Afghanistan. Additionally, the battalion has deployed on peacekeeping and other operations to a number of countries including Japan, Rifle Company Butterworth, Timor Leste, Solomon Islands, Tonga and the Philippines . In 2021, 1 RAR remains one of the Australian Army's most heavily deployed units sending individuals and detachments to domestic, regional and other enduring operations. The battalion is currently based in Coral Lines at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville, Queensland, where it forms part of the 3rd Brigade.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Formation
With the conclusion of the war in the Pacific in 1945, Australia was committed to provide troops for occupation duties in Japan. This commitment led to the formation of the 34th Australian Infantry Brigade. The brigade was made up of three battalions: the 65th, 66th and 67th Australian Infantry Battalions. On 12 October 1945 the 65th Battalion, later the 1st Battalion was formed out of 7th Division at Balikpapan and quickly sailed to Morotai from where they undertook training prior to being sent to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Formation
In line with the formative plan to raise an Interim Army, the battalions were re-designated as of the Australian Regiment in 1948 and the 65th Battalion became the 1st Battalion, Australian Regiment. On 31 March 1949 the regiment received the prefix "Royal", becoming the Royal Australian Regiment. 1 RAR was initially based at Ingleburn, but later moved to Enoggera and Holsworthy and is now based at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Occupation of Japan
Under an agreement signed between the Allied nations, Australia would contribute troops towards the occupation of Japan. The Australian contribution was a brigade element, the 34th Brigade, consisting of three infantry battalions each with their own area of responsibility. By the middle of June 1946 the Australian brigade was in place, with the 65th Battalion located at Fukuyama–Onomichi, 150 kilometres (93 mi) south of Osaka.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Occupation of Japan
The battalion was charged with enforcing the directives of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, which involved various tasks such as ceremonial duties, escorting displaced persons, restoring law and order and overseeing the disarmament process. During this time they participated in the search and destruction of wartime materials. The operation was a dangerous one, the area was honeycombed with caves and tunnels and large quantities of explosives, ammunition and poison gas were discovered.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Occupation of Japan
In April 1946 the battalion took part in the surveillance of Japanese elections. The battalion also kept a close watch on a number of repatriation centres in the area. At the end of 1948, the 1st Battalion left Japan, while all Australian troops had left Japan by 1951 with the signing of the San Francisco Treaty.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Korea
1RAR was in Australia when the Korean War began in 1950; however, the battalion was not deployed immediately as Australia's initial commitment consisted of 3RAR. By September 1950 seven officers and two hundred and fifty other ranks trained in the battalion and moved to reinforce 3 RAR in Korea. In 1951, in anticipation of deployment to Korea, 1RAR was brought up to strength with volunteers from 2RAR and new enlistments from the 'K' Force recruiting campaign which brought a large number of men with experience from World War II into the battalion.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Korea
In September 1951 the battalion received orders to move to Korea and after a farewell march through Sydney 1RAR departed for Japan on 18 March 1952 onboard HMT Devonshire. After a period of training in Japan, 1RAR arrived in South Korea on 6 April 1952, joining the 28th Brigade on 1 June. On 19 June 1952 1 RAR moved into the line taking over from the 1st Battalion, Royal Leicesters.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Korea
In July 1952 1RAR was detached to the 29th Brigade, relieving other battalions on Hills 159, 210 and 355. It took part in general patrolling along the Jamestown Line, which involved securing defences, repairing minefield fences, and undertaking reconnaissance of enemy positions to gather information on them. Other major operations that 1RAR took part in usually aimed at capturing a prisoner or destroying enemy defences. Operation Blaze was 1RAR's first major action, which involved an attack on Hill 227 in order to capture a prisoner. The attack failed in its objective and the battalion suffered four killed and 33 wounded in action.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Korea
On the night of 13–14 September the battalion captured its first prisoner as it continued to conduct patrolling operations. By the end of the month 1 RAR was relieved and whilst one company was detached to 1st Battalion, Welsh Regiment to occupy the Yong Dong hill feature the rest of the battalion was placed into the brigade reserve. This lasted until November when as part of Operation Nescala, 1RAR relieved the 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment on Hill 355.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Korea
The position had been poorly maintained and over the course of the next ten days 1 RAR had to regain control of the approaches and re-establish security in the area, suffering 50 casualties in the process. At the same time, the battalion also supported the Royal Fusiliers in Operation Beat Up by launching a diversionary attack on Hill 227 on 25–26 November 1952.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Korea
On the night of 11–12 December 1952 1RAR was involved in Operation Fauna, which was only a partial success as the Australians failed to capture a prisoner, although they did manage to destroy an enemy position. The battalion suffered 22 wounded and three missing as a result of this action. Operation Fauna turned out to be 1RAR's last action of the war was they were relieved by 3RAR on 29 December 1952. On 21 March 1953, 1RAR was relieved by 2RAR at Camp Casey, near Tongduchon, and returned to Australia later that month on the MV New Australia.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Korea
The battalion suffered 42 killed and 107 wounded during the nine months that they served on combat operations in Korea, however, 1RAR members also received the following decorations: two Distinguished Service Orders, two Officers of the Order of the British Empire, three Members of the Order of the British Empire, seven Military Crosses, one British Empire Medal, 21 Mentions in Despatches and three Commander-in-Chief Commendations.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Korea
In April 1954, 1RAR returned to Korea as part of the UN forces stationed in the country after the armistice, and was involved in training and border patrols. It would remain there until March 1956.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Malaya
In order to crush a pro-independence uprising led by the Malayan Communist Party, and their armed wing the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), the British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve was established, with Australia contributing a rotating battalion group. On 20 September 1959, the battalion embarked on MV Flaminia for Malaya. After arriving at Singapore the battalion trained at Kota Tinggi and moved to base camps at Kuala Kangsar, Sungei Siput, Lasah, Lintang and Grik where they undertook a month of acclimatisation. The battalion began Operation Bamboo on 16 November 1959 in the Thai/Malay border area in Perak, relieving the 1st Battalion, The Loyal Regiment. For the next 18 months 1RAR operated in 210 square miles (540 km2) area of dense jungle searching MNLA guerrillas.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Malaya
The area was largely inaccessible except by helicopter, boat or on foot. Platoon-sized patrols would be sent for three-week long search operations before returning to the base camps for ten days rest. Even though there were 117 official 'finds' during these operations, no kills were recorded by the battalion at this time MNLA communist guerrillas began to negate the Australian patrols by crossing the border into Thailand where they could not be followed.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Malaya
In April 1960 1RAR took part in Operation Magnet, which involved FESR units crossing the border for the first time in the conflict in an attempt to drive the MNLA  back into Malaya where other units were ready to carry out ambushes upon them. Later in June, Operation Jackforce was launched, using similar tactics and during this 1RAR finally was involved in one contact.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Malaya
In July 1960, the Malayan Emergency was officially declared over, although 1RAR remained on operations until the following year when it was withdrawn and began a period of intensive training as part of the FESR, including a number of brigade level exercises. On 29 October 1961, the battalion left Penang for Sydney on the MV Flaminia, having suffered two men killed in action. The battalion returned to Malaysia in early 1969, after two major exercises, 'Jumping Wallaby' and 'Sheer Hell', the unit withdrew from Malaysia, joining the Selarang garrison in Singapore in December 1969. The unit remained in Singapore until July 1971 when it returned to Lavarack Barracks in Townsville.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Vietnam
Two tours of Vietnam were completed by 1 RAR during the Vietnam War, the first one being between March 1965 and June 1966 and the second between April 1968 and February 1969. In March 1965 advanced elements of 1 RAR deployed for Vietnam by charter aircraft, whilst the rest of the battalion followed later on HMAS Sydney. The battalion arrived at Bien Hoa Air Base in June and was placed under command of the US 173rd Airborne Brigade, becoming the first Australian unit to serve in a US formation.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Vietnam
Initially, the Australian contingent was restricted only to providing security to the airbase, however, these limitations were later removed by the Australian government and in September 1965 began conducting offensive operations against the Viet Cong (VC) including search and destroy missions, security operations and conducting fighting patrols around the Bien Hoa area of operations.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Vietnam
Throughout the remainder of 1965 the battalion conducted a number of operations along with the rest of the 173rd Brigade in areas such as 'Ben Cat', 'War Zone D', and 'The Iron Triangle'. In January 1966 1 RAR took part in Operation Crimp, a search and destroy mission in the Ho Bo Woods, north of Saigon, during which the battalion conducted an air assault and uncovered the Cu Chi tunnel complex which was serving as the underground hideaway for a VC higher command element. A large stockpile of weapons and a large number of documents were found in the tunnel complex which was the deepest and most elaborate system that had been found up to that time.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Vietnam
1RAR continued operations until April 1966, taking part in a number of joint operations with US troops until the arrival of the 1st Australian Task Force. On Anzac Day, as the battalion was preparing to return to Australia, they were visited by Prime Minister Harold Holt. They were finally relieved in June and they returned to Australia that same month.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Vietnam
The battalion's second tour came two years later when it returned to Vietnam, arriving at Nui Dat on 9 April 1968 to relieve 7 RAR. Operating out of Phuoc Tuy Province the battalion was mainly involved in patrols, searches, reconnaissance and security operations before being redeployed in May to an area north of Saigon where throughout April it carried out Operation Toan Thang, which was aimed at cutting off the withdrawal of enemy forces following the Tet Offensive. After conducting two small operations in Long Khanh Province, 1 RAR moved to Fire Support Base Coral.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Vietnam
Whilst they were there, the base was attacked twice. The first attack which on the night of 15 May was only a probing attack by a battalion-sized element, whilst the second attack came on the night of 16 May 1966, when the base was attacked by a force later identified as the 141st NVA Regiment. After fierce fighting with the help of accurate artillery fire from the 102nd Field Battery the attack was beaten off and on 6 June 1966 the fire base was closed and 1 RAR returned to Nui Dat. Later it was estimated that 162 enemy were killed as a result of Operation Toan Thang.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Vietnam
Between July and September several more operations were carried out including a follow up mission called Operation Toan Thang II that saw the battalion move to the Bien Hoa–Long Khanh border and conduct sweeps through the Hat Dich, Tua Tich and Ba Ria areas. Between 28 September and 12 October, 1 RAR was once again sent into the Hat Dich area when they undertook Operation Windsor.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Vietnam
This operation was later followed by a sweep mission through the north-western areas of Phuoc Tuy Province, before 1 RAR participated on Operation Goodwood, rotating on this operation with 9 RAR and 4 RAR until the battalion's tour of duty finally ended in February 1969. In between these operations the battalion continued to carry out the normal duties of an infantry battalion in Vietnam, conducting cordon and search missions, escorting convoys, patrolling and security operations.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Vietnam
1 RAR was officially relieved by 5 RAR on 15 February 1969 and it departed Vietnam the following day. Total 1 RAR casualties for both tours were 50 killed and 411 wounded. Balanced against this, the battalion was credited with having killed 404 VC. Members of the battalion also received the following decorations: three Distinguished Service Orders, three Members of the Order of the British Empire, six Military Crosses, three Distinguished Conduct Medals, 10 Military Medals, four British Empire Medals and 21 Mentions in Despatches.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Rhodesia
In 1979, 18 personnel from the Battalion were sent to then Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) as part of a Commonwealth Monitoring Force Rhodesia (CMFR) named Operation Agila. This force was for the protection and evacuation of Australian Nationals during the rising violence between Rhodesian armed forces and African resistance fighters. Additionally, the multinational force was there to keep the peace before the 1980 general elections. During this period, a large part of Rhodesia was under martial law due to battles between the Rhodesian forces and the Patriotic Front's guerrilla forces. The CMFR was tasked along the lines of a UN peacekeeping force however their duties were more extensive as agreed to under the Lancaster House Agreement between the Government of Southern Rhodesia and the guerrilla forces of the Patriotic Front. Members were awarded the Rhodesia Medal on their return.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Somalia
In 1991, the sub-Saharan African nation of Somalia was gripped by a deadly civil war, which coupled with widespread famine, that threatened a humanitarian disaster on a massive scale. Initially the global response was slow, but in late 1992 the United Nations requested assistance in securing the nation as it went about the task of reconstructing the shattered nation's infrastructure and delivering humanitarian assistance. In response Australia pledged to deploy a 937-strong battalion group in Operation Solace under the auspices of the wider US-led Operation Restore Hope as part of the Unified Task Force (UNITAF) in Somalia.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Somalia
1RAR, as part of the Operational Deployment Force, was chosen as the main unit upon which the Australian battalion group would be based and on 17 December 1992 was warned out for deployment. Deploying onboard HMAS Tobruk, HMAS Jervis Bay and charter aircraft, the battalion group was committed for a finite period between January and May 1993, and was given responsibility for a 17,000 square kilometres (6,600 sq mi) area centred upon Baidoa, which was a provincial town in the south-western area of Somalia.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Somalia
During its deployment, 1RAR took part in seven major operations and on 17 February 1993, they had the first of 11 contacts with Somali gunmen. Approximately 1,100-foot patrols were undertaken whilst the battalion group was deployed, ensuring the safe delivery of 8,311 tonnes of humanitarian relief supplies. Additionally, 935 weapons including 544 rifles and 145 machine guns were seized. Seven Somali gunmen were killed, four were wounded and 70 were detained and turned over to the Auxiliary Security Forces. On 14 May 1993, the battalion handed responsibility for the Humanitarian Relief Sector to the French element of the United Nations Force. 1RAR returned to Australia on 22 May 1993 and marched through the streets of Townsville, Queensland.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Somalia
Operation Solace was the first active service deployment of Australian soldiers since the Vietnam War. Members returning to Australia were awarded the Australian Active Service Medal (AASM) and Infantry Combat Badge (ICB).


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Solomon Islands
During a battalion defensive exercise at High Range Training Area in 2000, elements of 1 RAR (CO Tac and C Coy) were recalled back to Coral Lines to assist with evacuation operations out of the Solomon Islands. Operation Plumbob ensued but the battalion group did not leave HMAS Manoora.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Solomon Islands
On Christmas Eve 2004, following the shooting death of Australian Protective Services Officer Adam Dunning, 1 RAR was ordered to deploy the Ready Company Group (RCG), based on Battalion HQ (Tac) and 'A' Company to the Solomon Islands. This was achieved within 18 hours of being ordered to deploy. Calm was quickly restored to the Solomon Islands, and the RCG returned to Australia in late January 2005.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Solomon Islands
In April 2006, riots flared in the capital Honiara after a non-favourable Prime Minister was appointed. The headquarters from 1 RAR and 'D' Company were deployed to assist the RAMSI to control the violence. 'D' Company spent a majority of their time providing stability to the China Town region which was almost completely destroyed during the riots. Once the security situation had improved in the capital, the Task Force began sending patrols to the regional areas of the country. Some of the more remote communities had not seen an Australian patrol for almost two years.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, East Timor
On 25 October 2000 a battlegroup based upon 1 RAR took over the role of the Australian Battalion of UNTAET from 6 RAR. 1 RAR assumed control over 1500 km2 of East Timor. The battalion's mission was to provide security to the people of East Timor so that civil infrastructure and government systems could be re-established under the guidance of the UN in order to help the East Timorese transition to an independent nation. Actions taken by the battalion resulted in one militia killed and one friendly wounded. In April 2001, 1 RAR was relieved by 4 RAR. The battalion deployed on its second tour of East Timor with UNMISET in May 2003, taking over from 5/7 RAR.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, East Timor
In May 2006, Australian forces returned to East Timor following a resurgence in violence and an increase in civil unrest. ' A' Company 1 RAR deployed from Townsville in mid-May on HMAS Manoora, flying into Dili by Blackhawk on 27 May. ' A' Company conducted sustained security, stability and public order operations in Dili for approximately two months. Operation Chindit saw the company conduct airmobile operations to Manatuto and Baucau to conduct further security operations, before returning to Australia in August.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, East Timor
In September 2006, further violence flared in Dili which resulted in the deployment of 'B' Company 1 RAR to East Timor to reinforce the efforts of the Battle Group already in country. 'B' Company took up a blocking position in the hills behind Dili, operating mostly in and around Gleno. The platoons of 'B' Company were often required to conduct Air Mobile Operations to other parts of the country. Early in 2007, a battlegroup consisting of 1 RAR's Battalion Headquarters and two rifle companies ('B' and 'C') deployed to Timor Leste (as East Timor has since become).


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Iraq
In 2006, a detachment of 109 soldiers from 'B' Company, 1 RAR, were deployed on the eighth rotation of SECDET, during which they were tasked to provide protection and escort for Australian government personnel working in the Australian Embassy in Baghdad. Early in 2007, 'A' Company, 1 RAR, deployed to Iraq as part of SECDET 11 and conducted operations throughout the capital city of Baghdad. The unit was awarded the Theatre Honour Iraq 2003–11 for service in the Iraq war.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Afghanistan
'D' Company, 1 RAR, deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 as force protection for Australian and coalition forces as part of the Security Task Group assigned to the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment led 2nd Reconstruction Task Force (RTF2). In this role, D Coy soldiers undertook vital asset protection and several long range patrols during which they encountered numerous improvised explosive devices and experienced several engagements with Taliban forces.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Afghanistan
In 2009, 1 RAR deployed as a Battle Group deployed to Afghanistan as the 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF2). MRTF-2 was engaged in reconstruction, mentoring and security operations in Uruzgan Province.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Afghanistan
In January 2014 soldiers from 'C' Company 1RAR and 3/4 Cav deployed to Kandahar and Kabul as part of FPE-1, they returned July 2014.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Afghanistan
In 2014–15, soldiers from 'A' Company, 1 RAR and B Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment made up Force Protection Element Two (FPE 2) deployed to Afghanistan to provide security to mentors working with the Afghan National Army in Kabul and in Kandahar. They returned home in February 2015.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Afghanistan
In 2020, 'C' Company deployed to Kabul as Force Protection Element 14 (FPE 14), providing security to mentors and officials working with the Afghan National Army.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Afghanistan
In 2021, 'Support' Company deployed to Kabul as Force Protection Element 15 (FPE 15), providing security to mentors and officials working with the Afghan National Army. They also assisted with the withdrawal of the Australian embassy, and withdrawal of ADF personnel and equipment.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Afghanistan
In August 2021, B Coy 1 RAR deployed to Kabul to conduct a Non-combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO).


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Tonga
On 18 November 2006, a platoon from 'A' Company was deployed to Tonga as a result of violence and a break down of law and order in the capital city, Nuku Alofa. The platoon conducted security operations in conjunction with the Tongan Defence Services for three weeks prior to returning to Australia.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Philippines
In 2017, the Australian Government commenced deploying 1 RAR training contingents after the Government of the Philippines accepted offers of Australian assistance. Operation Augury saw elements of 1 RAR join 3 CER, 4 REGT and selected health specialists, as well as RAAF and RAN personnel, in the provision of Mentor Training Teams (MTT) to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Philippines
The land MTTs provided expert training in urban close combat to many veterans of the Battle of Marawi.1 RAR was tasked with leading the Joint Task Force and the commitment covered the period October 2017 to June 2018 where the mission was handed over to 8/9 RAR. As of 2020, the mission has transformed into an enhanced Defence Cooperation Program.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Ready Battalion Group deployments
Ready Battalion Group deployments are short notice operational taskings that occur within a specified timeframe. Although they are considered operational service, they were not determined as warlike and members of the Battalion did not deploy into country.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Ready Battalion Group deployments
On 21 May 1987, after a military coup in Fiji, 1RAR received orders to deploy a rifle company from the Operational Deployment Force as part of Operation Morris Dance. In the end the force was not deployed on the ground, however, a large naval task force was established off the Fijian coast to intervene if necessary and 'B' Company was flown to Norfolk Island where it embarked upon HMAS Tobruk. From there elements of the company were spread across the task force to assist in the evacuation of Australian nationals and expatriates from the island before returning to Townsville on 3 June 1987, after the Australian government decided against taking more active measures to intervene.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Ready Battalion Group deployments
During the Bougainville conflict in 1988–89, the Australian Government placed 2/4 RAR on standby for a short notice deployment to the fractured isle. A significant number of soldiers from 1 RAR bolstered 2/4 RAR for the possible deployment. This deployment did not occur, however.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Domestic operations
In 2019, a monsoonal trough caused significant flooding in the Townsville area. 1 RAR was rapidly deployed to assist the local community, using their Protected Mobility Vehicles to evacuate people through flood waters, and checking for people trapped in their homes.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, History, Domestic operations
In September 2020, A Company was deployed to Perth, Western Australia, to support the COVID-19 response in the state as part of Operation COVID-19 Assist. The company worked with WA Police and State Government. 1 RAR troops returned to Townsville in December 2020.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Current role & composition
In 2017 the battalion commenced the transition to the motorised role with the adoption of the Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle. In 2020, the battalion commenced using the Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicle – Light.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Current role & composition
1RAR also features its own battalion band, which consists of Australian Army Band Corps (AABC) Musicians providing general and ceremonial support functions.


1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Commanding officers
The following table lists the Commanding Officers of 1 RAR:


1st Battalion, The Rifles
1st Battalion, The Rifles (1 RIFLES) is a light infantry battalion of The Rifles under the command of 7 Brigade.


1st Battalion, The Rifles, History
The battalion formed on 1 February 2007 in Alma Barracks, Catterick Garrison as part of 52 Infantry Brigade, merging the single battalions of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. The Battalion then moved in August 2007 to its permanent home of Beachley Barracks at Chepstow.


1st Battalion, The Rifles, History
From 2008 to 2012, it was attached to 3 Commando Brigade as the fourth manoeuvre unit of the Brigade alongside the three commandos of the Royal Marines.


1st Battalion, The Rifles, History
From March 2020, 1 RIFLES was deployed throughout Wales on Operation Rescript, supporting the UK's efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The battalion helped install hospital beds at Dragon's Heart Hospital, a temporary critical care hospital for COVID-19.


1st Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment
1st (County Antrim) Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment (1 UDR) was formed in 1970 as part of the 7 original battalions specified in The Ulster Defence Regiment Act 1969, which received Royal Assent on 18 December, 1969 and was brought into force on 1 January, 1970. It was amalgamated with the 9th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment in 1984 to form the 1st/9th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment.


1st Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment, History
Along with the other six original battalions, 1 UDR commenced operational duties on 1 April, 1970.