2nd Battalion, 25th Marines Merchandise

"Empire Battalion" -

The 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines (2/25) is an infantry reserve battalion in the United States Marine Corps, operating under the 25th Marine Regiment and the 4th Marine Division. Located in Garden City, New York, the battalion comprises roughly 1,000 Marines and sailors. They have units stationed across the Mid-Atlantic States, including the Headquarters and Services Company in Garden City, New York, Echo Company in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Fox Company in Plainville, Connecticut, Golf Company in Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, and Weapons Company also in Garden City, New York.

The primary objective of the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines is to train units or individuals to bolster the active Marine Corps components during wartime, national emergencies, or threats to national security.

The battalion boasts a storied history. Activated on 1 May 1943 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, they were later moved to Camp Pendleton, California in August–September of the same year. In January 1944, they were dispatched to Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. They actively participated in World War II campaigns, including Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima, led by Lieutenant Colonel Lewis C. Hudson. The battalion was subsequently deactivated on 31 October 1945 after relocating back to Camp Pendleton.

During World War II, they played significant roles in the capture of the Roi-Namur center in the Marshall Islands and the Kwajalein operation. Later, they engaged in the Saipan and Tinian campaigns, confronting stiff Japanese resistance. One of the most brutal confrontations occurred in Iwo Jima, where they faced the daunting task of capturing the Motoyama Plateau, often referred to as the "meatgrinder". After these intense encounters, they returned to Maui, Hawaii in March 1945.

The battalion was reactivated in 1962 in Garden City, New York. They played roles in various missions and operations including Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s, with specific companies engaging in combat operations in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. They also participated in Operation Sea Signal in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1994, counter-drug missions in the Southwest US, and other international operations in places like Lithuania, Norway, and Romania in the late 1990s.

In response to the global war on terror, the battalion was mobilized multiple times in the early 2000s to support both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. They have also engaged in other international activities like training in Mount Fuji, Japan and providing support in Iraq. Additionally, they provided veterinary and medical support in Senegal during Operation Shared Accord in 2007 and took part in counterinsurgency operations in Iraq in 2008.

In 2010, the battalion further cemented their legacy by training with the military in Mozambique and assisting with medical civil affairs. They focused on small arms tactics and mine clearing, vital skills in a country heavily afflicted by mines.

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