The LAR battalion performs combined arms reconnaissance and security missions in support of the Ground Combat Element (GCE) of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF).

The Battalion's assets were spread out over hundreds of miles of desert terrain and were utilized by the Marine Command to constantly probe the boundaries of Iraqi controlled areas.

Alpha and Bravo companies were mobilized in early February 2003 and deployed with 1st and 3rd LAR Battalions respectively, participating in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

On June 13, 2003 Task Force Scorpion was activated and moved to the Northern Babil province with orders to secure Army convoy routes in and out of Forward Operating Base Dogwood.

Task Force Scorpion's offensive posture and heavy patrolling effectively reduced the number of attacks on American soldiers in the area.

[2][3] The battalion conducted numerous raids and was eventually awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its work as part of I Marine Expeditionary Force.

Since OIF I, marines from the battalion have continued to support ongoing combat and security operations associated with the Global War on Terror.

In December 2007, Marines of Company D were mobilized and attached to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion out of Camp Lejeune for their deployment in support of OIF.

The Marines of Delta Company were operating out of a train station in the town of Akashat, north of Camp Korean Village.

Fox Company Marines attached to 1st LAR returned to Al Asad in March 2009 after setting an OIF record of a confirmed 94 days spent in field with logistic support.

This record was later broken and nearly doubled by Company E from Syracuse, NY during their 2009 deployment along the Syrian border, north of the Sinjar mountains.

H&S, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and a handful of Marines from Delta and Fox were activated, and trained for a six-month deployment schedule of November 2009 to May 2010.

[5] https://web.archive.org/web/20110708133734/http://www.chandlerswatch.com/tag/chandlers-watch/page/20/ "Operation Sea Angel: A Case Study" Archived 2012-09-26 at the Wayback Machine, Paul A. McCarthy, RAND, Published July 25, 1994