3rd LAAD Battalion

The 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Battalion was a United States Marine Corps air defense unit activated on September 7, 1982, at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California. Tasked with providing close-in, low altitude, surface-to-air weapons support, the battalion primarily operated the Stinger missile system to defend Marine air-ground task forces from aerial threats. Throughout its service, 3rd LAAD Battalion participated in numerous training exercises and deployments, notably supporting Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s. The battalion was eventually deactivated on September 6, 2007, as part of the Marine Corps’ force restructuring.