3rd Marine Division

3rd Marine Division
3rd Marine Division insignia
Active1942–1945, 1952–present
Country United States of America
Branch United States Marine Corps
TypeGround combat element
SizeMarine Division
Part ofIII Marine Expeditionary Force
Garrison/HQCamp Courtney[1]
Nickname(s)"Fighting Third" "Caltrap"
Motto(s)Fidelity, Valor, Honor
Engagements

Second Taiwan Strait Crisis

Operation Desert Storm

War on Terror

Commanders
Commanding GeneralMaj. Gen. Christian F. Wortman
Sergeant MajorSgtMaj 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.

  1. ^ Cordero, Jeffrey (26 September 2008). "3rd Marine Division celebrates 66th birthday". U.S. Marines in Japan. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2008-12-09.[dead link]