10 new posts planned for embassy duty

By Bryan Mitchell - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Oct 20, 2008 6:53:33 EDT
 
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Expanding State Department missions abroad are forcing the Marine Security Guard program to grow, with 10 new duty stations expected to spring up in the coming years.

Much of the list reads like a visitors guide to sticky political situations. Most are current U.S. diplomatic missions functioning without MSG protection — including Mumbai, India, the first location to get a new MSG detachment, in 2009, according to a map of the tentative locations provided to Marine Corps Times.



The remainder of the list includes such locations as Beirut, Lebanon, which had its MSG detachment pulled in 1983 following the deadly bombings of the U.S. Embassy and temporary Marine barracks there. It also includes Taipei, Taiwan — which has no formal U.S. Embassy or consulate due to larger diplomatic issues involving neighboring China.

State Department officials declined to comment on the list of planned MSG missions.

Marine officials said the growth is part of a larger overhaul of the MSG program. Early next year, construction will begin in Quantico, Va., on a new program headquarters, to be located between the Weapons Training Battalion and the FBI Academy. The program’s current home will be demolished, as it’s too close to the base flight line.

The $25 million facility will be constructed to resemble a U.S. Embassy, providing Marines with a training environment similar to what they’ll see on State Department missions overseas.

“This new building will look, feel and taste like a no-kidding embassy,” said Frank Baker, deputy director of Marine Security Guard program. “There is an endless array of folks who will benefit from this new facility.”

When completed, it will have two functioning posts, a security control room and perimeter security.

MSG training goes well beyond what Marines learn at boot camp and at most occupational specialty schools. Baker said Marines learn a law enforcement mind-set.

Training includes such basics as weapons handling, defensive tactics and security detail skills, but also stresses response tactics unique to an embassy, crisis management, espionage methods and counterintelligence awareness.

The school runs six weeks for guards and eight weeks for detachment commanders. There are slots for approximately 100 to 120 Marines to attend one of the five classes held annually, with a graduation rate of about 83 percent. It is unclear how many additional MSGs the Corps is hoping to recruit.

With increased opportunities to see the world, and the chance to train in a modern facility, Baker said this is an ideal time for the right kind of Marine to sign up. But not everyone is eligible.

Marines must be between private first class and gunnery sergeant, preferably with at least one year in time on station. Only the detachment commanders — staff and gunnery sergeants — are allowed to have children or a spouse when applying.

All MSGs must be able to secure a top-secret clearance, but that doesn’t always mean a spotless record.

“Many, if not most, Marines did a few stupid things before joining the Marine Corps,” the MSG Web site says. “Many things can be waived or are not serious enough to stop a Marine from coming to MSG school.”

A recent Marine policy dictates that Marines with certain tattoos may be excluded from embassy duty, citing the need to present a professional image abroad. Candidates also should be mature and financially stable.

Marines intent on pursuing a position as an embassy security guard should be aware that a good portion of the stint may be spent in a hardship post.

The Corps categorizes duty stations in tiers. Tier 1 is a city with amenities found in the U.S., such as London or Paris, while Tier 2 is a city with some amenities found in the U.S.

A Tier 3 location has few amenities found at home. Marine officials said the Corps’ intent is to assign a Marine in a Tier 3 country to a Tier 1 country following his tour.

But a Marine security guard is never in one embassy for long. Embassy guards serve three one-year tours, while detachment commanders serve two 18-month tours.

Embassy security detail appears glamorous, but it’s far more than sipping wine on the Seine or tracking wild game on the Serengeti. It’s demanding work in which Marines have to balance maintaining Corps standards and embassy protocol.

And it can place a Marine in the line of fire.

Currently, Marines help protect 149 State Department facilities worldwide. Many are located in relatively stable countries in which the threat to an embassy is countered by local civilian law enforcement. But the 1,100 MSG Marines stationed worldwide must be available at a moment’s notice and be prepared to serve in locations where few Americans schedule vacations.

“Should an embassy be attacked and [host nation] … protection fail, the MSGs’ mission is to delay any hostile group long enough to destroy classified material and aid in safeguarding the lives of diplomatic personnel,” according to a statement from the State Department. “MSGs also assist in evacuating embassy personnel and other Americans living in the country should that be necessary.”

Attacks against U.S. embassies are increasingly common, especially in parts of the world where the program is expanding.

“Everyone thinks [the embassy is] the den of all evil, but they don’t realize it’s also where [U.S.] aid is generated,” Baker said.

Eighteen people were killed, including an American, during a Sept. 17 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Sana, Yemen. No Marines were injured in the attack, in which the assailants attempted to breach the compound.

In December, rioters angered by Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia stormed the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade and set it on fire. One protester was killed after being trapped in the blaze.

Baker said a Marine was awarded a Bronze Star for his role in combating the 2004 attack on the mission in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“The guy who saved the day there in Jeddah was an admin clerk,” Baker said. “He locked the embassy down and barked out orders.”

And even in London, protests outside the embassy are common, requiring enhanced security measures by both British and American officials.