Anti-Terrorism Battalion
The United States Marine Corps' Anti-Terrorism Battalion was a specialized infantry battalion. The battalion was disbanded in 2013.
Mission
In response to the 9-11 attacks, the mission of the Anti-Terrorism Battalion was to rapidly deploy specially trained advanced infantry, intelligence personnel, support elements, and sustainable forces to detect, deter, defend, and conduct initial incident response to combat the threat of terrorism worldwide.Rotational Duty
After September 11, 2001, the Marine Corps began rotating standard infantry battalions such as 3rd Battalion 8th Marines through 6-month on-call assignments as the designated "Anti-Terrorism Battalion" to meet short term/no-notice mission requirements. Examples included augmenting security at the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, with a rifle company for site security. These rotations required company and smaller size detachments but removed the entire force of the 1,000-man infantry battalion from the main war fighting effort. This posed a problem for the Marine Corps as Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom began to require additional full strength infantry battalions to rotate in and out of theater at a higher rate.USMC AT BN Activation
The permanent AT Battalion was activated 29 October 2004 under the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade . The 4th MEB was deactivated in February 2006, on the same day Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command stood up, and the AT BN was administratively transferred initially to the II Marine Expeditionary Force, and then finally to the 2d Marine Division by March 2006. The Foreign Military Training Unit along with 4th MEB headquarters element were absorbed into Marine Corps Special Operations Command.The Active duty component of AT BN consisted of;
- Headquarters and Service Company Human Exploitation Team
- Alpha Company
- Bravo Company
- Charlie Company
- Delta Company
- Support Company. This was the premise for 3 CAAT sections and eventually evolved into Mobile Assault Platoons.
- Echo Company
- Fox Company
- India Company
- Kilo Company
- Lima Company
Iraq & Horn of Africa
Between 2004 and 2007, the AT Battalion had served in western Al Anbar, central Baghdad and northern Diyala provinces of Iraq. Deployments included:- A detachment of 30+ Marine Officers and SNCO's fulfilled the Border Transition Team's (BTT) mission on the Syrian border for a year over 2005–2006.
- The Personal Security Detachment for the II MEF Commanding General. Rotations were 1 year each in 2005–2006 and 2007–2008 at Camp Fallujah.
- A Combined Anti-Armor Team platoon deployed in support of the II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group as a motorized heavy machine gun platoon based out of Camp Fallujah in Al-Anbar province from October 2005 – March 2006. While there the platoon conducted convoy escort, route clearance, QRF, and other short term/no notice missions.
- Combined Anti-Armor Team platoons deployed in support of OIF to FOB Spartan located adjacent and within Camp Ashraf, Ashraf city, Diyala Province Iraq October 2005 – May 2006 and worked with various U.S. Army units.
- The Personal Security Detachment for Regimental Combat Teams 2 and 6 Commanders. Each team deployed for a year over 2007–2008.
- Four rotations to the American Embassy in Baghdad A Co, D Co, two separate platoons from B Co rotated on seven-month deployments from 2005 to 2007.
- Three company size rotations to Camp Ashraf / Forward Operating Base Grizzly in Diyala Province in support of US Army 18th MP Brigade and US Army 43rd MP Brigade. A Co 1st Bn 9th Marines and a Task Force from the Marine Corps National Capital Region also deployed to Ashraf.
- The PSD requirement for the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa was supported by a squad size element from the ATBN in 2005–2006.
Most Marines in the battalion completed two to three consecutive combat deployments in a single three-year tour of duty with the battalion as part of their initial 4-year enlistment contract.