A New Defense Battalion for the Magtf?

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has a long history of seizing anddefending advance bases;. Prior to World War I, base defense was the Marine Corps'main mission. l During World War I, the Advance Base Force was created to seize anddefend enemy territory, primarily bases. In 1933, the Advance Base Force transformedinto the Fleet Marine Force (FMF) under Commandant Major General Ben Fuller.2 By1939, the looming threat of Japanese aggression in the Pacific solidified the need for'advance base defense and Commandant Major General Thomas Holcomb formed fourDefense Battalions to defend advance naval bases from ground and air attack.3 The coreof the original battalions were formed from two infantry battalions, 1st and 2nd Battalion,15th Marine Regiment. 4 Subsequent Defense Battalions were formed with air defensepersonnel and artillerymen; infantrymen were attached as required. The first DefenseBattalions included nearly 900 Marines, three anti-aircraft batteries, three seacoastbatteries, and ground and anti-aircraft machine gun batteries.s Follow on evolutionsincluded more sophisticated artillery, anti-aircraft guns and search radars. These DefenseBattalions provided the first combined arms teams and proved to be very effectivefighting forces.