The Twentynine Palms Combat center will see a reduction of active- duty Marines this year. As we’ve reported earlier, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment will be deactivated May 30 at Lance Corporal Torrey L. Gray Field on board the base. The battalion, with about 840 Marines, is being deactivated under a plan to reduce the Marine Corps from a high of 202,000 Marines to 182,000. The Marine Corps plans to reduce the number of Marine battalions from 27 to 23 over the next few years. Those 3/4 Marines who are not mustered out of the Corps will be absorbed by other units. Another unit leaving the Combat Center this year is Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron-3, or VMU-3, with its 280 Marines and sailors, which will be moved to Hawaii in June or July.
