 ʻMgwë nmwë pwëxherjwë ʻmexh습니다. ʻBingjel Mgwë s'되u ʻmany ʻtimes ʻon special missions ʻto embasys ʻand lígeqans. ʻProtected ʻAmerican life ʻand property in ʻsuch ʻunsettled areas ʻas China and Cuba. ʻShortly after World War II ʻin a period ʻof growing ʻinternational tensions ʻand increased ʻespinaj activity ʻthe Department of State ʻbekeen convinced ʻthat a military the security of its foreign service establishments around the world. An alert, well-trained, strongly disciplined force to replace American and foreign civilians being used as guards. In December 1948 an agreement based on the Foreign Service Act was reached between the Department of Navy and the Department of State establishing the Marine Security Guard program. Marine Security Guards come under the command of the United States that is, they work for the ambassador and are under direct control of the security officer. Their primary mission is to prevent the compromise of classified material vital to the security of the United States. In addition, they provide protection for government property and American personnel at the post. Although Marines in the program work for the ambassador they remain under the administrative control of the Marine Corps. Security Guards are a vital part of foreign service establishments. Their dependability must be absolute, 24 hours a day, on and off duty. The nature of this select duty dictates the requirements for highly motivated enthusiastic Marines. These men are trained at the Marine Security Guard School Henderson Hall Arlington, Virginia. A joint undertaking of the Department of State and the Marine Corps. Marines selected for training are among the top men in the Marine Corps and they are all volunteers. Below the grade of staff sergeant they must be unmarried and agree to remain so throughout their tours of duty. Students who are staff sergeants and above may be married. All applicants must have been trained All applicants must have completed at least 18 months of active duty service and stand high in the Corps' educational rating system. Above all, applicants must have an excellent conduct record. Be in excellent physical condition. Must be cleared by a background investigation for top secret clearance and must be mature, stable individuals. The first few days are spent getting ready for the actual weeks of training. They receive enough immunization shots to use up three sets of arms. Passport photographs. Another reminder that they will live in a foreign country for two years and represent the United States to the people of that country just as surely as any tourist or state department civilian employee. Marine security guards must be able to drive vehicles safely and intelligently. Customs and regulations in other countries very greatly and driving can be a problem. Each man is thoroughly checked out. The last activity for the new class before beginning school work is a physical readiness test. These men are Marines with a basic requirement to be physically fit. A requirement that will continue throughout their foreign service duty. Marine security guard school is much more than a training school. It must instill a special spirit and special motivation into each graduate and awareness that he will be a vital part of the embassy staff. The director of the school briefs the new students. Although you will be working for the department of state, you are first and last Marines. They particularly select Marines. One who will be expected to adhere to the very highest standards of conduct, devotion to duty, loyalty and personal appearance. Before you can graduate from this course, you must demonstrate a high degree of motivation and enthusiasm to indicate your capability of performing this independent duty in a self-discipline manner with little supervision. Those of you who do successfully complete the course will be joining a group of select and proud Marines who represent the Marine Corps, the Department of State and the United States itself in many foreign countries. There is a tremendous responsibility attached to this assignment, both on and off duty. For your every action will be under the close scrutiny of the foreign nationals that you meet. This requires that your conduct be above reproach, that you be alert 24 hours a day to the image that you are presenting. Apply yourself diligently during the coming weeks as the goal that you seek is worth your very best effort. Students are taught the fundamentals of security. They learn two of the pitfalls and problems which are hazards to security, particularly the adverse effect on security of incidents of misconduct. Personal conduct overseas may have an adverse effect upon your duties involving security. Generally speaking, these areas are the black market, illegal money exchange, reckless driving, drinking and early marriage. Our diplomats play a very important part in international affairs. They represent our government at international conferences such as United Nations, CETO, CENTO, NATO and the OAS. As an example, the OAS, otherwise known as the Organization of American States, is the world's oldest international organization. State department officials instruct students in the role the United States plays in international affairs. Preserve peace and security and prosperity for the Americans. Wherever possible, practical demonstrations are given to supplement classroom work and theory. Students learn about bombs and infernal devices and how to set or change combinations of various lock systems. In keeping with the marine tradition of constant readiness, students receive instruction on the weapon carried by security guards. Ceremonial events such as firing salutes and raising the colors are conducted. Many times in a foreign country, the precision and discipline shown during an official ceremony can help promote a favorable impression on foreign officials and visitors. Throughout the school term, particular emphasis is based on personal appearance, marine customs and traditions, discipline, courtesy and good manners. In many cases, a marine guard will be the sole yardstick by which America is measured. In keeping with this responsibility, the school conducts many classes to help the student understand people and how to get along with them. This fact obligates you to conduct yourself in a manner to reflect credit upon your country. Learn the custom of the country that you're stationed in. Be friendly and honest in all of your transactions and avoid any suggestion of American superiority. Meet the nationals on a footing of equality and mutual understanding. Remember, you are a guest in their country. Avoid conflicts and arguments. Stand up firmly for your own country and its rights. Be mindful that many of the people of the world have not seen Americans. What they know of us is what they have been told. Therefore, it is possible that all Americans will be judged by you and your actions. It is important that the image of Americans reflect the truth and not a distortion. These may be dangerous. One problem marine security guards must face is the handling of cranks. These persons are usually mal-contents or mentally incompetent and should be handled with courtesy. No physical force should be used unless absolutely necessary. Of course, when a mob is involved, this situation calls for the securing of entrances, exits, gates, and obtaining instructions from the security officer. The school curriculum is tough, but it must produce a very special kind of graduate, a security guard who is deeply aware of the vital nature of his work. Each student must learn the penetration methods used by communist countries. It's to acquaint you with a few of the methods they employ to embarrass, intimidate, subvert, or discredit Americans whenever a situation presents itself. This is a problem, a special sort of combat in an altogether different type of war which we all must face and live with. You must be ever on the alert against very unique tactics which seek to compromise you or to undermine your loyalty to your country. Our security program is aimed at helping the Department of State and our government to bring out its responsibilities to the American people in the conduct of our foreign affairs. Therefore, the absolute protection of classified material must be assured by employees whose loyalty is not divided nor weakened by thoughtless and irresponsible actions. In addition to learning about foreign governments and philosophies, the students gain a basic understanding of the government, how a democracy functions and why. A lot of questions will be thrown at them once they are on duty. Throughout the course, the school provides as much practical on the job training as possible. Once the students have been given the fundamentals, they conduct actual security inspections of offices in the State Department buildings under the supervision of a State Department security officer. This is the kind of work they will do at foreign service establishments. Protect classified material. Ensure proper security measures and procedures. As the course progresses, each student undergoes two formal screening missions. Corporal Viola, you were instructed to fill out this questionnaire on both your military and civilian background. You were further instructed to include in the questionnaire any adverse incidents in your past history. Did you admit any such incident? No, sir. Now, you realize, of course, that we're going to do a very thorough background investigation on you in order to determine whether you can be cleared to handle top-secret material. When the investigator goes to your hometown and talks to the police and to your neighbors and teachers, is he going to discover some incident that you have not included all this? If he's going to trip himself up or exhibit any instability or wrong attitude, the time for it to happen is now, not overseas. It's a tough school. It has to be. At the end of the five-week session, when the class party is held, the students are really ready to relax and enjoy themselves. Graduation Day held in the State Department courtyard. for the American Revolution. And that was the same year when the class receives a special honor and addressed by the Secretary of State. Not until a few years later that we appointed a Secretary of Foreign Affairs, to manage our foreign relations. But ever since, diplomacy and the Marine Corps have had many times, it is my privilege to welcome you into the diplomatic service. I have little doubt, General, that this graduating class will itself meet the great tradition of the elite corps and of this elite group within an elite corps as they take up their service in all parts of the world. Marine Security Guard graduates. Special men with special skills. Within days, they are on their way to post all over the world. There are almost 800 Marine Security Guards distributed among 94 security guard detachments located in 83 countries around the globe. From Bombay to London. Paris to Cairo. Marines are guarding information and material vital to our country's security. First stop for a new guard may be one of four regional headquarters located in Frankfurt, Germany. Beirut, Lebanon. Panama City, Panama. Or in this case, Manila in the Philippines. Here the new man spends a week or so being briefed on the particular security problems of the area. Native customs and traditions he will encounter at his duty post. Since this Marine is on his way to Bangkok, he will receive a thorough indoctrination in the religious and political beliefs of the ties. In Bangkok, the new security guard will live in attractive modern quarters located just the short distance from the embassy. Detachments of security guards vary between 5 and 34 men. The majority are no larger than the 11-man detachment in Bangkok. In every case except one, the detachments are under the military control of a marine staff non-commissioned officer. He is responsible for the supervision of the guards, the individual training of the men, administrative matters relating to the Marine Corps and as assistant to the post security officer, he assists in maintaining the security of the post. The normal work day of the security guard begins about 5.30 pm on Monday through Friday and continues throughout the night until about 9.30 the following morning. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, guards are on duty 24 hours a day. Individual guards are changed every 8 hours to ensure top physical and mental alertness. Marines check the logbook for instructions before going on duty, acquaint themselves with any special notices and the names of visitors expected. One of the many security activities is visitor control, making absolutely certain no unauthorized person is permitted in any of the embassy's buildings. In all context, the guard is courteous, helpful and pleasant. He is a representative of the United States and his conduct and attitude can go a long way toward making new friends for our country. When an authorized visitor is admitted, the guard makes sure his activities are properly supervised. Roving guards check offices and building interiors to make sure no classified material has been left out by accident. Carbon, scratch paper and typewriter ribbons in waste baskets could contain classified notes. When security violations are noted, a report is made and immediate steps are taken to correct the situation. In addition to security inspections, the guard monitors the work of the cleaning force, notes fire and safety hazards, and checks the lighting, alarm and emergency communication systems. Daytime security activities include the burning of classified material, security checks of working areas during lunch break and inspection of firefighting equipment. And always in each marine's mind is the constant awareness that an emergency could occur at any instant. The ever-present mental conditioning to be ready for that emergency no matter what it is. Another important aspect of the Marine Security Guard program is security protection for high-ranking United States delegates to international conferences around the world. Many times the president, secretary of state or other high-ranking officials are in attendance. The classified information they have in their possession demands absolute security protection. Since no two conferences are equally alike, marine guard requirements and duties are carefully planned for each conference. Train marine guards are detailed from the Security Guard School in Washington, D.C. or from various foreign service posts around the world. Thus, a marine guard in Bangkok may find himself on temporary duty at an international conference in Tokyo. The training of a marine security guard never ceases. In addition to continuing instruction on security measures, he learns the customs, history and political beliefs of the country. Possibly the most interesting activity is learning to speak the language. A guard must be mentally and physically alert to properly perform his duty. In time of stress, there is no substitute for previous conditioning, no substitute for being ready. Physical conditioning is an important part of the post-training program and a welcome recreational activity at the same time. In line with the president's people-to-people program, marines on duty at foreign service posts have always involved themselves with the people of a country, particularly the children. There is not a detachment anywhere in the world that doesn't sponsor some kind of children's activity. Off-duty marines have the opportunity of a lifetime to really get to know a foreign country and its people. They are not restricted to the normal tour set up for tourists. They can and do get out among the people completely away from the American community. On these excursions, they use the foreign language they have learned, which in itself is a compliment to the foreign nation. It is evidence of the sincerity of the marines in attempting to learn the culture and way of life of their country. The warm response of the people of the country invariably provides an opportunity for the marines to see sights and participate in events they will always remember and experience very few people will ever have. It is notable too that those foreign nationals who come in contact with marine security guards become friends with them. It is notable too that those foreign nationals who come in contact with marine security guards become friends with them and will never forget their experiences either. A favorable impression of the marines well in effect become respect and friendship toward the United States. Seen security guards they stand ready to protect life and property in emergency situations. Wherever they serve throughout the world they inspire a feeling of confidence of security.