Marine Security Guards
U.S. Marine Security Guards have worked closely with the State Department and DSS for more than seven decades to protect and safeguard sensitive information, property, and people at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world.
The director of DSS oversees the MSG program, and DSS and MSGs work together to ensure the United States can conduct diplomacy safely and securely around the world.
The Mission
The primary mission of MSGs is to prevent the compromise of classified U.S. government information and protect U.S. diplomatic missions and personnel abroad.
MSGs respond immediately to large and small crises, including demonstrations, bomb threats, fires, nuclear/biological/chemical threats, and facility intrusion attempts. In the event of an attack, MSGs deter aggressors to safeguard classified information and diplomatic personnel.
MSGs also control access within U.S. missions. They conduct inspections to ensure classified information is secure, and they monitor surveillance devices and fire alarms. They also serve as the focal point for all post emergency communications.
The Program
More than 1,000 officers and enlisted U.S. Marines have been trained for MSG duty and are assigned to the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group at Quantico, Virginia and to the Marine Security Guard detachments located at U.S. embassies and consulates around the globe. Marine Security Augmentation Unit squads were created in 2013 to provide additional support, wherever and whenever needed.
The MSG program offers great opportunities for young Marines to travel, learn new languages, and experience new cultures.
The History
Since the formal creation of the MSG program in December 1948, its unique partnership with the State Department has developed into one of the strongest in the history of U.S. civilian-military relations.
The State Department’s relationship with the U.S. Marine Corps dates back to 1798, and for more than 200 years, Marines have been engaged in some way with U.S. diplomacy. U.S. Marines have escorted diplomatic personnel, rescued and defended U.S. embassies and consulates, and provided notable support to U.S. diplomatic efforts throughout our nation’s history.
World Wars I and II: U.S. Marine Corps noncommissioned officers acted as diplomatic couriers safeguarding the delivery of diplomatic and confidential mail for the State Department throughout World War I, operating in hazardous locations, often with little protection other than their sidearms.
The origins of the present-day MSG program are rooted in World War II, when a 60-man Marine detachment was assigned to guard the U.S. embassy in war-torn London.
Post World War II: In December 1948, the U.S. Marine Corps agreed to provide a force to protect U.S. embassies and consulates throughout the world. The U.S. Marine Corps identified volunteers to fill these assignments, and the MSG program was formed in 1949. When the MSG program became operational in 1949 with the deployment of 83 Marines. Since then, the MSG program has become a prestigious assignment in the U.S. Marine Corps.
2013: President Barack Obama authorized the addition of 1,000 MSGs as part of the 2013 Defense Authorization Act, which increased the number of MSGs to approximately 2,450 at more than 150 diplomatic posts worldwide.