1st Tank Battalion
| 1st Marine Tank Battalion | |
|---|---|
1st Tank Battalion insignia
|
|
| Active | 1 November 1941 – present |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Branch |
 United States Marine Corps
|
| Type | Armor Battalion |
| Role | Armor protected firepower and shock action. |
| Part of |
1st Marine Division 1st Marine Expeditionary Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms |
| Nickname(s) | 1st Tanks |
| Motto(s) | "Steel on Target" |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
LtCol Christopher V. Meyers |
Vietnam War
Operation Desert Storm
War on Terror
The 1st Tank Battalion is an armor battalion of the United States Marine Corps which is based out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. It falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and I Marine Expeditionary Force.
The coat of arms of the 1st Tank Battalion is a jousting shield of blue with a scarlet border and a large numeral "1" (in the 1st Marine Division font) in scarlet behind an M2A4 tank painted as used at Guadalcanal during World War II all behind a diagonal lightening bolt (striking from the shields upper left to the shields lower right). The crest is a Marine Corps emblem of silver and gold contained within a green laurel. A gold banner above the arms is inscribed "First Tank Battalion" and another below the arms inscribed "August-Guadalcanal-1942" in scarlet.
The battle of Guadalcanal began in August 1942 and was the first combat action of the battalion and the M2A4 tank was the first tank used by the battalion. Additionally, the battalion was the only American military unit to ever use the M2A4 tank in battle. The use of this tank memorializes the first combat action of the battalion. The jousting shield is a unique device of mounted and armored warriors and has the upper corner cut away to better wield one's weapons. The colors of the shield and the 1st Marine Division numeral "1" identify the battalion with its parent division. The lightning bolt represents speed, shock effect and firepower. The laurel, in the crest, is an award of honor, recalling the courage, valor and sacrifices of the battalion.
This coat of arms has existed in Marine Corps records—in varied forms—since at least 1970. Other variations exist, often placing the emblems from the coat of arms (the number "1", the tank and lightning bolt) on a differently shaped shield or on the diamond insignia of the 1st Marine Division, often substituting a more modern tank for the original and sometimes rearranging the emblems. This latter device (the number "1", tank, and lightning bolt upon the diamond insignia of the 1st Marine Division) is commonly used as the distinctive unit insignia (or DUI, a badge-type device) of the battalion.
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Wikipedia