3-ші барлау батальонының тарихы мен құрамы

The 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion (3rd Recon) conducts amphibious and ground reconnaissance in support of the 3rd Marine Division and Marine Forces Pacific (MarForPac), operating in the commander's areas of influence. The battalion is based out of Camp Schwab, a satellite base of Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler. It is geographically located on the Okinawa Prefecture in Japan.

The 3rd Recon Battalion consists of approximately 450 Marines and Fleet Marine Force sailors that falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. Company B was formed from the 5th Force Reconnaissance Company due to the formation of the Marine Special Operations Teams (MSOT) in 2006. 3rd Recon Battalion supports the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit by augmenting a Reconnaissance and Surveillance (R&S) Platoon.

The 3rd Reconnaissance Company was activated on 16 September 1942 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California as the Company E (Scouts), 3rd Tank Battalion, and assigned to the 3rd Marine Division. On 20 April 1943, they were redesignated as 3rd Scout Company, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. On 1 July 1943, they were redesignated as Company D (Scout), 3rd Tank Battalion. On 1 April 1944, they were redesignated Division Reconnaissance Company, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. Reactivated on 1 March 1952 at Camp Pendleton, they were designated as Reconnaissance Company, Headquarters Battalion and assigned to the 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. In August 1953, they deployed to Camp McGill, Japan; and subsequently redeployed in April 1956 to Camp Hauge, Okinawa. They were deactivated on 14 April 1958 and reactivated the following day, 15 April 1958, at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, as the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. 3rd Recon Battalion deployed to various locations in the Western Pacific until its stand down and deactivation in 1992. After de activation, 3rd Recon Battalion companies devolved to three Regiments in 3rd Marine Division: A Company Recon Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, B Company – Recon Company, 9th Marine Regiment, and D Company – Recon Company, 4th Marine Regiment. C Company personnel were folded into B and D companies prior to disbandment. In January 1994, Recon companies, 4th Marine Regiment and 9th Marine Regiment merged to form Recon Company, Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division at Camp Schwab, Okinawa. Recon Company, 3rd Marine Regiment remained at the Regimental level. On 2 June 2000, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion was again reactivated by combining the force and company reconnaissance elements.

In January–February 1943, they deployed to Auckland, New Zealand. During the recapture of Guam, the 3rd Marine Division and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade each had its own reconnaissance company. Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd split the 3rd Division's scout and sniper company into its three platoons to attach each to the brigade's regiments, the 4th and 22nd. The 22nd Marine Regiment's commander, Colonel Merlin F. Schneider, kept his regiment's assigned recon platoon close to the command post (CP). They were used to for rapid deployment on recon missions for the regimental commander, or when not being used on a specific mission, they guarded the CP. Within the 1st Marine Prov. Brigade, on the night of 25–26 July 1944, Colonel Craig, the commanding officer of 9th Marines and the adjoining 21st Marines were concerned about the front line that was left open. Craig opted to use his regimental scout platoon to help fill the gap between the regiments. At about 2330, a forward operating post reported increased activity. By midnight, artillery and mortar fire bombarded the area starting another major counterattack by the Japanese. As a consequence, the lightly armed scout platoon was forced to fall back. The Marines made their encounter with a small company of Viet Cong on 22 April 1965. A recon patrol from D Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion was scouting 13 kilometers southwest of Da Nang. The Marine patrol was accompanied by a few platoons from the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). After a brief intense exchange of small arms fire, the outnumbered recon Marines radioed in for support. An infantry company from Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines (BLT 1/3) reinforced the small group of D Company and the ARVN. The combined force was able to push the hostile force back several kilometers before losing them in the heavily foliaged terrain. No other full team was lost during the remaining six years of the Vietnam War. The team's "Last Known Activity" report reads:
2 June 1969 Recon Team "Flight Time" from D Company, 3rd Recon Battalion, was inserted on Hill 471 about a kilometer south of Khe Sanh in the Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam. On the night of 3/4 June 1969 the team was attacked by an enemy force and requested both emergency extraction and immediate reinforcement. Communications with the team were lost at 0320. When the reactionary force arrived a little after 0400 they were too late the six members of '"Flight Time" were killed in action. Five members of the team were in a small trench; the sixth, was approximately 10 meters further down the hillside. It was apparent from the state of the battle area that "Flight Time" had been overwhelmed in fierce hand to hand combat. Team members were 1st Lt. Michael M. O'Connor, Cpl. William A. Buck Jr., Cpl. William M. Wellman Jr., LCpl. Douglas W. Barnitz, Pfc. Robert L. Pearcy and Pfc. Harold A. Skaggs. The last elements of the battalion left South Vietnam on 20 November 1969 as part of Operation Keystone Cardinal.