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3 new infantry battalions

Defense planners want to stand up three new Marine infantry battalions and pay for them with emergency wartime dollars, according to the Pentagon’s new spending wish list.

The Corps plans to create 1st, 2nd and 3rd battalions, 9th Marines, with money earmarked for supporting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to budget documents made public Monday. Adding the 4,000 leathernecks in the new units is the first phase of the Corps’ long-range plan to expand the ranks by 22,000 for an end strength of 202,000 Marines by 2011.

“While first procuring an increased additional capability in theater, these three new battalions will eventually contribute to an increased deployment-to-dwell ratio, which will relieve the operational tempo stress on Marines and their families,” the Defense Department’s budget request said.

The ratio refers to the time at home spent between deployments, which has been running at roughly seven months for Marines. Commandant Gen. James Conway has said he wants to double that time at home to 14 months.

One of the battalions mentioned in the document — 1st Battalion, 9th Marines — was already reactivated in October 2005 and had more than 500 members last December. One of its units, Alpha Company, finished a six-month deployment to Iraq in October. The battalion is under the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 6th Marines.

The other two battalions — 2/9 and 3/9 — deactivated in 1994. The budget documents did not say when they would be reactivated.