WrrH THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM 11 --.---------�~~,~~~. - C a -\ _I-, Examples of unit symbols as positioned on right fender in front of passenger door on truck: 3d Tank Battalion on left; Balle~y F, 2d Battalion, 12th Marines on right. Marines to identify with their task force mission rather than a parent regiment's tasks. The emergence of task force names was accompamed by a system of task force or battalion tactical vehicle markings. Initially, these were little more than tactical symbols to indicate companies and elements within a battalion. For example, 1st Battalion, ?th Marines, used a three-chevron "V" device to indicate the battalion commander, a "D" to designate the Dragon vehicle, a "W" for Weapons Platoon, and an "E" for engineers. Company markings consisted of A for Company A, > for Company B, and < for Company C. A second chevron indicated the company commander while a series of dots identified the platoon. Both tank battalions adopted a similar system but also added a system of unit pictorial markings. By January 1991 the practice of pictorial markings came into extensive use. The 3d Tank Battalion used a scorpion symbol. The 1st Battalion, 25th Marines (with a large number of Boston Irish in its ranks) used a caricature of a fighting Irishman. Lieutenant Colonel Robert W. Rivers, commanding the 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, adopted playing card figures--diamonds, hearts, and spades--to indicate Headquarters, Battery C, and Battery F respectively. The 5th Battalion, 11th Marines, used chess pieces. A bear's paw print indicated elements of Task Force Papa Bear; however, it was the only task force organization to adopt a unit symbol. Initially, the 1st Marine Division was organized around two infantry regiments designated as regimental combat teams. At the time, only RCT 7 was mechanized, while RCT 3 was still at Jubayl awaiting equipment. On 8 September 1990, the division was organized as follows:First Page | Prev Page | Next Page | Src Image |