In July 1942, 3/1 deployed to Wellington, New Zealand and participated in the following World War II campaigns: Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu, and Okinawa.

[1] The start of the Korean War saw the reactivation of 3/1 on 4 August 1950 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and their quick deployment to Korea in September.

Following the recapture of Seoul, 3/1 along with the rest of the 1st Marine Division, was put back on ships and sailed around the Korean peninsula to the eastern coast of Korea.

From October to December 1962, 3/1 was part of the amphibious task force sent to the Caribbean in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In February and March 1995, 3/1 deployed to Somalia in support of Operation United Shield, to help the remaining UN troops evacuate.

The next major deployment was in October 2000 to support Operation Determined Response after the USS Cole bombing in the Aden harbor of Yemen.

Alongside RCT 7, four Marine battalions (including 1/3, 1/8, and 3/5) and various US Army units, 3/1 was tasked with reclaiming the city of Fallujah from unrest.

The battalion concluded operations in Iraq after 90 days on 20 September 2007, and soon after re-embarked on the naval strike group and set sail for the United States and returned to Camp Pendleton on 17 November 2007.

However, other evidence uncovered by the media contradicted the Marines' account, prompting the United States military to open an investigation into the incident.

[11] The exception was former Staff Sergeant, now-Private Frank Wuterich, who was convicted of a single count of negligent dereliction of duty on 24 January 2012.

The battalion conducted combat operations in the Garmsir District, including activity in the Koshtay and Safar regions.

On 14 February 2012, 3/1 suffered a tragedy when Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kyler L. Estrada, assigned to India Company, was shot and killed during a live-fire and maneuvering night training exercise in Djibouti.

In May 2015, 3/1 served as the GCE (Battalion Landing Team 3/1 aka BLT 3/1) for the 15th MEU and deployed to the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

The battalion was tasked with providing combat training and tactical advisement to foreign militaries to prepare them to fight the Islamic State.

On 17 May 2015, 3/1 suffered a tragedy when one of their MV-22 Osprey helicopters crashed during a training event in Hawaii, resulting in the loss of two Marines.

Between October 2020 and April 2021, 3/1 was assigned to the Special Purpose Marine-Air Ground Task Force and deployed to the Middle East region.

During this deployment, 3/1 suffered another tragedy when one of their MV-22 Osprey helicopters crashed during a training event, resulting in the loss of three Marines.

The city annually hosts a "3/1 RUN" in early March and the funds raised are used to support the Marines, Sailors, and families of the battalion during peace and wartime.

In 2012, writer Nathaniel R. Helms published his book My Men are My Heroes: The Brad Kasal Story recounting Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal's Navy Cross actions while serving as First Sergeant of Weapons Company 3/1 during Operation Phantom Fury.

Directed and produced by Zachary Iscol, a former Captain in 3/1, the movie documents his experiences as a Marine officer and the change in tactics during the war.