2nd Battalion 8th Marines

2nd Battalion, 8th Marines
2nd Battalion, 8th Marines insignia
Active	1 April 1940 – 13 November 1947 1 November 1950 – present
Country	United States
Allegiance	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	Light infantry
Role	Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver or repel the enemy's assault with fire and close combat.
Part of	8th Marine Regiment 2nd Marine Division
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Nickname	"America's Battalion"
Motto	"Front Towards Enemy"
Engagements	World War II *Battle of Guadalcanal *Battle of Tarawa *Battle of Saipan *Battle of Tinian *Battle of Okinawa Operation Urgent Fury Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom * 2003 invasion of Iraq Operation Enduring Freedom *Operation Strike of the Sword
Commanders
Current commander	LtCol Harrill

2nd Battalion, 8th Marines (2/8) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 900 Marines and Sailors. Nicknamed "America's Battalion," they fall under the 8th Marine Regiment and the 2nd Marine Division.

Subordinate units

• Headquarters Company
• Echo Company
• Fox Company
• Golf Company
• Weapons Company

Mission

Locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, and to repel the enemy's assault by fire and close-combat.

History

World War II

2nd Battalion, 8th Marines was activated on 1 April 1940 in San Diego as the 2nd Battalion 8th Marine Regiment and assigned to the 2nd Marine Brigade. The 2nd Marine Brigade was re-designated 1 February 1941 as 2nd Marine Division. During World War II, the battalion participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal, Battle of Tarawa, Battle of Saipan, Battle of Tinian and the Battle of Okinawa. Following the surrender of Japan, the battalion deployed to Nagasaki, Japan in September 1945 as part of the occupation. They remained in Japan in this capacity until they redeployed back to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in June 1946. The battalion was deactivated on 13 November 1947 as part of the post-war drawdown of forces.

1950–2000

The battalion was reactivated on 1 December 1950 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and assigned to 2nd Marine Division. From July to September 1958 they took part in the United States intervention in during the Lebanon crisis. This was followed by a deployment to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base as part of the Cuban Missile Crisis from October to December 1962.

• Relocated in June 1968 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
• Relocated in August 1973 to Camp Lejeune, NC.
• Participated as part of Multi-Nation Peace Keeping Force in Lebanon August – September 1982, and February- October 1984
• Participated in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada October – November 1983.
• Participated in Operation Provide Comfort Iraq April – July 1991.
• Elements participated in Operation Support Democracy Cuba October – November 1993.
• Participated in support of Operation Joint Endeavor Adriatic Sea October 1996.
• Elements participated in security operations Haiti and Panama November 1997 – February 1998 and January – August 1999.

Global War on Terror

• Operation Iraqi Freedom – Iraq, March – May 2003.
• Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan November 2003 to May 2004.
• 26th MEU – Iraq, March 2005 – September 2005.
• Operation Iraqi Freedom – Iraq, July 2006 – February 2007.
• Operation Iraqi Freedom – Iraq, October 2007 – May 2008.
• Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, May 2009 – November 2009.
• Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, January 2011 - August 2011.

2/8 deployed to Afghanistan in May 2009 as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. They were part of the 17,000 troop increase announced by President Obama in mid-February 2009.

Awards

•   Presidential Unit Citation with 3 bronze stars
•   Joint Meritorious Unit Award
•   Navy Unit Commendation
•   Meritorious Unit Commendation
•   Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
•   American Defense Service Medal
•   Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 silver star
•   World War II Victory Medal
•   Navy Occupation Service Medal
•   National Defense Service Medal with 3 bronze stars
•   Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with 3 bronze stars
•   Southwest Asia Service Medal with 1 bronze star
•   Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• Iraqi Campaign Medal

• Lt. Gen. Chesty B. Puller Outstanding Leadership Award — on 15 May 2007, the 2/8 received this award for "professional achievement and sustained superior performance in training, maintaining, equipping, fostering, nurturing and mentoring Marines and sailors as well as overall unit mission accomplishment from 1 April 2006 to 30 September 2006."

See also

• 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines – Also known as "America's Battalion"
• History of the United States Marine Corps
• List of United States Marine Corps battalions
• Organization of the United States Marine Corps

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

Bibliography

• Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle – Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939–1945.’’. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31906-5. 

Web

• "2/8 Official website". Archived from the original on 2 July 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070702014522/http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/2dmardiv/28/web/. Retrieved 23 May 2007. 
• 2/8's official website while forward deployed in Iraq