8 U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 1990-1991 & Drawing by sgt CharI~a 6. Grow, USMC Task Force Shepherd LAV-25. The process had barely finished when the remainder of the division received movement orders. While not unexpected, the orders created a dilemma. Many battalions were significantly understrength after transferring personnel to the 7th MEB and it was at that juncture the consolidation of units began. The division Assistant Chief of Staff, G-l, Colonel Joseph R. Holzbauer, working with the Headquarters Marine Corps replaced the companies lost to consolidation and to the battalions assigned to the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade by using units drawn from Okinawa and Hawaii.~~ Even so, the division departed for Saudi Arabia with just 80 per cent of its authorized strength. Regimental Combat Team 3 (RCT 3), for example, reflected the diverse origins of those units rounding out the division's organization. It consisted of two infantry battalions and a tank battalion. The 1st Battalion, 3d Marines, came with the regiment, and the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, came from the 2d Marine Division, via Okinawa. Only the 1st Tank Battalion had been an element of the 1st Marine Division. Even so, additional augmentation to the battalion consisted of Company D, 2d Tank Battalion, which bad been assigned to the 3d Marine Division. The 7th MEB had preceded the division to Saudi Arabia. The ground combat element of the brigade was at that time designated Regimental Landing Team 7 (RLT 7), comprising five infantry battalions, one tank battalion, one assault amphibian battalion, one combat engineer battalion, one artillery battalion, and one light armored infantry company. On 6 September 1990, when the 7th MEB was absorbed by I MEF, RLT 7 reported to the division with:First Page | Prev Page | Next Page | Src Image |