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1st Tank Battalion

 

1st Tank Battalion

1st Marine Division

U.S. Marines with 1st Tanks Battalion, 1st Marine Division (MARDIV), listen to a safety brief during the Rifle Squad Competition on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 27, 2018.
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U.S. Marines with 1st Tanks Battalion, 1st Marine Division (MARDIV), listen to a safety brief during the Rifle Squad Competition on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 27, 2018. The units competed against each other to determine which squad will participate in the 1st MARDIV Infantry Competition in late August 2018.
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Henry Young an anti-tank missleman with 1st Tanks Battalion, 1st Marine Division (MARDIV), competes during the Rifle Squad Competition on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 27, 2018.
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U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Henry Young an anti-tank missleman with 1st Tanks Battalion, 1st Marine Division (MARDIV), competes during the Rifle Squad Competition on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 27, 2018. The units competed against each other to determine which squad will participate in the 1st MARDIV Infantry Competition in late August 2018.
U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Alex W. Michael, an antitank missile gunner with 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division (MARDIV), looks through a lensatic compass during the Rifle Squad Competition on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 27, 2018
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U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Alex W. Michael, an antitank missile gunner with 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division (MARDIV), looks through a lensatic compass during the Rifle Squad Competition on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 27, 2018. The units competed against each other to determine which squad will participate in the 1st MARDIV Infantry Competition in late August 2018. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexa M. Hernandez)
1st Tank Battalion
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1st Tank Battalion
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The 35th commandant of the Marine Corps, General James F. Amos, visits Marines and Sailors during a battlefield circulation at Forward Operating Base Shir Gazay, Helmand Province, Afghanistan on June 19, 2013. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mallory S. VanderSchans)(RELEASED)
The 35th commandant of the Marine Corps, General James F. Amos, visits Marines and Sailors
The 35th commandant of the Marine Corps, General James F. Amos, visits Marines and Sailors during a battlefield circulation at Forward Operating Base Shir Gazay, Helmand Province, Afghanistan on June 19, 2013. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mallory S. VanderSchans)(RELEASED)
U.S. Marines and Sailors with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 7, wait out a dust storm on Camp Bastion, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 15, 2013.
Dust Storm
U.S. Marines and Sailors with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 7, wait out a dust storm on Camp Bastion, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 15, 2013.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Paul Gates, commanding officer, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, pauses during a dismounted patrol with Afghan National Civil Order Policemen during Operation California in Kajaki district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 28, 2013.
Operation California
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Paul Gates, commanding officer, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, pauses during a dismounted patrol with Afghan National Civil Order Policemen during Operation California in Kajaki district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 28, 2013.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, commander, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, addresses U.S.Marines and Sailors assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7 on Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, April 22, 2013.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. James L. Terry addresses U.S.Marines and Sailors
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, commander, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, addresses U.S.Marines and Sailors assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7 on Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, April 22, 2013.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary Schaible, left, and Cpl. Andrew Sanders, assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7, set up Secure Internet Protocol and Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Access Point (SNAP) satellite communications system on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 24, 2013.
Setting up SNAP Satellite Communications System
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary Schaible, left, and Cpl. Andrew Sanders, assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7, set up Secure Internet Protocol and Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Access Point (SNAP) satellite communications system on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 24, 2013.
U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Peter Estridge and Maj. Paul Harris, both assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7 share a moment of levity while waiting in formation on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 1, 2013.
Waiting in Formation
U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Peter Estridge and Maj. Paul Harris, both assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7 share a moment of levity while waiting in formation on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 1, 2013.
A U.S. Marine M1A1 Abrams tank with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, is staged on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
A U.S. Marine M1A1 Abrams tank with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7
A U.S. Marine M1A1 Abrams tank with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, is staged on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Phillip Lim, left, and Cpl. Brandon Baber, both assigned to Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, take a pause from conducting function checks on an M1A1 Abrams tank on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
Taking a Pause from Conducting Function Checks
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Phillip Lim, left, and Cpl. Brandon Baber, both assigned to Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, take a pause from conducting function checks on an M1A1 Abrams tank on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Christopher Melin, a loader with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, pauses from conducting function checks on an M1A1 Abrams tank on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
Lance Cpl. Christopher Melin, a loader with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Christopher Melin, a loader with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, pauses from conducting function checks on an M1A1 Abrams tank on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Robert Oak, left, Civil Affairs operations chief, Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7, and Georgian Army Capt. Mikheil Mazmishvili, tour a M1A1 Abrams tank on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
Touring a M1A1 Abrams tank
U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Robert Oak, left, Civil Affairs operations chief, Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7, and Georgian Army Capt. Mikheil Mazmishvili, tour a M1A1 Abrams tank on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jared Bailey, from Higden, Ark., assigned to Afghan National Civil Order Police Kandak 1 Advisor Team, Regimental Combat Team 7, conducts small arms live fire training on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
Small Arms Live Fire Training
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jared Bailey, from Higden, Ark., assigned to Afghan National Civil Order Police Kandak 1 Advisor Team, Regimental Combat Team 7, conducts small arms live fire training on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Conor Shannon, left, and Cpl. Jared Bailey, both assigned to Afghan National Civil Order Police Kandak 1 Advisor Team, Regimental Combat Team 7, maneuver between stations while conducting small arms live fire training on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
1st Lt. Conor Shannon and Cpl. Jared Bailey maneuver between stations
U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Conor Shannon, left, and Cpl. Jared Bailey, both assigned to Afghan National Civil Order Police Kandak 1 Advisor Team, Regimental Combat Team 7, maneuver between stations while conducting small arms live fire training on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
Combat Camera Imagery April 15-May 1, 2013
Combat Camera Imagery April 15-May 1, 2013
Combat Camera Imagery April 15-May 1, 2013
Story
Costa Mesa Police Officers visit Marines of 1st Tank Battalion and get an inside look at the M1A1 Abrams Tank at the battalion's tank ramp June 28, 2012. The Marines also got an up close look at the officers' motorcycles.
Costa Mesa Police Officers visit Marines of 1st Tank Battalion
Costa Mesa Police Officers visit Marines of 1st Tank Battalion and get an inside look at the M1A1 Abrams Tank at the battalion's tank ramp June 28, 2012. The Marines also got an up close look at the officers' motorcycles.
Cpl. Joshua Pacheco, motor transport operator, 1st Tank Battalion, helps the Motor T Team in the pull-ups portion of 1st Tanks' field meet at Del Valle Field Aug. 31, 2012. The Motor T team went on to win the meet for the second time in a row.
1st Tanks' Field Meet
Cpl. Joshua Pacheco, motor transport operator, 1st Tank Battalion, helps the Motor T Team in the pull-ups portion of 1st Tanks' field meet at Del Valle Field Aug. 31, 2012. The Motor T team went on to win the meet for the second time in a row.
First Lt. MarkAnthony Villanueva, platoon commander, 1st Tank Battalion, takes the center position in the tug of war during the 1st Tanks' field meet at Del Valle Field Aug. 31, 2012.
1st Tanks' Field Meet
Cpl. John Stewie, mechanic, 1st Tanks, throws the 42-pound Tank Bar in the Tank Bar Toss during the 1st Tanks' field meet at Del Valle Field Aug. 31, 2012.
First Lt. MarkAnthony Villanueva, platoon commander, 1st Tank Battalion, takes the center position in the tug of war during the 1st Tanks' field meet at Del Valle Field Aug. 31, 2012.
1st Tanks' Field Meet
First Lt. MarkAnthony Villanueva, platoon commander, 1st Tank Battalion, takes the center position in the tug of war during the 1st Tanks' field meet at Del Valle Field Aug. 31, 2012.
U.S. Marines with 1st Tanks Battalion, 1st Marine Division (MARDIV), listen to a safety brief during the Rifle Squad Competition on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 27, 2018. U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Henry Young an anti-tank missleman with 1st Tanks Battalion, 1st Marine Division (MARDIV), competes during the Rifle Squad Competition on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 27, 2018. U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Alex W. Michael, an antitank missile gunner with 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division (MARDIV), looks through a lensatic compass during the Rifle Squad Competition on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 27, 2018 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion
1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion 1st Tank Battalion The 35th commandant of the Marine Corps, General James F. Amos, visits Marines and Sailors during a battlefield circulation at Forward Operating Base Shir Gazay, Helmand Province, Afghanistan on June 19, 2013. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mallory S. VanderSchans)(RELEASED) U.S. Marines and Sailors with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 7, wait out a dust storm on Camp Bastion, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 15, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Paul Gates, commanding officer, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, pauses during a dismounted patrol with Afghan National Civil Order Policemen during Operation California in Kajaki district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 28, 2013. U.S. Army Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, commander, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, addresses U.S.Marines and Sailors assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7 on Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, April 22, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary Schaible, left, and Cpl. Andrew Sanders, assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7, set up Secure Internet Protocol and Non-secure Internet Protocol Router Access Point (SNAP) satellite communications system on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 24, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Peter Estridge and Maj. Paul Harris, both assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7 share a moment of levity while waiting in formation on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 1, 2013. A U.S. Marine M1A1 Abrams tank with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, is staged on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Phillip Lim, left, and Cpl. Brandon Baber, both assigned to Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, take a pause from conducting function checks on an M1A1 Abrams tank on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Christopher Melin, a loader with Delta Company, 1st Tank Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 7, pauses from conducting function checks on an M1A1 Abrams tank on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Robert Oak, left, Civil Affairs operations chief, Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 7, and Georgian Army Capt. Mikheil Mazmishvili, tour a M1A1 Abrams tank on forward operating base Shir Ghazay, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jared Bailey, from Higden, Ark., assigned to Afghan National Civil Order Police Kandak 1 Advisor Team, Regimental Combat Team 7, conducts small arms live fire training on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Conor Shannon, left, and Cpl. Jared Bailey, both assigned to Afghan National Civil Order Police Kandak 1 Advisor Team, Regimental Combat Team 7, maneuver between stations while conducting small arms live fire training on Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 25, 2013. Combat Camera Imagery April 15-May 1, 2013 Costa Mesa Police Officers visit Marines of 1st Tank Battalion and get an inside look at the M1A1 Abrams Tank at the battalion's tank ramp June 28, 2012. The Marines also got an up close look at the officers' motorcycles. Cpl. Joshua Pacheco, motor transport operator, 1st Tank Battalion, helps the Motor T Team in the pull-ups portion of 1st Tanks' field meet at Del Valle Field Aug. 31, 2012. The Motor T team went on to win the meet for the second time in a row. First Lt. MarkAnthony Villanueva, platoon commander, 1st Tank Battalion, takes the center position in the tug of war during the 1st Tanks' field meet at Del Valle Field Aug. 31, 2012. First Lt. MarkAnthony Villanueva, platoon commander, 1st Tank Battalion, takes the center position in the tug of war during the 1st Tanks' field meet at Del Valle Field Aug. 31, 2012.
Mission
To close with and destroy the enemy using expeditionary armor-protected firepower, shock effect, and maneuver in support of the MAGTF across the range of military operations.

1st Tank Battalion’s Core Principles

 

“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training”…Archilochus

 

Train like you fight: Practice makes permanent, challenging/realistic training with instant feedback is paramount

      • Every movement in garrison and in the field is a patrol: PCCs/PCIs, brief/OPORD, gear

      • 10,000 repetitions to reach mastery

      • Standards based, system approach, progressive in nature with continual remediation

         

Own the problem: Be accountable for everything you do, good and bad, no excuses

      • Do the right thing and make morally sound decisions

      • Take responsibility for your Marines and Sailors and develop them to be successful leaders

      • You are a professional war fighter, treat everything you do accordingly

         

Whatever it takes: Our loyalty is to winning. Row hard, thrive in a dynamic world, and embrace ambiguity

      • There is no task beneath anyone

      • Be an expert in your field and willing to whatever it takes to accomplish the mission, regardless of rank or billet

      • Be humble, everyone row together

      • Accomplish the mission, clean your gear and prepare to do it again

      • Always do your best, never quit

         

It is not about you: Family and fellow Marines and Sailors are the priority

      • Remember the blood and sweat of those who have served and sacrificed in previous generations for you

      • Servitude leadership always

      • Positive command climate at all levels

      • Lead from the front, set the example, and always remember those who made it possible for you to be where you are

         

Make someone’s circumstances exceptional: There are no exceptional people, only exceptional circumstances

      • We are all products of our surroundings and those who have taught and mentored us

      • Create a positive environment

      • Take care of and respect each other always

      • Seize the opportunity and create and extraordinary atmosphere 

Expeditionary Mindset: Be ready to deploy and fight tonight

      • Mind, body, equipment, and family readiness always



1st Tank Battalion Leaders

LtCol M. P. Zummo
Commanding Officer, 1st Tank Battalion
VIEW BIO

Maj. D. L. Klingensmith
Executive Officer, 1st Tank Battalion
VIEW BIO

SgtMaj. Gabriel E. Macias
Sergeant Major, 1st Tank Battalion
VIEW BIO
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