The battalion has been organized around fire and maneuver warfare in tropical, woodland, desert, or Arctic environments.

From at least 1989, the units were organized as such: Since 2003, after the fall of Saddam Hussein's government, the strategic operations[1] in the Middle East (Iraq, Afghanistan) have encompassed more than just a single objective.

Some of these operations have demanded reconfiguring the battalion's organization in order to conduct missions which are not included in traditional maneuver warfare (such as fire-team rushing, and anti-armor tactics).

A month later they redeployed to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, but were quickly deactivated on June 18, 1941.

1/1 deployed to Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam in August 1965, under the command of LtCol Donald V. McCloskey, and were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Division.

They remained in Vietnam until May 1971, serving in or around Da Nang, Đông Hà, Con Thien, Quảng Trị, Huế, Phu Bai and Khe Sanh.

The 1st Battalion, 1st Marines deployed from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in December 1990 to Saudi Arabia in part of a call to defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in Operation Desert Shield.

After completing a search of a downed OV-10 reconnaissance aircraft on March 10, the battalion backloaded on April 24 to Camp Pendleton.

The Marines were recalled early from leave, shipped out, and began preparing for the first major combat operations since the first Gulf War.

The Marine battalion performed security operations around the area in support of the Northern Alliance's removal of the Taliban from power.

The combat units performed continuous foot and vehicle patrols in the area, finding weapons caches and unearthing IEDs.

[8][9][10] After two and a half months, Charlie Company returned to the Camp Fallujah area and the entire battalion was re-united in Karmah.

[12] In June 2012, after 11 years, 1/1 returned to Afghanistan to operate in Helmand Province as part of Regimental Combat Team 6 as part of the counter insurgency effort operating around the town of Agha Ahmad, Khanashin, Kajaki, and the Nawa district and around Camp Leatherneck.