3rd Medical Battalion Patch — Embroidered Patch Care Under Fire — 3rd Medical Battalion In the Pacific island campaigns, in the jungles of Vietnam, and across the Indo-Pacific today, 3rd Medical Battalion has been the lifeline for Marines of the 3rd Marine Division. This patch honors the Navy corpsmen and medical professionals who serve on the front edge of the battlefield, keeping Marines alive and in the fight. 3rd Medical Battalion traces its lineage to the medical support elements organic to the 3rd Marine Division, which was first activated during World War II. The battalion provided medical support through the division's Pacific campaigns, including Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima — battles that produced thousands of casualties requiring immediate battlefield medicine. The battalion continued to support the 3rd Marine Division through the Vietnam War, where the division suffered 6,869 killed in action across four years of continuous combat in I Corps. Today, 3rd Medical Battalion is part of the 3rd Marine Logistics Group and is based on Okinawa, Japan, providing health service support to III Marine Expeditionary Force — the nation's forward-deployed force in the Indo-Pacific. The battalion maintains readiness to provide collection, treatment, and evacuation of casualties in support of expeditionary operations across the theater. Perfect For: Navy corpsmen, 3rd Medical Battalion veterans, 3rd Marine Division and III MEF personnel, Okinawa-based Marines, and anyone who honors the medical professionals who heal under fire. Where Marines fight, corpsmen follow. 3rd Medical Battalion — always forward.
