2nd Battalion 24th Marines 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines ( 2 / 24 ) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Chicago , Illinois consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors . The battalion falls under the 24th Marine Regiment and the 4th Marine Division . Mission . Provide trained combat and combat support personnel and units to augment and reinforce the active component in time of war , national emergency , and at other times as national security requires ; and have the capability to reconstitute the 4th Marine Division , if required . History . Founding . The origin of 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines can be traced back to the establishment of the 9th Reserve Battalion in 1922 . They were mobilized in November 1940 as part of the preparation for World War II . Many of Chicago ' s reservists became part of the newly founded 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines , 4th Marine Division , Fleet Marine Force . World War II . 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines was activated on March 26 , 1943 as part of the 4th Marine Division . Their first action was the invasion of the Marshall Islands on February 1 , 1944 , securing the first portion of the Japanese Empire to be conquered by the United States in World War II . On June 15 , 1944 , the battalion landed on Saipan in the Marianas . Fifteen days after Saipan was secured , they assaulted the island of Tinian , securing that island in eight days . 2 / 24 , received its first Presidential Unit Citation for the capture of Saipan and Tinian . On February 19 , 1945 , 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines landed on Iwo Jima and fought for 35 days until the island was finally secured on March 26 , 1945 . The battalion was awarded a second Presidential Unit Citation for its participation in the capture of Iwo Jima . Captain Joseph J . McCarthy , Commanding Officer , Co . G , 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines , and a Chief in the Chicago Fire Department , was awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallantry during the battle . The battalion was demobilized on October 31 , 1945 . Korean War . In October 1950 , they were mobilized and sent to Camp Pendleton , California for further transfer to Korea , where Chicago Marines saw combat during the Korean War . Gulf War . On November 30 , 1990 , the battalion was mobilized as a result of the Presidential call up in support of Operation Desert Shield . Training and final preparation for the war in the desert was conducted at Camp Lejeune , North Carolina , during December 1990 . Upon the battalion ' s arrival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , it was assigned the mission of security for critical facilities . The 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines were initially assigned the mission of protecting the I Marine Expeditionary Force commander ' s primary bases in Northern Saudi Arabia , to include the Naval Air Field at Al Jubail , the ammunition storage site near Abu Hadriah and the defense of I MEF headquarters at Ras Safanya and Marine Aircraft Group 16 at Tanajib , thus providing security for an area over 40 miles wide and 135 miles deep . As Operation Desert Storm commenced , the area of responsibility increased further west to Kibrit and north to Al Khanjar . During the ground war , 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines provided security to the largest ammunition supply point in the country , at the loss of which would have critically impaired the ground offensive . During the liberation of Kuwait , elements of 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines provided security to I Marine Expeditionary Force Command Post in Kuwait . Additionally , they took up defensive positions at Al Jaber Airfield south of Kuwait City . While maintaining its mission of providing security , 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines was also responsible for the handling and processing of over 10 , 300 enemy prisoners of war in a 96 hour period . The battalion returned to Chicago on 12 May 1991 , after 5 months of deployment , with 3½ months in Southwest Asia . Global War on Terror . Chicago ' s Own was mobilized again in June 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) . The battalion trained at Camp Pendleton until Sept . of that year when they relocated to Mahmudiyah , in the North Babil Province of Iraq , an area known as the " Triangle of Death " . The battalion was engaged in intense combat operations against members of the Iraqi insurgency . 2 / 24 made Marine Corps history when they became the first reserve infantry battalion of OIF to operate independently , isolated on its own forward operating base . Two - time Pulitzer Prize Winner John F . Burns , the Chief Foreign Correspondent of the New York Times described his time spent with 2 / 24 this way : " A week with the 2 / 24 Marines at their bases 15 to 30 miles south of Baghdad , in the heart of the area known as the Triangle of Death , was a window on the demands being made of reservists , and on the resourcefulness and resilience they bring to the challenges . There is little they cannot do , with hard work and improvisation , the battalion ' s officers say , reflecting the widely varied backgrounds of the men in the Chicago - based unit - doctors , policemen , engineers , teachers , carpenters , truck drivers , lawyers , computer specialists , community counselors , college students , to name a few . " After establishing additional strong points in the area , working closely with the Iraqi Army and Police , providing security for the first - ever open democratic elections in Iraq and arresting over 1 , 000 suspected insurgents ( with an incredibly high conviction rate , ) 2 / 24 returned to California in March 2005 . They deactivated in May 2005 . In March 2006 , elements of 2 / 24 participated in Operation Shared Accord in Niger . The Marines taught basic military tactics to groups of soldiers from the " Forces Armees Nigeriennes " and also provided humanitarian support to some of Niger ' s neediest citizens . In May 2006 , Echo Company of 2 / 24 participated in Operation Noble Shirley in Israel by conducting desert warfare and joint counter - terrorism training with the Israeli Defense Force s [ IDF ] . On September 10 , 2007 , 2nd Battalion , 24th Marines were once again activated in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom , and relocated to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms , California . The battalion began another tour in Iraq beginning in January 2008 and operated in the vicinity of Habbaniyah , operating out of base formerly known as RAF Habbaniya . On August 10 , 2008 they turned over their area of operations to 1st Battalion , 2nd Marines and returned stateside in late August .