Marine Corps says goodbye to its ‘Island Warrior’ infantry battalion after 80 years
"It is still hard to say goodbye to a unit that has so completely defined the experience of being a Marine."
By Jeff Schogol | Published Jan 19, 2022 4:29 PM
Since 1942, the Marines and sailors with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines have fought their way through the Pacific, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Now the “Island Warriors” will case their colors on Friday.
The unit is “one of the finest and storied battalions currently in the Marine Corps,” Lt. Gen. James W. Bierman, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, wrote in a recent memo.
Among the battalion’s many accomplishments, Bierman credited the Island Warriors for breaking the back of the enemy insurgency during its deployment to Western Iraq from September 2006 to April 2007. During that time, Sunni leaders partnered with U.S. troops to fight Al Qaeda terrorists in a movement known as the “Anbar Awakening.” Their victory proved to be the turning of the tide in the Iraq war.
“All of us are first and foremost United States Marines, but it is still hard to say goodbye to a unit that has so completely defined the experience of being a Marine,” Bierman wrote. “Take solace in the fact that the proud and positive memories and the strong relationships will endure.”
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marine-corps-deactivates-2nd-battalion-3rd-marine-regiment/
