Photo By 1st Lt. Lea Pohalski | U.S. Marines with Delta Company, 3d Radio Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force...... read more read more
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HONOLULU, Hawaii — While many Marines see aircraft, ships, and maneuver forces operating across the Indo-Pacific, 3d Radio Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, provides a capability often unseen but critical to mission success: delivering intelligence that helps commanders understand the operational environment and respond to threats across the region.
Assigned to III MIG, 3d Rad Bn conducts signals intelligence, electromagnetic warfare, limited cyberspace operations, and special intelligence communications in support of III Marine Expeditionary Force and joint force requirements. The battalion's mission increasingly focuses on maritime domain awareness and providing intelligence that contributes to the theater common intelligence picture and informs targeting efforts across the Indo-Pacific.
"3d Radio Battalion identifies adversary threats to inform over-the-horizon targeting efforts against the pacing threat," said Lt. Col. Sean Barrett, commanding officer of 3d Rad Bn.
Operating from Marine Corps Base Hawaii presents unique challenges. Unlike most III MIG units located in Okinawa, Japan, 3d Rad Bn must project capabilities across thousands of miles of ocean to support operational requirements throughout the first island chain and beyond. Despite the distance, the battalion's expeditionary structure allows it to rapidly deploy small teams capable of supporting operations wherever needed. According to Maj. Jim Brown, the operations officer of 3d Rad Bn, the unit's strength lies in its scalability and ability to operate in dispersed environments.
"When the battalion employs Marines, we have a scalable model," said Brown. "A team could be as small as six Marines equipped to collect signals and support intelligence requirements. The real value of the battalion is being dispersed across key terrain, allowing us to identify more signals and provide commanders with the information they need to make informed decisions."
Those small teams connect tactical operations with the broader intelligence enterprise. From remote locations throughout the Indo-Pacific, Marines collect information that supports Marine Corps commanders and contributes to joint and national-level intelligence efforts. 3d Rad Bn's Operations Control and Analysis Center serves as the command-and-control hub that receives, analyzes, and distributes intelligence from forward-deployed teams.
"Without 3d Radio Battalion, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command loses a key organic SIGINT capability to sense over the horizon and fill gaps in national and joint capabilities," Barrett said. "When you lose the ability to sense over the horizon, it means you can't employ your weapons to their effective ranges, and you're operating somewhat blind." The battalion's value extends beyond the Marine Corps. Through its connection to national-level intelligence networks, 3d Rad Bn links tactical units operating in the field with capabilities across the broader intelligence community.
"The value that 3d Radio Battalion provides is our ability to identify threats and connect commanders to the broader intelligence enterprise," said Brown. "By leveraging the capabilities of the intelligence community, we help provide warfighters with the information they need to accomplish their mission."
Over the past year, the battalion has deliberately reshaped its force generation and training model to place Marines in real-world operational environments earlier and more frequently. Through initiatives such as Corvus Dawn, conducted under the umbrella of Kaiju Rain, 3d Rad Bn deploys teams forward to conduct operational missions while simultaneously increasing the proficiency of Marines preparing to support Marine Littoral Regiments, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, and other supported commands.
"Our goal has been to increase our sensor capacity forward, be in place in case of crisis or conflict, while also having our Marines hone their skills and increase their proficiency operating in a real signals environment," Barrett said.
As the Marine Corps continues to adapt to an increasingly contested environment, 3d Rad Bn remains focused on providing commanders with one of the most valuable commodities on the modern battlefield: information. Through its expeditionary teams, forward-deployed sensors, and connection to the broader intelligence enterprise, the battalion continues to provide decision-makers with the awareness needed to compete, deter, and, if necessary, prevail in the Indo-Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2026 20:35 |
| Story ID: | 568355 |
| Location: | HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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