United States Marine Corps Light Armored Reconnaissance
Encyclopedia
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalions, or LAR Battalions, are fast and mobilized armored
Armoured reconnaissance
Armoured reconnaissance is terrestrial reconnaissance by soldiers in reconnaissance vehicles. The mission of armoured reconnaissance is to gather intelligence about the enemy.-Australia:...
terrestrial reconnaissance
Terrestrial reconnaissance
Terrestrial reconnaissance, or ground recon, is a type of reconnaissance that is employed along the elements of ground warfare. It is the collection of intelligence that strictly involves routes, areas, zones ; and the enemy...
units that conduct reconnaissance-in-force (RIF) ahead of the battalion landing teams or division infantry forces. They mainly provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force
Marine Air-Ground Task Force
The Marine Air-Ground Task Force is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined arms task organization of Marine Corps forces under a single commander that...
and the Marine Expeditionary Unit
Marine Expeditionary Unit
A Marine expeditionary unit , formerly called Marine amphibious unit , is the smallest Marine air-ground task force in the United States Fleet Marine Force...
commanders vital intelligence of the enemy.
They perform their methods as special mechanized, infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
-based reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
units as they are equipped with LAV-25s to quickly penetrate enemy lines and locate and/or harass any enemy forces to determine their size, strengths, location, and any other pertinent information requested of the Marine commanders.
History
The LAR Battalions were formed from the remnants of the Scout (Tank) companiesUnited States Marine Corps Scout (Tank) and Sniper Company
The United States Marine Corps Scout and Sniper companies and the Scouts companies of the tank battalions were the first amongst the division's reconnaissance assets. They existed around the same exact moment when 1st and 2nd Marine Division were created. In 1941, each regiment had a scout and...
in Marine tank battalions that existed during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The early tank scouts would reconnoiter ahead of enemy forces and conduct reconnaissance-in-force while riding on top of the tanks. They became reliable as they were able to be projected into enemy territory, harass the enemy, and withdraw back to friendly lines, reporting their newfound intelligence. By the time World War II ended, the scout companies formed into scout and snipers platoons and Division Reconnaissance companies
United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions
The United States Marine Corps Reconnaissance Battalions are the reconnaissance assets of Marine Air-Ground Task Force that provide division-level ground and amphibious reconnaissance to the Ground Combat Element within the United States Marine Corps...
.
In the early 1980s, the Light Armored Battalions were created to fill in the necessary assets to the infantry regiments. Prior to the formation of LAR Battalions assigned to the Fleet Marine Force (FMF), there was one combat-ready LAV-25 equipped unit within the Marine Corps. In 1983, the First Light Armored Vehicle Battalion (1stLAVB), was created at Marine Corps Air and Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) Twentynine Palms, California
Twentynine Palms, California
Twentynine Palms is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It was previously called Twenty-Nine Palms...
.
LAR Battalions are tasked with screening for RCTs or BLTs and are not to get decisively engaged. However during OIF many elements of LAR Battalions were the lead element in the push to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
.
List of battalions
| Battalion Name | Insignia | Nickname | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed the "Highlanders," their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they fall under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force... |
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Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
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2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they fall under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and II Marine Expeditionary Force. The unit is based out of the Marine Corps Base... |
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Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is a United States military training facility in North Carolina. The base's of beaches make it a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports allows for fast deployments.The main base is supplemented by five satellite... , North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
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3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion ' is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they are part of the 1st Marine Division and I Marine Expeditionary Force... |
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center , also known as 29 Palms, is a United States Marine Corps base. It was a census-designated place officially known as Twentynine Palms Base located adjacent to the city of Twentynine Palms in southern San Bernardino County, California. As of the 2000... , California |
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4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps reserve. Their primary weapon system is the LAV-25 and they are part of the 4th Marine Division and Marine Forces Reserve... |