4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion ( 4th LAR ) is a mechanized infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps reserve . Their primary weapon system is the LAV - 25 and they are part of the 4th Marine Division and Marine Forces Reserve . The unit headquarters is at Camp Pendleton , California but other units in the battalion are located throughout the United States . Mission . The LAR battalion performs combined arms reconnaissance and security missions in support of the Ground Combat Element ( GCE ) of a Marine Air - Ground Task Force ( MAGTF ) . Its mission is to conduct reconnaissance , security and economy of force operations , and , within its capabilities , limited offensive or defensive operations that exploit the unit ’ s mobility and firepower . The LAR battalion may function as an independent maneuver element or as an element of a larger unit such as a regimental combat team , or its subordinate companies may support other tactical units in the GCE . Organization . An LAV platoon consists of 4 vehicles usually divided into Alpha section and Bravo section . The platoon commander will control one section and also be the vehicle commander ( VC ) of one of the LAV ' S and the platoon sergeant will control the other section as well as be VC as well . A crew consists of a driver , usually the least senior ( 0313 , the MOS designation for LAV Crewman ) , a VC and the gunner . The gunner operates the main gun , the M242 Bushmaster chaingun . The VC makes target acquisition changes and helps the gunner make adjustments . The remaining crew consists of Scouts ( 0311 ) . The LAV can hold as many as six scouts , but in most cases there are only three to four in the back . There is also one corpsman per platoon . History . The 1980s and 1990s . The 4th Light Armored Vehicle Battalion was activated on September 23 , 1987 . From December 26 , 1990 to April 24 , 1991 deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm . The Battalion ' s assets were spread out over hundreds of miles of desert terrain and were utilized by the Marine Command to constantly probe the boundaries of Iraqi controlled areas . The Battalion executed Reconnaissance and Counter Reconnaissance Operations , emergency extraction of friendly forces , breaching of berms and minefields along the Iraqi and Kuwait border and prisoner capture and control . On October 1 , 1996 the battalion was re - designated as the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion . Global War on Terror . From February 24 , 2003 to October 1 , 2003 , 4th LAR deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) . Alpha and Bravo companies were mobilized in early February 2003 and deployed with 1st and 3rd LAR Battalions respectively , participating in the 2003 invasion of Iraq . The remainder of the battalion was activated in early March 2003 and quickly deployed to Iraq . In April 2003 , Delta Company 1st Platoon and H & S Company Black Sheep Platoon , 2nd Section was attached to 2nd Battalion 8th Marines as part of " Task Force Rebel " . Task Force Rebel was tasked with patrolling and securing the city of Al Kut in the Wasit province . In May 2003 the battalion was reconstituted as a whole and conducted surveillance and reconnaissance operations along the Iraq / Iran Border . On June 2 , 2003 the battalion moved to the 1st Marine Division HQ , located in Al Hilla to act as the Division quick reaction force . Bravo Company was based in Ad Diwaniyah , and generally conducted missions separately from the rest of the battalion . On June 13 , 2003 Task Force Scorpion was activated and moved to the Northern Babil province with orders to secure Army convoy routes in and out of Forward Operating Base Dogwood . The core of Task Force Scorpion was initially formed around 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion , consisting initially of H & S and Alpha Companies , 4th LAR ; Co C , 1st Battalion 4th Marines , Co I ( Rein ) , 3rd Battalion , 7th Marines , Co E , 2nd Battalion , 5th Marines , two platoons from Force Reconnaissance ; an Explosive Ordnance Disposal ( EOD ) detachment ; and elements of Radio Battalion . The Task Force was later reinforced with Delta Company and two other active duty infantry companies from 1st Battalion 7th Marines . Task Force Scorpion ' s offensive posture and heavy patrolling effectively reduced the number of attacks on American soldiers in the area . The battalion conducted numerous raids and was eventually awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its work as part of I Marine Expeditionary Force . Since OIF I , Marines from the battalion have continued to support on - going combat and security operations associated with the Global War on Terror . Several Marines returned to Iraq with the 1st Marine Division , serving as members of the Division Commander ' s Personal Security Detachment and as military advisers to Iraqi infantry units . In 2006 , members of Co A and H & S Company were mobilized and formed the 4th Provisional Security Company and deployed to the Horn of Africa . Also Co B was mobilized and returned to Iraq on October 11 , 2006 to serve Dam Security Unit - 3 conducting riverine reconnaissance , support , and security operations from Al - Qa ' im to Fallujah . They returned to the United States on April 1 , 2007 In June 2007 , Marines of Company C were mobilized and attached to 1st Battalion 10th Marines as part of Task Force Military Police . Stationed in Fallujah , they conducted police and security operations , including convoy security and detainee movements , throughout the Anbar Province and returned home in April 2008 . In December 2007 , Marines of Company D were mobilized and attached to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion out of Camp Lejeune for their deployment in support of OIF . They operated with 2nd LAR along the Syrian border and covered an area as large as South Carolina . The Marines of Delta Company were operating out of a train station in the town of Akashat , north of Camp Korean Village . They returned to the United States in October 2008 , and were replaced by Fox Company and Marines from 2 / 25 . Fox Company 4th LAR remained at Akashat until October 2008 before moving north to Al Ambar Provence . South of Sinjar Mountains and as far west as Syria . Fox Company Marines attached to 1st LAR returned to Al Asad in March 2009 after setting an OIF record of a confirmed 94 days spent in field with logistic support . Fox Company Marines returned home April 20 , 2009 to Eastover , S . C . This record was later broken and nearly doubled by Company E from Syracuse , NY during their 2009 deployment along the Syrian border , north of the Sinjar mountains . It remains the longest continuous period spent on non - stop operations during the Iraq war . In September 2009 , the unit mobilized for deployment in Afghanistan . H & S , Alpha , Bravo , Charlie , and a handful of Marines from Delta and Fox were activated , and trained for a six - month deployment schedule of November 2009 to May 2010 . They returned home on May 30 , 2010 . Iraq - 2003 Unit Awards . Afghanistan - 2009 - 2010 ( MEB - PUC ) References . http : / / www . chandlerswatch . com / tag / chandlers - watch / page / 20 /