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1st Marine Division (United States)

1st Marine Division
1st Marine Division insignia.svg
1st Marine Division insignia
Active Full division active 1 February 1941 – present. 5th Marine Regiment served in World War I
Allegiance  United States of America
Branch United States Marine Corps
Type Marine ground combat element forces
Role Command and control organization containing four Marine regiments and several separate combat support battalions
Size Marine Division (Approximately 22,000)
Part of I Marine Expeditionary Force
Garrison/HQ Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Nickname(s) The Old Breed
Blue Diamond
Motto(s) No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy
March "Waltzing Matilda"
Engagements

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Cold War

Vietnam War

Gulf War

Somali Civil War

Iraq War

War in Afghanistan (2001–14)

Commanders
Current
commander
MajGen Daniel J. O'Donohue
Notable
commanders
Holland Smith
Alexander Vandegrift
William H. Rupertus
Oliver P. Smith
James M. Masters, Sr.
Edwin A. Pollock
James Mattis
Pedro Del Valle

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Cold War

Vietnam War

Gulf War

Somali Civil War

Iraq War

War in Afghanistan (2001–14)

The 1st Marine Division is a Marine infantry division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).

It is the oldest and largest active duty division in the United States Marine Corps, representing a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 men and women. It is one of three active duty divisions in the Marine Corps today and is a multi-role, expeditionary ground combat force. It is nicknamed "The Old Breed".

The division is employed as the ground combat element (GCE) of the I Marine Expeditionary Force or may provide task-organized forces for assault operations and such operations as may be directed. The 1st Marine Division must be able to provide the ground amphibious forcible entry capability to the naval expeditionary force (NEF) and to conduct subsequent land operations in any operational environment.

The 1st Marine Division is currently organized around four regiments:

The division's regiments were in existence as early as 8 March 1911, when the 1st Marine Regiment was formed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The 5th Marines were created in Vera Cruz, Mexico on 13 July 1914 and participated in 15 major engagements during World War I, including Belleau Wood, Chateau Thierry, and St. Mihiel. On 7 August 1917,7th Marines were activated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and spent the duration of World War I in Cuba and were disbanded after the war. The 11th Marines was formed in January 1918 at Quantico, Va., as a light artillery regiment. The regiment went to France as an infantry unit, providing a machine gun company and a guard company. Decommissioned and reactivated twice between the world wars, the regiment was re-formed in 1940 as a full-fledged artillery unit.


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