# 1st Medical Battalion

1st Medical Battalion is a unit of the United States Marine Corps operated by the United States Navy that provides expeditionary Health Service Support to Marine Corps forces forward deployed to operations or humanitarian missions. The unit is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and falls under the command of 1st Marine Logistics Group.

## Mission

Provides expeditionary health service support to the operating units of the First Marine Expeditionary Force to preserve and save every possible life and support the war fighting capability of the MEF.

## Subordinate units

* Headquarters and Services Company (HSC)
* Surgical Company A (A Company)
* Surgical Company B (B Company)
* Surgical Company C (C Company)
Each lettered Surgical Company consists of 4 Surgical Platoons that provide Role 2 Light Maneuver capabilities consisting of command and control, damage control resuscitation, damage control surgery, limited patient holding, radiology, laboratory and blood banking capabilities and MEDEVAC personnel and equipment. Typically, the Surgical Companies and Surgical Platoons are task organized to support the full range of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force units.

## History
### 1940 - 1941

Activated September 6, 1940 at Quantico, Virginia, as the 1st Medical Battalion and assigned to the 1st Marine Brigade.
Deployed during October 1940 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Reassigned during February 1941 to the 1st Marine Division.
Relocated during April 1941 to Quantico, Virginia, and Parris Island, South Carolina.
Relocated during September 1941 to New River, North Carolina.

### 1942 - 1947

Deployed during June - July 1942 to Wellington, New Zealand.
Participated in the following World War II campaigns:
* Guadalcanal
* Eastern New Guinea
* New Britain
* Peleliu
* Okinawa
Participated in the occupation of North China, September 1945 - May 1947.
Redeployed during May 1947 to Guam.

### 1947 - 1964

Reactivated 16 July 1947 at Camp Pendleton, California, and assigned to the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force.
Deployed during August 1950 to Kobe, Japan.
Participated in the Korean War, September 1950 - July 1953, operating from
* Inchon-Seoul
* Chosin Reservoir
* East-Central Front
* Western Front
Participated in the defense of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, July 1953 - April 1955.
Relocated during April 1955 to Camp Pendleton, California.

### 1965 - 1993

Deployed during June 1965 to Okinawa.
Participated in the Vietnam War, March 1966 - April 1971, operating from
* Chu Lai
* Da Nang
* An Hoa
* Quang Tri
* Phu Bai
Relocated during April 1971 to Camp Pendleton, California.
Placed under the operational control of the 1st Force Service Support Group, Fleet Marine Force, on 30 March 1976.
Participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Southwest Asia, August 1990 - April 1991.
Participated in Operation Restore Hope, Somalia, December 1992 - January 1993.

### 2003 - Present

Deployed during February 2003 to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, March - September 2003 and February - September 2004.
Elements participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, 2004 - 2009.
1st Force Service Support Group (FSSG) was redesignated as 1st Marine Logistics Group (MLG), 21 October 2005.
Elements participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, 2009 - 2014.
Elements participated in Operation Border Support, Southwestern U.S., November 2018 - February 2019 and April - September 2019.
Elements attached in support of Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) Crisis Response US CENTCOM participated in Operation Allies Refuge, January - November 2021.

## Honors and awards

Presidential Unit Citation Streamer with one Silver and three Bronze Stars
World War II
* Guadalcanal - 1942
* Peleliu, Ngesbus - 1944
* Okinawa - 1945
Korea
* 1950
* 1951
Vietnam
* 1966 - 1967
* 1967 - 1968
Iraq
* 2003
Joint Meritorious Unit Award Streamer
* Somalia 1992 - 1993
Navy Unit Commendation Streamer with one Bronze Star
* Korea 1952 - 1953
* Southwest Asia 1990 - 1997
Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamer with two Bronze Stars
* Vietnam 1968 - 1969
* 1984 - 1986
* 1995 - 1997
American Defense Service Streamer with one Bronze Star
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer with one Silver and one Bronze Star
World War II Victory Streamer
Navy Occupation Service Streamer with "Asia"
China Service Streamer
National Defense Service Streamer with three Bronze Stars
Korean Service Streamer with two Silver Stars
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer
Vietnam Service Streamer with two Silver and two Bronze Stars
Southwest Asia Service Streamer with two Bronze Stars
Afghanistan Campaign Streamer with one Bronze Star
Iraq Campaign Streamer with three Bronze Stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Streamer
Global War on Terrorism Service Streamer
Korean Presidential Unit Citation Streamer
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Streamer
Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Actions Streamer