2nd Battalion, 5th Marines

2nd Battalion, 5th Marines
Unit name	2nd Battalion, 5th Marines
Dates	1914–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Type	Infantry battalion
Role	Rifle battalion
Size	~1,000
Command structure	5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
Garrison	Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Nickname	"Two Five", "Darkhorse"
Battles	World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

Contents

History

Activated in 1914, the battalion first deployed to the Caribbean and later to France for World War I, participating in the Battle of Belleau Wood and the Aisne-Marne Offensive. Between the wars it garrisoned Haiti and China during the Interwar period (1918–1939), and in World War II fought in the Guadalcanal Campaign, Battle of Cape Gloucester, and Battle of Iwo Jima under commanders who later interacted with leaders from the Office of Naval Intelligence and the United States Fleet. In the Korean War the battalion fought on the East Central Front and endured the withdrawal across Chosin Reservoir alongside units of the United States Army and Republic of Korea Army. During the Vietnam War the unit served in I Corps (South Vietnam) and participated in operations around Hue and Khe Sanh. In the 1990s the battalion deployed to Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War. In the 21st century it conducted multiple tours for Operation Iraqi Freedom in Fallujah and Ramadi and for Operation Enduring Freedom in Helmand Province and Kandahar Province.

The battalion is organized as a standard Marine rifle battalion within the 1st Marine Division, consisting of Headquarters and Service Company and three rifle companies—commonly designated as Company A, Company B, Company C—plus Weapons Company providing heavy machine guns, mortars, and anti-armor assets such as the Javelin (missile). The chain of command links to the 5th Marine Regiment headquarters and ultimately to the I Marine Expeditionary Force. Support relationships often involve attachments from Combat Logistics Regiment 1, Marine Aircraft Group 11, and elements of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion or Force Reconnaissance. The battalion's training cycles align with doctrines promulgated by Marine Corps Combat Development Command and the Training and Education Command.

2/5 has been task organized for expeditionary operations, amphibious assaults, urban combat, and counterinsurgency. In World War II it executed amphibious landings influenced by lessons from the Naval War College and worked with elements of the United States Navy and United States Army Air Forces. In Korea it conducted defensive and breakout operations during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir with coordination from X Corps and air support from the United States Air Force. In Vietnam the battalion participated in counterinsurgency operations against Viet Cong and People's Army of Vietnam forces during operations coordinated with Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. During Operation Iraqi Freedom the battalion fought in Second Battle of Fallujah and conducted partnered operations with the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police; later deployments focused on stability operations in Anbar Province and advising missions alongside Coalition forces. In Afghanistan the unit executed partnered counterinsurgency in Marjah and village stability operations tied to ISAF provincial reconstruction efforts. The battalion has also supported humanitarian missions and maritime security operations in the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf.

The battalion's colors and individual members have earned numerous collective awards, with campaign streamers from World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Southwest Asia Campaign Medal theaters, and service medals for Iraq Campaign Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal periods. Unit citations and commendations include decorations authorized by the Secretary of the Navy and citations referencing actions at Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima, Chosin Reservoir, Hue, and Fallujah. Individual Marines have received honors ranging from the Medal of Honor in early 20th-century engagements to the Silver Star, Navy Cross, and Bronze Star Medal for valor and merit across various conflicts.

Leaders and Marines associated with the battalion have included officers and enlisted personnel who later served in senior roles within the United States Marine Corps, the Defense Department, and federal institutions. Notable figures connected to battalion service have interacted with or been contemporaries of leaders from Marine Corps University, recipients of the Medal of Honor, and participants in historically significant battles such as Belleau Wood and Iwo Jima. Veterans have gone on to roles in academia at Naval War College and Georgetown University, positions in Congress, and joint assignments with the United States Special Operations Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Training for the battalion follows standards from Marine Corps Combat Development Command and the Training and Education Command, incorporating small-unit tactics from publications influenced by the Naval Doctrine Command and lessons learned from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Predeployment training cycles include live-fire exercises at ranges such as Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, amphibious assault rehearsals off Camp Pendleton and Camp Lejeune, and combined-arms integration with Marine Air-Ground Task Force components. Doctrine emphasizes infantry squad and platoon tactics, urban operations studied in courses at the School of Advanced Warfighting, and casualty care training derived from the Naval Medical Center San Diego and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center practices.

Category:Infantry battalions of the United States Marine Corps