3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 January 1941 – present |
| Country |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 1,200 |
| Part of | 7th Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms |
| Nickname | The Cutting Edge |
| Mottos | "Si vis pacem, para bellum" / "No Shit!" |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding Officer | Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin O’Donnell |
| Senior Enlisted | Sergeant Major Tony Johnson |
| Notable commanders | Edward H. Hurst |
The3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment (3/7, V37) is an infantry battalion of theUnited States Marine Corps. They are based at theMarine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines. The battalion falls under the command of the7th Marine Regiment and the1st Marine Division. The battalion has seen combat inWorld War II, theKorean War, theVietnam War, theGulf War and was a part of the main effort during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. During theGlobal War on Terror, the battalion saw eleven sequential combat deployments; five in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom, three in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom, and three in supportOperation Inherent Resolve. The unit has a long, decorated history with countless achievements. Its members were described as "true professionals" by embedded reporters during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Historical Contingency Company:
3rd Battalion 7th Marines was activated 1 January 1941 atGuantanamo Bay,Cuba and was assigned to the 1st Marine Brigade. In February 1941 they were reassigned to the1st Marine Division.
Due to the situation in the Pacific, the 7th Marines were detached from the 1st Marine Division and sent toAmerican Samoa with the Third Battalion being the first to arrive on 28 April 1942.[2] Companies I and M landed atWallis Island on 27 March 1942[3] along with Free French forces to deny the Island toVichy France.
3/7 participated in the followingWorld War II campaigns:
After the war 3/7 participated inOperation Beleaguer in northern China from September 1945 to April 1946 and then deactivated 15 April 1946.
The battalion was reactivated 11 September 1950 atKobe, Japan and assigned to the 1st Marine Division. They deployed in September 1950 to the South Korea and participated in theInchon-Seoul. Following therecapture of Seoul, the 1st Marine Division was pulled out of northwest Korea and sailed to the east coast where theylanded at Wonsan in late October and began to march north towards theYalu River.
The battalion was in Yudam-ni on the evening of 27–28 November 1950 when theBattle of Chosin Reservoir began. On the first evening, the Marines of "How Company" were overwhelmed on Hill 1403 by waves of Chinese attackers and were eventually ordered to pull back by the commanding officer (CO), Lieutenant ColonelWilliam Harris[4] The battalion continued to fight on the hills around Yudam-ni for the next few days until 1 December[5] when the5th Marines and7th Marines were ordered to fight their way back to the 1st Marine Division's main perimeter at Hagaru-ri. The 300+ remaining members of 3/7[6] provided the rearguard for the two regiments as they broke out to Hagaru-ri and were the last Marines to leave the perimeter at Yudam-ni as it was being overrun by Chinese forces[7] 3/7 consolidated with the rest of the division at Hagaru-ri and took part in the fighting breakout towards Koto-ri where, on 7 December, all of the 1st Marine Division's regiments were together for the first time since the landing at Wonsan in October[8] Of note during the battle, on the morning before their arrival at the Koto-ri perimeter, the battalion's CO, who during the battle was described as "coming apart"[9] and having an "emotional breakdown and collapse",[10] disappeared and was never seen again.[11] After the withdrawal from Chosin the 1st Marine Division wasevacuated from Hungnam.
During the rest of the war 3/7 took part in the fighting on the East Central Front and then the Western Front of theJamestown Line. In October 1951 it performed the first battalion sized combat helicopter air assault in history in Operation Bumblebee.[12] After the war the battalion participated in the defense of theKorean Demilitarized Zone, July 1953 to March 1955.
The 3rd Battalion, along with the rest of the 7th Marines, was deployed to Vietnam from Camp Pendleton in late May 1965. The 3/7, under the command of LTC Charles H. Bodley, embarked on the amphibious shipsUSS Iwo Jima,USS Talladega, andUSS Point Defiance at Okinawa on 24–26 June and landed near the city ofQui Nhon on 1 July 1965.[13]
On 18 August 1965, the 3/7 took part inOperation Starlite, the first regimental size operation by US forces since the Korean War. The 3/7, along with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, and the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, made a combined amphibious-helicopter assault on fortified enemy positions on the Van Tuong Peninsula. The Marines landed behind enemy lines and, after seven days of fighting, drove theViet Cong (VC) 1st Regiment into the sea.[14]
In January 1966, the 3/7 took part inOperation Mallard along with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. It was a sweep of the area 20 miles southwest of Da Nang, in the area later known as the Arizona Territory. While the VC did not engage in major confrontations with the Marines during Operation Mallard, the area would later be a significant battleground for the 3/7 and other Marine battalions in the years to come.[15]
In March 1966 the battalion took part inOperation Texas. On 18 March 1966 anArmy of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) outpost on Hill 141 west of Quang Ngai City was overrun by thePeople's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 36th Regiment. A reaction/relief force was promptly put together consisting of elements from 4 Marine battalions including 3/7 and an ARVN battalion. The allied forces were inserted by ground and air on 20 and 21 March and began closing around the PAVN forces. Over the next four days, Operation Texas claimed a total of 623 known PAVN dead, but at least 57 US Marines and sailors were killed in a series of bitter fights.
Along with the 1/7, 2/7 and elements of the 26th Marines and 51st ARVN regiment, the 3/7th also took part inOperation Oklahoma Hills from March through May 1969, an operation to clear PAVN base camps and infiltration routes out of the hills and valleys southwest of Da Nang, South Vietnam's second most important city and a major base for US operations at the time.[16]
For "conspicuous gallantry and intrepity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" and "in the face of vicious enemy fire" during a search and destroy mission in the Que Son-Hiep Duc Valley on 28 August 1969, in which he destroyed several of the enemy and silenced anti-aircraft guns and machinegunist, Lance CorporalJose F. Jimenez of Kilo Company, 3/7, was posthumously awarded theMedal of Honor.[14]
During the 1990–91Persian Gulf War, 3/7 took part inOperation Desert Storm. The battalion arrived inJubail, Saudi Arabia, in mid-January 1991, with the mission to be a foot-mobile infiltration force. For a month from mid-February onwards, 3/7—as part of Task Force Grizzly, which mainly consisted of 3/7 and2nd Battalion 7th Marines—took up position along a berm near the Saudi–Kuwaiti border. There, 3/7 became the lead element of all U.S. forces in the region. The battalion moved out of Saudi Arabia and into Kuwait three days before the ground offensive began on 24 February, and then became the first allied infantry force to enter Kuwait. After breaching two enemy minefields, 3/7 took overAhmad al-Jaber Air Base, which was believed to be the main command post for all enemy forces in Kuwait. The battalion departed Saudi Arabia in early March.[17]
_prepares_to_depart_Mogadishu%2c_Somalia_during_Operation_UNITED_SHIELD_in_1995.jpg)
From January to March 1995, elements of the battalion—namely Kilo Company, augmented with elements from India Company, Lima Company, and Weapons Company—participated inPeacetime Enforcement Operation,Operation United Shield inSomalia. The operation was the closing chapter ofUnited Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II). A Combined Task Force (CTF), commanded by the United States, including two ships of thePakistan Navy, two ships of theItalian Navy and six ships of theUnited States Navy evacuated all UN Peacekeeping Forces from Somalia.
On 27 February 1995, minutes before midnight, the Blade executed an amphibious assault on the city ofMogadishu, part of a mechanized force consisting of about 1,800 US Marines and 350 Italian Marines. AboardLCUsLAVs,AAVs, andLCACs the joint task force securedMogadishu International Airport andNew Port. The entire amphibious landing was complete by 0430 on the morning of 28 February, and evacuation procedures immediately commenced.[18][19]
By 3 March 1995, 73 hours after the beginning of the amphibious landing, all 2,422 United Nations troops, approximately 3,800 CTF troops and over a hundred combat vehicles had withdrawn without any loss of life among any of the coalition forces.
3/7 was part of the main effort, and took a major role in the2003 invasion of Iraq. The premier infantry combat unit in the world, they originally deployed in January 2003, moved north in March and reached Baghdad by April – securing several cities, military bases, terrorist training facilities, and various other objectives along the way. They then moved south for a five-month security assignment doing stabilizing operations inKarbala until September 2003. During the assignment, India Company, 3rd Battalion 7th Marines operated in Mahmudiyah, Iraq in support of Task Force Scorpion during July and August 2003. Lima Company, 3rd Battalion 7th Marines were tasked out with the training of the Iraqi Police force, intelligence gathering, disruption and dismantling of the black market weapons trade, and both daytime and clandestine operations in coalition with CIA, Delta Force, and various other units in support to carry out special assignments. Lima Company's 3rd platoon, 2nd squad, is responsible for capturing and detaining some of the highest rankingBa'ath Party members to date duringcovert operations south of Baghdad. India Company's training in the Kuwaiti desert and the subsequent invasion was covered in the TV documentaryVirgin Soldiers which often airs onDiscovery Times andMilitary Channel.
After returning to the United States in September 2003, the battalion re-deployed in February 2004 toAl Qaim—in westernAl Anbar Province, abutting theSyrian border. Their area of responsibility includedHusaybah, the primary border-crossing point between Syria and Iraq. Increased military presence resulted in continuous fighting, including large-scale operations to retake the city of Husaybah from insurgents and local fighters in April. The Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded to Kilo Company squad leader Jason Dunham for actions in the city of Karabilah. They returned from that deployment in September 2004.
_-_Marines_with_4th_Platoon%2c_Company_I%2c_3rd_Battalion%2c_7th_Marine_Regiment%2c_search_a_store_for_hidden_illegal_weapons_during_Operation_Skinner_Dec._8._Photo_by_Cpl._Shane_Suzuki.jpg)
From September 2005 to March 2006 3/7 was stationed inAr Ramadi and made FOB Hurricane Point (HP) and Camp Ramadi their main base of operations; however most infantry units operated out of firm bases and outposts within the city. 3/7 oversaw and provided security for elections at multiple locations in Ramadi near the end of the deployment, which proved highly successful and resulted in little conflict. Elements of the battalion were engaged in firefights and rocket, mortar, and IED attacks daily throughout the entire deployment.
From May 2007 to November 2007 3/7 was once again stationed inAr Ramadi and made FOB Hurricane Point (HP) and Camp Ramadi their main base of operations. They dispersed throughout the city to increase contact with the local residents. Since the prevalence of theAnbar Awakening, 3/7 Marines began conductingcounter-insurgency (COIN) missions rather than the more "kinetic" operations on previous tours.
3/7 re-deployed in support of OIF again in August 2008, once again to the Al Qaim area—in westernAl Anbar Province, abutting theSyrian border. Their area of responsibility was much larger than any other time, includingHusaybah to the west, all the way east to Hit. Due to status of forces agreements with the Iraqi government, operations were very limited and the battalion served in an "operational overwatch" role for the Iraqi forces. They returned from that deployment in March 2009.
3/7 deployed to Helmand province, Afghanistan from March 2010 to October 2010. During this deployment, the Marines of 3/7 faced daily attacks and operated in various locations includingMusa Qaleh,Marjah, andSangin. In Sangin, 3/7 relieved the40 Commando of the British Royal Marines and began clearing operations in some of the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan. The Marines of 3/7 encountered heavy resistance and are reported to have experienced some of the highest amounts of enemy contact during the global war on terrorism.
In September and October 2011, 3/7 relieved 1/5 and elements of 1/6 in both the "green" and "brown" zones of the Sangin District for a second tour in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom. The battalion conducted daily security patrols along with several clearing operations in an environment heavily laced with IED's. The battalion took 9 KIA and returned home in April 2012.
In September 2013, 3/7 returned to Northern Helmand province and relieved 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, in Afghanistan for a third tour in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom. The Battalion conducted distributed operations providing support to the Afghan Security Forces with companies located in Musa Q'ala, Sangin, Kajaki and FOB Shukvani in the Southern Musa Q'ala Wadi. This deployment was much different than the two previous as the Battalion was focused on supporting the Afghan Security Forces and conducting retrograde operations by transferring the Combat Outposts to the Afghan National Army. India Co, as well as Kilo Co, tactically enabled by British SAS and Afghan Special Forces, conducted various offensive operations in 5 districts within Afghanistan.
The Blade's inauguralSpecial Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC)GWOT deployment from March through October 2015.
Consisted of supporting U.S. interests throughout theUnited States Central Command andCombined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve; serving in joint, disaggregated crisis response and contingency options across the 20 countries in the Area of Operations, including but not limited toIraq,Jordan, andKuwait. SPMAGTF-CR-CC was commanded by both5th Marines and7th Marines during this tenure.
A key event of this rotation involved a task force from 3/7, Task Force-"TQ" (comprising Kilo, Lima, Weapons, and H&S Marines), establishing a new US presence inal-Taqaddum,Iraq, in order to deny access and movement toISIL holdings in Anbar province. This was discussed in American society as a sign of going back down the path to US combat "boots on the ground" in Iraq once again.[20]
Task Force "Al-Asad" (composed largely of Kilo, Weapons, and H&S Company Marines), built partner capacity, trained, and assisted theJoint Task Force and Iraqi forces in their fight against the Islamic State in Anbar, deepening the U.S. role in efforts to halt the recent momentum of the extremists.[21]
Battalion Operations solidified the entire Training Exercise and Employment Plan (TEEP) for 17.1, while on 15.2; returning home in October 2015.
Continuing preparation for their second bout withSPMAGTF-CR-CC, the battalion immediately executed a comprehensive pre-deployment training regimen aboard theMarine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and special-purpose non-standard schools across the United States, further capitalizing on the organic skillsets of the Marine Corps infantry battalion and lessons learned.
Deploying in October 2016, this diligent preparation effectively and directly prepared The Blade to excel across the AOR, supporting combat operations inMosul, Iraq alongside joint andIraqi Security Forces securing and liberating the besieged city in dense, urban street fighting againstISIL,[22] supportingState Department andUS Department of Defense initiatives in Syria fighting to disruptISIL and protectInternally Displaced Person (IDP) refugees around the Jordanian border,[22] and sustained missions throughout the AOR.
The battalion returned home in April, 2017, ready for another round.
From March 2018 to October 2018 the battalion once again deployed in support ofOperation Inherent Resolve, 3/7 was spread across the Middle East including areas inSyria,Iraq,Afghanistan,Kuwait, andJordan doing mainly anti–ISIL operations. A handful of men served on all threeSPMAGTF-CR-CC rotations.
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. 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines has been presented with the following awards:
| Streamer | Award | Year(s) | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Presidential Unit Citation Streamer with oneSilver and fourBronze Stars | 1942, 1944, 1945, 1950, 1950, 1951, 1965–1966, 1966–1967, 1967–1968, 2003 | Guadalcanal, Peleliu-Ngesebus, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq |
.svg) | Navy Unit Commendation Streamer with two Bronze Stars | 1952–1953, 1965, 1990–1991, 2004, 2007, 2010 | Korea, Vietnam, Southwest Asia, Iraq, Afghanistan (Sangin) |
_Streamer.jpg) | Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer | 1968, 1968, 1969, 1990, 2015 | Vietnam, Philippines, Central Command AOR |
 | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Streamer | ||
 | American Defense Service Streamer with one Bronze Star | 1941 | World War II |
| Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer with one Silver Star | Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu, Okinawa | ||
 | World War II Victory Streamer | 1941–1945 | Pacific War |
 | Navy Occupation Service Streamer with "ASIA" | 1945–1946 | Northern China |
 | China Service Streamer with one Bronze Star | September 1946 – June 1947 | North China |
 | National Defense Service Streamer with three Bronze Stars | 1950–1954, 1961–1974, 1990–1995, 2001–present | Korean War,Vietnam War,Gulf War,war on terrorism |
 | Korean Service Streamer with one Silver and two Bronze Stars | Korean War | |
 | Vietnam Service Streamer with two Silver and three Bronze Stars | July 1965 – April 1971, April – December 1975 | |
 | Southwest Asia Service Streamer with two Bronze Stars | September 1990 – February 1991 | Desert Shield, Desert Storm |
.svg) | Iraq Campaign Streamer | 2003–present | |
 | Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Streamer | March – May 2003 | |
 | Global War on Terrorism Service Streamer | 2001–present | |
 | Korea Presidential Unit Citation Streamer | ||
 | Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Streamer | ||
 | Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Actions Streamer |
Troy Black, Senior Enlisted Advisor Joint Chief of Staff 2022 - 2025
The 1968 documentaryA Face of War showed 3rd Battalion operations inQuảng Ngãi Province ofVietnam. Half the company and members of the camera crew were wounded during the filming, which took place in 1966 as U.S. commitments in Vietnam rapidly escalated.
In the 1999 filmThe Sixth Sense,Haley Joel Osment's character asksBruce Willis' character, "Do you want to be a Lance Corporal in Company M, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines?" while offering him a toy soldier.
In the episode “LUCKY 13” of the Netflix seriesLove, Death & Robots the Marines onboard the titular drop ship can be seen wearing the insignia of the Third Battalion, Seventh Marines on their shoulders.
http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=23294
https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/3106928/awards-update/
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Marine Corps.| Leadership |
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