In Kabul, 8th Marines Add to Storied History Before Official Deactivation
Mil & Intel
By Mac Caltrider | August 24, 2021
Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment — a unit slated to be fully deactivated soon — were among the first Americans to respond to the 1 Comment. Alongside them, Marines of 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, and soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division are making history as the US races to close the book on Afghanistan.
The Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 plan slated the 8th Marine Regiment for full deactivation, and while the regiment held a ceremony to case its colors in January, the official deactivation of each battalion has been staggered. In May, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, was fully dissolved, while the 1st and 2nd Battalions were temporarily moved to other regiments. Currently, 1/8 falls under the 6th Marine Regiment, while 2/8 is under the 2nd Marine Regiment.
US Marine Corps Col. John H. Rochford, commanding officer of 8th Marine Regiment, and Sgt. Maj. Keith D. Hoge, case the regimental colors during a deactivation ceremony on Camp Lejeune, N.C., Jan. 28, 2021. The regiment served a total of 68 years and is now being deactivated in accordance with the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030. US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Chase W. Drayer, courtesy of DVIDS.
US Marine Corps Col. John H. Rochford, commanding officer of 8th Marine Regiment, and Sgt. Maj. Keith D. Hoge case the regimental colors during a deactivation ceremony on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Jan. 28, 2021. US Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Chase W. Drayer, courtesy of DVIDS.
This is the fourth deactivation of the 8th Marines, which first activated in 1917 for service in World War I. Two years later, the regiment was deactivated as the Corps downsized during peacetime. Less than a year later, the 8th Marines were born again to serve in Haiti during the Banana Wars.
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