Posted on 07/14/2007 4:52:30 AM PDT by the right reverend
After just three years in existence, the Anti-Terrorism Battalion was deactivated Friday morning to make way for growth in the Marine Corps
(Excerpt) Read more at jdnews.com ...
In its stead, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines was reactivated as the Corps’ newest infantry battalion. With a history described best by the battalion’s nickname “Hell in a Helmet,” 2/9’s new commander, Lt. Col. Thad R. Trapp, said they aim to carry on the legacy.
“This is a day we resurrect a battalion with a very esteemed history,” Trapp said during Friday’s ceremony at W.P.T. Hill Field. “(To the former Marines of 2/9) I promise you we will uphold that honor.”
More than 700 Marines make up the unit, reactivated as a part of the commandant’s long-range plan to increase the Corps’ end-strength to 202,000 Marines by 2011. It was the second 9th Marines battalion to reactivate this year.
“I’m absolutely excited about this challenge,” Trapp said. “The challenge is the same as any other battalion — less resources and time than you’d like to prepare Marines for a deployment to a humanitarian crisis or to fight the War on Terror. But I know the Marines are always up to the challenge.”
The battalion, which falls under 6th Marine Regiment, is expected to deploy sometime, though Trapp said no date has been set. Troops with AT Battalion participated in numerous deployments to Iraq — about 350 Marines with the unit are still serving in Iraq now, Trapp said.
The AT Battalion was activated Oct. 29, 2004, under the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which was deactivated in February 2006 on the same day Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command stood up.
AT Battalion’s mission was to “rapidly deploy specially trained and sustainable forces to detect, deter, and defend against terrorism, as well as to conduct crisis response in the event of a terrorist attack,” according to the AT Battalion Web site.
“This is not a sad day for AT Battalion,” said Lt. Col. Richard C. Jackson II, the unit’s commanding officer. “We need to have the foresight and flexibility to adapt to our circumstances. AT Battalion did that and we needed to adapt to our needs today.”
The continuity lies with the Marines themselves who will continue to do their jobs with excellence, he said.
“I think people will respect what AT Battalion has done today,” he said. Marines trained in intelligence, counter-intelligence, engineering and nuclear, biological and chemical teams will be reassigned to their parent commands as 2/9 makes room for infantry troops. AT Battalion also included troops with a specialty in explosive ordnance disposal, military working dogs, linguists and electronic warfare assets, according to their Web site.
“Marines with AT Battalion are specially trained, so they won’t easily transition to infantry,” Trapp said.
His father, retired Lt. Col. Dick Trapp, a former 2/9 Marine who served in Vietnam, said he knows the battalion is in good hands.
“It will be taken care of,” he said. “I feel pride that he is taking this command.” Retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Ed Fritts, formerly of 2/9, said it was an honor to be a part of Friday’s reactivation.
“I’ve got great memories of comradeship and the people I served with, the things we’ve done,” said Fritts, part of 2/9’s flame thrower platoon. “It’s part of the honor, integrity and courage the Marines have with them. I see it today.”
Former 2/9 Marine Jim Hostetler agreed.
“It means a lot to me to be here today,” said Hostetler, who deployed with the unit during Vietnam. “The 9th Marines is a big heritage — a lot of history. We were hell to deal with — that’s all. We didn’t stop for anything.”
I WAS AN 18 YEAR OLD RIFLEMAN FOR 3RD PLATOON, GOLF COMPANY, 2/9
HELL IN A HELMET!!!!!
OORAH!!!!!!!!!
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