1st Battalion 6th Marines

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 1st Battalion, 6th Marines


caption= 1st Battalion, 6th Marines insignia
dates= *July 11, 1917 - August 20, 1919
*June 12, 1922 - October 1, 1925
*March 29, 1927 - March, 1929
*Sept. 9, 1934 - October 2, 1947
*October 7, 1949 - present
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= USMC
type= Light infantry
role= Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver
size=
command_structure= 6th Marine Regiment
2nd Marine Division
II Marine Expeditionary Force
current_commander_label= Commanding Officer
current_commander= LtCol Anthony M. Henderson
garrison= Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto= "Ready to Fight since 1917"
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles= World War I
* Battle of Belleau Wood
* Meuse-Argonne offensive
World War II
*Battle of Guadalcanal
*Battle of Tarawa
* Battle of Saipan
* Battle of Tinian
* Battle of Okinawa
Operation Desert Storm
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
anniversaries=

The 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It consists of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. They fall under the 6th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division of the II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Subordinate Units

* Headquarters and Services Company
* Alpha Company - "Apache"
* Bravo Company - "Blackfoot"
* Charlie Company - "Cold-Steel"
* Weapons Company - "Warrior"

History

World War I

The battalion was activated on July 11, 1917 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia as the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. They deployed to France from September to October 1917 and were assigned to the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Army), American Expeditionary Force.

They participated in the following World War I campaigns:
*Aisne
*Aisne-Marne
*St. Mihiel
*Meuse-Arogonne

Along with the following defensive campaigns:
*Touln-Troyon
*Chateau-Thierry
*Marabache
*Limey

command structure
name= 1/6 (World War I)
date=
parent=
subordinate=74th Company
75th Company
76th Company
95th Company [Henry "US Marine Corps in WWII", p. 6.]

From December 1918 to July 1919, 1/6 participated in the Occupation of the Rhineland. They relocated to Quantico, Virginia in August 1919 and were deactivated on 20 August 1919.

1922 - 1942

1/6 was reactivated on June 12, 1922 and participated in maneuvers at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. From June-July 1922, they were assigned to the Marine Corps Expeditionary Force.

In January to September 1925 they deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They returned to Norfolk, Virginia and were deactivated on October 1, 1925.

Reactivated on March 29, 1927 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they deployed from March to June 1927 to San Diego, California. 1/6 was again deactivated in March 1929.

Reactivated on September 9, 1934 at Norfolk, Virginia, 1/6 relocated to San Diego during September to October 1934 and then deployed to Shanghai, China in August 1937 where they were assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force. They returned to San Diego during February to April 1936. On February 1, 1941, the 2nd Marine Brigade was re-designated as the 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force (FMF).

1/6 deployed during May to July 1941 to Reykjavík and was re-assigned to the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade.

World War II

1/6 relocated during March 1942 to San Diego, California and were reassigned to the 2nd Marine Division, FMF. From October to November 1942 they deployed to Wellington, New Zealand. They participated in the following World War II campaigns:
*Guadalcanal
*Southern Solomons
*Tarawa
*Saipan
*Tinian
*OkinawaIn September 1945, they deployed to Nagasaki, Japan where they participated in the Occupation of Japan from September 1945 to June 1946.

1946 - 2001

In July 1946, 1/6 relocated to Camp Pendleton, California and were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Brigade, FMF. Then in July 1947, they were reassigned to the 1st Marine Division and were deactivated on October 1, 1947.

1/6 reactivated on October 7, 1949 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and were assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. They have subsequently deployed at various times as Battalion Landing Team 1/6 in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean from January 1950.

They participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis in October to November 1962 and in the intervention in the Dominican Republic from April to June 1965.

Elements of 1/6 deployed to Panama in January to July 1989 in support of Operation Just Cause.

1/6 participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Global War on Terror

In 2004, 1st Battalion 6th Marines, as the ground combat element of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, deployed to Oruzgan Province in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In 2005, 1/6 deployed to Fallujah, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They deployed again in 2006-2007 to Ar Ramadi, Iraq.

In 2007, 1/6 became Battalion Landing Team 1/6 attached to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit in preparation for deployment in early 2008.

ee also

* Organization of the United States Marine Corps
* List of United States Marine Corps battalions

Notes

References

:Marine Corps

;Bibliography
* cite book
last = Henry
first = Mark R.
coauthors =
year = 1999
title = US Marine Corps in World War I 1917-18
publisher = Osprey Publishing Company
location = New York
id = ISBN 1-85532-852-6

;Web
* [http://www.iimefpublic.usmc.mil/public/iimefpublic.nsf/unitSites/1bn6mar 1/6's official website]