WrrH THE 1ST MARINE DIVISION IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM           11


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 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: