2nd Battalion 11th Marines

2nd Battalion 11th Marines (2/11) is an artillery battalion comprising four firing batteries (Echo, Fox, Golf, Kilo 3/12) and a Headquarters Battery. The battalion is stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and its primary weapon system is the M777 lightweight howitzer. The battalion was the second in the Marine Corps to fully transition from the M198 Howitzer. They fall under the command of the 11th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division.

Mission
Provide direct support of the 11th Marine Regiment in time of conflict. That support may come in the traditional fashion of artillery support to maneuver forces, or by providing batteries to serve as provisional rifle companies. They also have the secondary mission of conducting civil-military operations or "CAG Ops".

Current units

 * Headquarters Battery
 * E Battery
 * F Battery
 * G Battery
 * Battery K/3/12

History


The battalion was activated September 5, 1918 at Montierchame, France as the 2d Battalion, 11th Regiment. They were relocated during July–August 1919 to Hampton Roads, Virginia. and were deactivated August 11, 1919.

1927-1929
2/11 was reactivated on May 9, 1927 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia as the 2d Battalion, 11th Regiment. Deployed during May 1927 to Chinadenga, Nicaragua and assigned to the 2d Brigade. They participated in operations against dissidents in May–July 1927. They were redesignated July 1, 1927 as the 2d Separate Battalion, 11th Regiment and relocated to San Diego, California. The battalion was deactivated September 10, 1927. They were again reactivated on January 5, 1928 at San Diego, California as the 2d Battalion, 11th Regiment. The battalion deployed during January 1928 to Corinto, Nicaragua and assigned to the 2d Brigade. They were deactivated August 20, 1929 on board the USS Henderson (AP-1) while en route to the United States.

World War II
2/11 was again reactivated on January 1, 1941 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as the 2d Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Brigade. Relocated during April 1941 to Parris Island, South Carolina. They deployed during June 1942 to Wellington, New Zealand. The battalion participated in the following World War II battles: Battle of Guadalcanal, Finschhafen, Battle of New Britain, Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Okinawa. They redeployed during September 1945 to Tientsin, China and participated in the occupation of Northern China from September 1945 to December 1946.

They were reassigned during January 1947 to the Fleet Marine Force and redeployed during January - February 1947 to Guam. Relocated during April–May 1947 they moved to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Brigade. They were again reassigned during July 1947 to the 1st Marine Division and relocated during August 1947 to Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California. 2/11 was deactivated on September 28, 1947.

1950-1965
The battalion was reactivated on August 7, 1950 at Camp Pendleton as the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division and deployed during August–September 1950 to Kobe, Japan. They participated in the Korean War, operating at Inchon-Seoul, the Chosin Reservoir, East Central front, Western front. They were stationed at the Korean Demilitarized Zone from July 1953-March 1955 and finally relocated during March 1955 to Camp Pendleton, California.

Vietnam War
2/11 deployed during February–March 1966 to Camp Hansen, Okinawa. They again redeployed during May 1966 to the Republic of Vietnam and participated in the Vietnam War from May 1966 to March 1971, operating from Chu Lai, Tam Ky, Hue/Phu Bai, Thon Back Thack, Cao Doi and An Hoa. They returned in March–April 1971 to Camp Pendleton, California.

The Gulf War
Deployed during December 1990 with Regimental Landing Team 5, 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade to Southwest Asia. They participated in the defense of Saudi Arabia until January 1991 and proceeded to participate in the liberation of Kuwait in January - May 1991 operating in Um Guar Al-Juba, Al Wafrah. Following the war they took part in the Bangladesh relief effort Operation Sea Angel in May 1991. The battalion returned on June 29, 1991 to Camp Pendleton, California,and was the Gulf War combat unit to return stateside.

1998- Battery F was attached to 31st MEU(SOC) BLT 2/4 Battery F Awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal(with Bronze star) for Combat Operations and Naval Unit Commendations(with Bronze Star), Meritirous Unit Commendation and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

The flexibility of the MEU was demonstrated with the with the Iraq crisis in late 1998 regarding the regime not complying with the U.N. weapons inspections process. All four ARG ships had just completed Exercise Foal Eagle off the coast of Korea, and were heading to various port visits for liberty, when each ship received the call in early Nov 1998 to sail immediately to Okinawa to onload the 31st MEU. A significant portion of the 31st MEU’s 2000 Marines were engaged in urban warfare training in Guam when their message to return to Okinawa came in November. The rest were still in Okinawa, but approximately a quarter of those were a new infantry battalion, just rotating in from California. The battalion had just two days to gather all their personnel to get ready to deploy. The 31st MEU and ships’ company personnel started their initial onloads to the ships on 9 Nov and completed the morning of 11 Nov. In one night alone, they loaded more than 170 pallets of equipment, weapons, and cargo. In addition, a C-5 Galaxy from Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, originally scheduled to bring maintenance supplies and tools to Okinawa two weeks later, arrived early on 10 Nov 1998 in order to restock the MEU’s Air Combat Element. This evolution was a part of the normal supply rotation, but the shipment arrived a week early – just in time to load onto the ships before they departed. From Nov 1998 to Feb 1999, the MEU participated in operations in the Persian Gulf and off the coast of Kuwait, including Operation Southern Watch and Operation Desert Fox.

In December 1998 2/4 participated as the Battalion Landing Team (BLT) for the 31 Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable (MEUSOC). The operation, named "Desert Fox", was a retaliation to Saddam Hussein's refusal to comply with U.N. Security Council Resolutions that led to a coalition air bombing campaign. The Marines of 2/4 were also set up in a defense at and around Muttla ridge, in Kuwait, to act as a deterrent for any Iraqi attack on Kuwait that might have followed the air campaign.

Operation Iraqi Freedom
2/11 deployed during January 2003 with the 1st Marine Division to Kuwait. They participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq as part of Regimental Combat Team 5. The battalion relocated during back to Camp Pendleton, California in August 2003. In August 2004, the battalion again deployed in support of OIF and operated as a provisional military police with the 1st Marine Division in Ramadi, Iraq. They returned to Camp Pendleton in March 2005. From then to September 2007, individual batteries continued to deploy as both traditional artillery and provisional military police throughout Al Anbar.

From February 2008 through February 2009 the battalion deployed as civil affairs unit to areas of Fallujah, Ramadi and far western Al Anbar Province.

Awards

 * US Navy Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon.png Presidential Unit Citation Streamer with  one silver and four Bronze Stars
 * World War II
 * Battle of Guadalcanal – 1942
 * Battle of Peleliu, Ngesebus – 1944
 * Battle of Okinawa – 1945
 * Korean War
 * 1950, 1950, 1957
 * Vietnam War
 * 1966, 1966–1967, 1967–1968
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom – 2003
 * Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Navy Unit Commendation Streamer with three Bronze Stars
 * World War II
 * Cape Gloucester - 1943-1944
 * Korea
 * 1952-1953
 * Southwest Asia
 * 1990-1991
 * OIF 2-2
 * 2003-2004
 * Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer with one Bronze Star
 * Vietnam
 * 1968, 1994
 * World War I Victory Medal ribbon.svg World War I Victory Streamer
 * Nicaraguan Campaign ribbon 1933.svg Second Nicaraguan Campaign Streamer
 * American Defense Service ribbon.svg American Defense Service Streamer with one Bronze Star
 * Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer with one Silver and one Bronze Star
 * World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg World War II Victory Streamer
 * Army of Occupation ribbon.svg Navy Occupation Service Streamer with "ASIA"
 * China Service Medal ribbon.svg China Service Streamer
 * National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg National Defense Service Streamer with two Bronze Stars
 * KSMRib.svg Korean Service Streamer with two Silver Stars
 * AFEMRib.svg Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer
 * Vietnam Service Ribbon.svg Vietnam Service Streamer with two Silver and two Bronze Stars
 * Southwest Asia Service ribbon.svg Southwest Asia Service Streamer with two Bronze stars
 * Presidential Unit Citation (Korea).svg Korean Presidential Unit Citation Streamer
 * Vietnam gallantry cross-w-palm-3d.svg Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Streamer
 * Vietnam Meritorious Unit Commendation Civil Actions Streamer