2nd Battalion 23rd Marines 2nd Battalion , 23rd Marines ( 2 / 23 ) is a reserve infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps located throughout the Western United States consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors . They fall under the command of the 23rd Marine Regiment and the 4th Marine Division . Mission . Provide trained combat personnel and units to augment and reinforce the active component in time of war , national emergency , and at other times as national security requires . History . World War II . Activated on 20 July 1942 at New River , North Carolina , 23rd Marines was assigned to the 4th Marine Division in February 1943 and relocated during July 1943 to Camp Pendleton , California . 23rd Marines participated in the following campaigns during World War II : Kwajalein , Saipan , Tinian , and Iwo Jima . During the fierce fighting which occurred in the Pacific Theater , four Marines of the 23rd Marine Regiment were awarded the Medal of Honor . In October 1945 , the Regiment was again relocated to Camp Pendleton and was subsequently deactivated on 15 November 1945 . For its actions against enemy forces , 23rd Marines received the following awards : Presidential Unit Citation Streamer with one Bronze Star , Asia - Pacific Campaign Streamer with four Bronze Stars , and World War II Victory Streamer . Vietnam . On July 1 , 1962 2 / 23 was reactivated , reassigned to the 4th Marine Division and relocated to Santa Monica , California on property adjacent to the Santa Monica Airport . As a Marine Corps Reserve unit during Vietnam era , the battalion ' s weekend drills and annual two week training were often held at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton as well as other Southern California military installations that included Twenty Nine Palms , Coronado , and Point Hueneme . In January , 1973 the battalion again relocated this time to Encino , California . Gulf War . There was an initial call - up of six specialists in late November 1990 from the Fox Company , located in Salt Lake City , Utah . They left within five days to join 3rd Battalion , 23rd Marines whose headquarters is in the New Orleans , LA . area . From there they proceeded to Camp Lejeune for preparation before deploying to Al Jabail , Saudi Arabia . They proceeded north into Kuwait where their final location was Hill 99 , just outside of Kuwait City . They were released from active duty in May 1991 and returned home . In December 1990 , 2nd Battalion , 23rd Marines was mobilized by Presidential Call - up to support Operation Desert Shield / Storm . 99 . 2 % of those on the rolls reported to their seven separate drill centers for duty . Within two days of activation , this , the largest and most geographically diverse infantry battalion in the Marine Corps , reported to its Station of Initial Assignment at Camp Pendleton , California with 1 , 015 Marine and Navy personnel . Unlike the standard 180 day build up period which most UDP battalions require to prepare for deployment , 2 / 23 deployed within 16 days of activation and joined III MEF on 25 December 1990 in Okinawa , Japan . Global War on Terror . After the terrorist attacks on September 11 , 2001 , 2nd Battalion , 23rd Marines was activated initially for one year , in participation of Operation Enduring Freedom , to act as a Quick Reaction Force ( QRF ) for any additional terrorist attacks that might occur in the United States . Just before its one year deactivation date , the battalion ' s active duty status was extended in order for the unit to deploy to the Middle East to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom ( OIF ) . 2nd Battalion , 23rd Marines was the first complete infantry reserve battalion to deploy in support of OIF I ( 2003 ) . 2 / 23 pushed forward into Iraq on March 20 , 2003 . Among other locations , the battalion fought in An Nasiriyah assisting Task Force Tarawa ' s operations in that area after a U . S . Army convoy was ambushed and several soldiers were taken prisoner by insurgent forces . The battalion moved up Route 17 as part of Regimental Combat Team 1 ( RCT - 1 ) fighting in Al Gharraf and Al Fajr among other towns . The battalion suffered its only combat fatality in Al Fajr . The battalion continued north with RCT 1 and was part of the tactical feint at Al Kut . Ultimately traveling west to An Numaniyah where the 1st Marine Division crossed the Tigris River . A few days later , on April 8 , 2003 , the battalion entered Baghdad with the Division . Fox Company found itself engaged in combat with approximately 200 Fedayeen and Iraqi intelligence personnel . A scout sniper attached to Fox company , Sergeant Scott Montoya , was awarded Navy Cross for " extraordinary heroism in combat " during this engagement . The next day Golf company moved to secure the Iraqi intelligence headquarters from which Fox Company had been attacked the previous day . Once Baghdad was largely secure , Golf Company and a CAAT section from Weapons Company were then selected to be a part of Task Force Tripoli , which was the Marine vanguard into Tikrit . On December 1 , 2008 , 2nd Battalion , 23rd Marines was activated for deployment to Iraq in support of OIF 9 . 1 . Operating near the city of Ar Ramadi . During their deployment , contributions were made to Afghanistan and the withdraw of troops as the last participating Infantry Marine force . With over 300 missions successfully completed 2 / 23 completed their mission . Weapons company successfully completed missions out of TQ where they were part of the Quick Reaction Force . On March 1 , 2011 , the Battalion deployed to Okinawa and served as a Quick Reaction Force in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . The unit was attached to the 4th Marine Regiment as Alpha Company . 2 / 23 deployed all over Southeast Asia and participated in KITP ( Korean Incremental Training Program ) . The unit returned home in September 2011 .