3rd Marine Division | |
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Active | 1942–1945, 1952–present |
Country | United States of America |
Branch | United States Marine Corps |
Type | Ground combat element |
Size | Marine Division |
Part of | III Marine Expeditionary Force |
Garrison/HQ | Camp Courtney[1] |
Nickname(s) | "Fighting Third" "Caltrap" |
Motto(s) | Fidelity, Valor, Honor |
Engagements | |
Commanders | |
Commanding General | Maj. Gen. Christian F. Wortman |
Sergeant Major | SgtMaj Robert W. Schieler |
Notable commanders | Charles D. Barrett Graves B. Erskine William E. Riley William R. Collins Wood B. Kyle Rathvon M. Tompkins Bruno Hochmuth Raymond G. Davis |
The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1stMAW) and the 3rd Marine Logistics Group (3rd MLG) forms the III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF). The division was first formed during World War II and saw four years of continuous combat in the Vietnam War. Today, elements of the 3rd Marine Division are continuously forward deployed and forward postured to carry out the US Government's mission of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific in conjunction with its sister services.