A Reserve command, includes subordinate units spread across the country – California, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina and Washington state. Its Marines operate the M1A1 Abrams tank, primarily.
The past: Fourth Tanks traces its roots to World War II. Its Marines, all reservists except for a pair of officers, saw action on Kwajalein, Saipan and Iwo Jima, according to an official history. The battalion’s motto, “53 Days” is a reference to its warp-speed workup before first experiencing combat in Korea in 1950 during the .
Today: The battalion was activated for operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s. And since the start of the most recent Iraq war, Marines with 4th Tanks have been in theater routinely. Elements of the battalion are there currently.