United States Marine Corps Radio Battalion
Radio Battalions are tactical units of the electronic warfare of the US Marine Corps .
The USMC currently has three of these battalions, which are subordinate to a task force (Marine Expeditionary Units) in amphibious operations as telecommunications reconnaissance elements. As a rule, only parts of the respective battalions are deployed in this case.
Operational principles
A radio battalion is basically divided into three companies: A headquarters and support company to ensure the operational readiness of the staff and the logistical supply of the association, and two operational companies (A and B Company) to carry out the operational telecommunications reconnaissance missions for the three maritime companies Task Force Units of the US Marine Corps. Both companies are mainly experts in intelligence gathering ( signals intelligence ) and electronic reconnaissance, which can be divided into small, mixed teams depending on the order situation. The core element of this team consists of 4-6 specialists with equipment on emergency vehicles HMMWV . The amphibious LAV-25 MEWSS (Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System) is used for electronic warfare. The operational companies also have radio reconnaissance platoons as special forces equivalent for assignments above the regular intelligence gathering level, such as covert infiltration or evacuation of personnel.
history
In June 1943, the 2nd Radio Intelligence Platoon was set up in Camp Elliott , California. This train took part in the Battle of Guadalcanal and the Battle of Peleliu . In the post-war period, a number of different telecommunications reconnaissance units were set up until the early 1960s, and in 1964 they were combined to form the 1st Radio Battalion. This association was used between 1967 and 1975 with parts in the Vietnam War and was also involved in the evacuation of South Vietnamese and American citizens from Saigon (Battle of Saigon). In the early 1980s, the 2nd Radio Battalion was deployed as part of a multinational peace mission in Beirut, Lebanon. In the 1990s, all three battalions participated in American operations in the Second Gulf War , the Somali Civil War, and the Kosovo War. In addition, the associations were repeatedly used in the Iraq war from 2003 .
organization
1st Radio Battalion
The 1st Radio Battalion, restructured in 2004, is based in Camp Pendleton , California and supports the I. Marine Expeditionary Force . The battalion's A company ensures basic intelligence gathering and the operational readiness of the MEWSS teams. The B Company essentially includes the battalion's specialized communications reconnaissance component (Radio Reconnaissance Platoon).
2nd Radio Battalion
The 2nd Radio Battalion is stationed at Camp Lejeune , North Carolina and supports the II Marine Expeditionary Force . Parts of the battalion took part in the war in Afghanistan with the 24th MEU between February 2008 and November 2008.
3rd Radio Battalion
The 3rd Radio Battalion is stationed on Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Kāne'ohe Bay . Since its formation in August 2003, the battalion has had a double function in supporting the I. and III. Marine Expeditionary Force . After the battalion returned to work in Iraq in early 2006, the association specialized in the war on terrorism.