4th Assault Amphibian Battalion is a mechanized battalion of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Their primary weapon system is the AAV-P7/A1 (formerly LVTP-7) Amphibious Assault Vehicle and they are part of the 4th Marine Division of the Marine Forces Reserve. The unit is based out of Tampa, Florida, with subordinate units in Florida, Virginia and Texas.
Mission
To land the surface assault elements of the landing force and their equipment in a single lift from assault shipping during amphibious operations to inland objectives.
To conduct mechanized operations and related combat support in subsequent operations ashore.
Current units
History
1943 – 1945
Activated on August 19, 1943, at Camp Pendleton, California, as the 4th Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Division Special Troops, 4th Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force.
Reassigned during January 1944 to Corps Troops, Amphibious Corps, and deployed to the Pacific area.
Reassigned during April 1944 to Corps Troops, 3rd Amphibious Corps, and participated in the following campaigns in World War II: Battle of Kwajalein Battle of Guam Battle of Okinawa
Redesignated on September 8, 1944, as the 4th Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific Troops, 3rd Amphibious Corps.
Detached on November 11, 1944, from the 3rd Amphibious Corps.
Redesignated on July 15, 1945, as the 4th Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 2nd Amphibian Tractor Group (Provisional), Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, and deployed to Guam, Marianas Islands.
Redesignated on September 30, 1945, as the 4th Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.
Redeployed during October 1945 to Camp Pendleton, California and deactivated on November 26, 1945.
1962 – 2000
Reactivated on July 1, 1962, at Tampa, Florida, as the 4th Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Force Troops, Fleet Marine Force, United States Marine Corps Reserve Redesignated on October 1, 1976, as the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, United States Marine Corps Reserve Participated in CONUS and OCONUS training exercises throughout the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s Participated in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm as augmentation force to sister Assault Amphibian Battalions
2000 – present
The 4th AABn has provided augmentation to its sister Assault Amphibian Battalions in the Regular Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. These latter battalions were in the 1st Marine Division and 2nd Marine Division.
4th AABN was activated in January 2003 and deployed to the Middle East in February 2003. The Marines held camp in Camp Matilda, Kuwait before the initial push into Iraq. On March 18, 2003 only hours after President George W. Bush's speech and aerial attacks on the country, all convoys were staged to push into Iraq borders. Weeks later, Bravo Company (-) reservists were the first of the battalion to set foot in Baghdad. Although destroyed bridges were an obstacle to many units, the AAV's ability to cross the major rivers was an integral part of the overall mission.
The 4th AABn has deployed company sized elements in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Alpha Company 3rd Platoon Marines stationed at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi, deployed when the backside of Hurricane Katrina was still pounding south Mississippi. The Marines ventured out into 70 plus mile per hour winds and navigated through a wall of water that Katrina dumped on Gulfport and Biloxi. At one point during the storm, the Marines picked up some Biloxi police and firefighters and together, they looked past the flooded roads and the storm soaked yards for anyone who appeared to be trapped.
Bravo Company (-) reservists from Jacksonville, Florida, deployed to the New Orleans in support of rescue and recovery operations. The unit was active for an estimated three weeks until active duty units could arrive and take over operations. While in the Area of Operations (AO), B(-) ran rescue operation on a daily basis, even while Marines were injured due to the conditions after the destruction of the storm. B(-) made it to the AO within 96 hours of the storms passing, commanding the AAV-7A1 down the I-10 corridor. Upon arrival to New Orleans, in 10 AAV units, the Marines began to commence search and rescue operations before arriving at their base of operation at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.