U.S. Marine Corps disbanded its last tank battalion

For a long time historical 1-th tank the battalion was the pride of the United States Marine Corps. However, the inexorable time turned out to be merciless to this military unit. Commandant General of the Marine Corps David Berger began restructuring the corps. The closure of the Twentynine Palms center in California was followed by the disbandment of the last active Marine armored battalion.

The California-based 1st Marine Tank Battalion was first deployed at the start of World War II. As part of the 1st Marine Division, a tank battalion was deployed to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

The decision to eliminate (disband) the last US ILC tank battalion fits into the new vision of the Marine Corps as more mobile and lighter, ready for war with such potential US rivals as China and Russia. Since General Berger took over as Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, the Marines have begun to cut spending in a number of ways. In March 2020, Berger announced the need to reduce tanks.

Disbandment Ceremony of the 1st Tank Battalion USMC

In the 14 months that have passed since the corps commandant's statement, almost all of the Marine Corps tanks have been transferred to the American army. By 2023, KMP plans to complete the transfer process. Earlier in May 2021, the 2nd Marine Tank Battalion, based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, was disbanded. When it was disbanded, the commander of the 2nd Marine Division, Major General Francis Donovan, emphasized that the 2nd Tank Battalion had passed a glorious battle path from Iceland in 1941 to Afghanistan today, and was the pride of the 2nd Marine Division.

The tanks that were in service with the Marines are transferred to the army, and the Marine Corps tankers were offered three options for further self-determination: the first option is to continue serving as part of tank crews in army units, the second option is to change their military specialty within the Marine Corps, the third option - early departure from military service.

Currently, as noted by the Marine Corps personnel and reserve representative, Major General Jordan Cochran, 151 tankers have applied for transfer to other positions within the corps, 121 people want to retire early, 12 people want to retire. 89 officers in the officer corps demanded a transfer to other units of the Marine Corps, 2 people asked for early resignation and 2 people were going to retire. Nobody asked for a transfer to army units.

The last commander of the 1st Tank Battalion, in his farewell speech, expressed the hope that the armored units would someday return to the Marine Corps.

I sincerely hope that if the need for tankers ever arises again, the fighting spirit that has been inherent in our battalion for most of a century will be resurrected and inspire the next generations of Marines, as it was on November 1, 1941.

- Lt. Col. Benjamin Adams emphasized during the ceremony.

Comments

[Olezhek]

151 tankers asked for a transfer to other positions within the corps, 121 people wanted to retire early, 12 people wanted to retire. 89 officers in the officer corps demanded a transfer to other units of the Marine Corps, 2 people asked for early resignation and 2 people were going to retire. Nobody asked for a transfer to army units.

Handsome men! Keep the brand

[Vladimir_2U]

Quote: Olezhek

Handsome men! Keep the brand

Pontorez.

[Old tanker]

They're just more Marines than tankers. A real tanker is loyal to the tank, and will not change the armor. It doesn't matter what kind of aircraft. Real US Marine Corps tankers in spirit are those who can mode without the Marine Corps, but cannot betray the tank formation, so they have to resign as the KPM is unnecessary.
But there were no purely tankers by vocation in the US ILC.

[Pereira]

It’s like a cavalry guard asking to be a gendarme.

[Vladimir_2U]

Quote: Pereira

It’s like a cavalry guard asking to be a gendarme.

Yeah, pretentious pontorez in bespontovye hard workers.

[Pereira]

Office manager and business man.

[tralflot1832]

It's a mystery to me why they do this, having a high-speed fleet of supply vessels, large-tonnage gas-turbine ships, equipped with ramps and heavy cranes, to abandon tanks?

[Olezhek]

The decision to liquidate (disband) the last US ILC tank battalion fits into the new vision of the Marine Corps as more mobile and lighter, ready for war with such potential US rivals as China and Russia.

You see, tanks were needed against Arab terrorists.
Tanks are not needed against Russia in principle.

[Old tanker]

Once upon a time under Serdyukov, tanks were also removed from the marines. Because for the transportation of a company of tanks, the same toning is required as for a battalion on an armored personnel carrier. Probably the Americans are proceeding from this.
But with the departure of this, the tanks were returned to our marines.

[mark2]

A mystery to me

The answer suggests itself. It means that not everything is going smoothly in the Danish kingdom. I remember that not so long ago the Americans complained that they did not have enough transport ships for the army.
It can be seen that there is a greater lack of them than is commonly believed.
And then, where did you get the information about the presence of all of the above? Of course, from the Americans themselves.
Everything is cool with them: the army, the economy, technology. They are also the best lies.

[paul3390]

I don’t really understand how they are going to fight Russia and China without serious armored vehicles .. To drive the Papuans - yes, but the very first correct tank brigade that turns up will simply smear them ..

[mojohed2012]

Right.
In the Russian Federation, the Airborne Forces are reinforced with tanks, and the US CPM is weakened. This suggests that the United States is not going to fight with the RF Armed Forces even in a nightmare.

[Alexey RA]

Quote: paul3390

I don’t really understand how they are going to fight Russia and China without serious armored vehicles .. To drive the Papuans - yes, but the very first correct tank brigade that turns up will simply smear them ..

So, according to the new concept, the ILC should not replace the army. Heavy formations and operations on land like the wars in Iraq are now left to the army. And the ILC focuses on working in the maritime theater of operations - for example, on the long-term blockade of China by capturing and holding chains of islands near its coast with its own forces. It is believed that heavy units are not needed for this, but firepower and anti-ship capabilities are very much needed - therefore, tanks were sacrificed for the sake of strengthening the "strike-missile" component - MLRS / OTR and anti-ship missiles.

The trick is that a year before the decision on the tanks, the KMP ordered new medium boats, designed just for the transportation of one "Abram". These boats were supposed to replace the old LCM-8, which, after the transition of the ILC to "Abrams", ceased to be tank landing (only M60 fit in them) - which seriously reduced the ability to drop heavy equipment.

[paul3390]

Well, well, how can they fight with Russia? We have important islands to count on one hand .. Besides, the times are not Iwo Jima, the captured islands will simply be covered with something more difficult, and goodbye Johnny .. You can’t hold them back ..

[Old tanker]

This is the savings that Berger talked about. No Abrams and no boats needed. Instead, they will buy something that fits more into the new concept.

[Mouse]

last pride wasted ...

[d1975]

In the course of their Serdyukov wound up))) Stupid and illogical decision! But I have no regrets about the enemies.

[Uncle lee]

Quote: d1975

Silly and illogical decision!

And let everything be disbanded! We are not going to attack them, China too .... So let them sit quietly behind a puddle!

[Alf]

Quote: d1975

In the course of them Serdyukov wound up)

Maybe our sent Cossack girl has worked?

[lucul]

Since General Berger took over as Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, the Marines have begun to cut costs in a number of ways.

"It's all Berger censored Courland")))

[Sands Careers General]

fits into the new vision of the Marine Corps as more mobile and lighter, ready for war with such potential US rivals as China and Russia

If they are going to fight, then what?))
Smell from the mouth, a dust brush and foul language?

We will pass them on))

[Volodin]

Quote: General of the Sand Quarries

If they are going to fight, then what?))
Smell from the mouth, a dust brush and foul language?

We will pass them on))

Well, there is no need for a hat at all here

[voyaka uh]

For the first time, tactical precision missiles will be transferred to the Marine Corps.

[Nikolaevich I]

Well that's it! Lollipop! Now in the trains of the Washington subway there will be "retired tankers" in shabby camouflage and signs in their hands with the text: We are not local ... ourselves! And all-blacks!

[Essex62]

A strange decision, although one abrash battalion is just one battalion. How many boxes were there in the state? For ten minutes fight.

[Castro Ruiz]

The concept of such an INTO KMP passes from the army to something like the Sturmkampfgruppen.

[Artemion3]

Quote: paul3390

I don’t really understand how they are going to fight Russia and China without serious armored vehicles .. To drive the Papuans - yes, but the very first correct tank brigade that turns up will simply smear them ..

You rejoice early, in return they increase the number of HIMARS rocket batteries, which are much lighter and add something else

[Andrey Sushkov]

Well, it is quite possible that they will develop other equipment specially adapted to solving the problems of sea (any) amphibious operations, similar to our BMD and vehicles based on them, which are lighter and more maneuverable, which is not unimportant when deploying on a landing bridge on the coast. And the tanks will be assigned their traditional role - breaking through the deeply echeloned and well-fortified enemy defenses in the land areas of combat operations.

[bogart047]

Nobody asked for a transfer to army units.

would anyone explain?

[d1975]

The marines are separate, the navy, or rather the navy, are separate, and the army and the national guard are also separate.

[Alexey RA]

Quote: bogart047

would anyone explain?

This is like offering a landing party a choice: to serve further in the Airborne Forces or to transfer to the army in the motorized infantry.

[Oleg Aviator]

And if their CMP were completely disbanded, it would be great.

[Andrey Sushkov]

And what actually changed? Tanks in the US Army remained, they were simply transferred from one department to another. They can also refuse from aviation, so as not to duplicate this type of troops. Such an approach in modern combat strategy, when almost every unit is connected into a single information network on the battlefield, is fully justified and allows not to scatter resources across several types of armed forces. In addition, the use of the Marine Corps as a vanguard unit in the seizure of a beachhead is easily associated with our Airborne Forces, which have their own, special equipment adapted for transportation and landing by air and their tasks in a combat situation. It's just that, at one time, the Marines really wanted to be like army men and be able to solve the same tasks as ordinary ground forces, but now the gap in specialization really took its toll and the conclusions suggested themselves.

[Artemion3]

Quote: Andrey Sushkov

Well, it is quite possible that they will develop other equipment, specially adapted to solving the problems of sea (any) landing operations.

In theory, the marines have elite troops at the mattresses and they should get the best samples of equipment, tk. they are at the very forefront

[Artemion3]

Quote: Andrey Sushkov

They can also refuse from aviation, so as not to duplicate this type of troops.

They will not give up aviation, they also need air superiority in order to land.