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1ST Medical Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 15 | health care, United States Navy

USA / California / Camp Pendleton North /
 health care, United States Navy

United States Marine Corps
1ST Medical Battalion
Combat Logistics Regiment 15
1ST Marine Logistics Group
BOX 555657
Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5657

Building 22164


"Cheaters of Death"
The 1st Medical Battalion was activated at Quantico, VA 6 September 1940 and assigned to the First Marine Brigade.

The 1st Medical Battalion is currently comprised of Headquarters & Service Company, Alpha “A”, Bravo “B”, and Charlie “C” Surgical Companies. These units represent a Health Service Support Capability of more than 900 Marines and Sailors.

Battalion elements first deployed in support of Brigade Units in October 1940 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

(This doesn’t’ make sense) Reassigned to 1st Marine Division in February 1940, 1ST Medical Battalion was relocated to Quantico, VA and Parris Island, SC.

The battalion deployed to Wellington, New Zealand in June-July 1942, participating in the Guadalcanal campaign, the first major American Pacific campaign in World War II and the first time the 1st Marine Division conducted combat operations as a division. The battalion also supported operations in Easter New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu, and Okinawa and three weeks after Japan surrendered, dispatched to North China for occupation duty from September 1945 to June 1947.

Reactivated on 16 July 1947 at Camp Pendleton, CA and assigned to the First Marine Division, Fleet Marine Forces. “The Old Breed,” as the First Marine Division became known, departed for Korea between 10-22 August 1950, minus the 7th Marines, which departed on 3 September 1950. Provided medical support to the Pusan Fire Brigade when war broke out in Korea and then was chosen to land at Inchon on 15 September 1950. The Division subsequently fought into the mountains around the Chosin Reservoir. The Chinese Communists suffered more than 37,500 casualties trying to stop the Marines’ march out of the “Frozen Chosin.” After the battalions’ participation in the Korean War and the defense of the Korean DMZ, the Division was relieved by the 25th Infantry Division and the battalion was returned to Camp Pendleton, CA in April 1955.

In 1965, 7th Marines participated in the first major engagements for American ground troops in South Vietnam. March 1966 saw 1st Marine Division Headquarters established at Chu Lai. By June, the entire Division was in South Vietnam; its zone of operation – the southern two provinces of I Corps – Quang Tin and Quang Ngai. Between March 1966 and May 1967, the Division conducted 44 named and unnamed operations. Major engagements included Operations HASTINGS and UNION I and II. In these operations, 1st Marine Division units decisively defeated the enemy. During the 1968 Tet Offensive, the Division was involved in fierce fighting with both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army elements. It successfully beat back and decimated every enemy assault in its area of operations, pursuing the enemy into his sanctuaries.

After six hard years, the 1st Marine Division returned to California in 1971, closing another chapter of dedicated service to Corps and country. In 1975, the Division supported the evacuation of Saigon by providing food and temporary shelter at Camp Pendleton for Vietnamese refugees as they arrived in the United States.

1st Medical Battalion was placed under the operational control of the newly activated 1ST Force Service Support Group, Fleet Marine Force on 30 March 1976.

In 1990, the 1st Marine Division formed the core of the force sent to Southwest Asia in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. During Operation DESERT SHIELD, the Division provided the ground combat element of I Marine Expeditionary Force in Saudi Arabia against the Iraqi threat. In 1991, the 1st Medical Battalion joined 2d Medical Battalion under the 2d Marine Logistics Command under I MEF and with the rest of the Coalition Forces in Operation DESERT STORM. In 100 hours of offensive ground combat, 1st Medical Battalion conducted operations form Al Knajar, Al Mishab, Dubai and Kabnit.

In 1992, Medical Battalion assets provided to famine-stricken Somalia. The final phase of the operation involved the transition from a U.S. peacemaking force to a United Nations peacekeeping force. U.S. Marine involvement in Operation RESTORE HOPE officially ended 27 April 1993 when the humanitarian relief sector of Mogadishu was handed over to Pakistani forces.

In early 2003, the Battalion deployed by air and sea to link up with other I MEF elements deployed to Kuwait. In a high speed attack and in conjunction with 1 U.K. Armored Division and the 3d U.S. Army Infantry Division, the Marines and Sailors conducted the deepest penetrating ground operation in Marine Corps history. Attacking to Baghdad alongside 3d ID and eventually seizing Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, the Division again showed the Marine Air-Ground team in action. The 1st Medical Battalion conducted HSS operations in Baghdad, Tikrit, and then in south-central Iraq from May to October 2003. The Battalion then returned home to Camp Pendleton.

In March 2004, the 1st Medical Battalion relieved 82d Airborne Division Medical Units in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. During Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II, the Battalion conducted HSS operations in support of I MEF (FWD) Units throughout the Al Anbar Province, culminating in Operation AL FAJR which liberated the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah and enabled the first legitimate elections to occur in Iraq. In January 2006, the 1ST Medical Battalion returned to provide continued support or the Global War on Tererism.

Today 1st Medical Battalion is a multi-role, expeditionary medical and surgical force. The Battalion is employed as the medical element to the combat service support element (CSSE) of I MEF or may provide task-organized forces for assault operations and such operations as may be directed. The 1st Medical Battalion must be able to provide health service support to the ground amphibious forcible entry capability to the naval expeditionary force (NEF) and to conduct subsequent land operations in any operational environment.

Today, the 1st Medical Battalion continues to support the Global War On Terrorism by providing fully trained medical units and personnel in support of on-going Operation IRAQI FREEDOM/Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, MEU(SOC), and UDP requirements.

1ST Medical Battalion has changed it’s organization several times since it’s inception in 1940. It transformed into its current configuration after Operations Desert Shield/Strom as a result of lessons learned, in order to continue to provide the best possible medical care for Marines and Sailors.
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Coordinates:   33°17'36"N   117°20'41"W
This article was last modified 8 years ago