My son signed up for US Marine Security Forces yesterday. Any suggestions for him?

Start practicing standing at attention for hours at a time...

I knew a lot of LCpl's at WHCA who were on the MSF. Great dudes! Worked long hours supporting us at WHCA.

I was the OpsO for Company "F" (1989-91) when it was HQ'd in Nairobi, Kenya. I was there during the time when Company "G" was stood up and Company "F" went from 33 embassies and consulates to 17. Let me start out with dispelling a silly myth. Marines on Embassy duty do not fill ceremonial roles. They do not spend hours standing at attention. They are not props for photo ops, and they don't pass out hors d'oeuvres in their dress blues at diplomatic parties.

That said, they stand security posts and control access into and out of the embassy. For the vast majority of Marines, their actual time on duty will be uneventful. At most they may remove someone from the consular section who wants to "argue" about a visa refusal.

However, should it become necessary, and if the Ambassador allows, they are the last line of active defense. They have the unenviable role of buying time for embassy staff to lock down and carry out plans in the event the host country fails to secure the perimeter and the embassy is breached.

Now to the point of your question. Particularly at small, third world posts, the Marine's may find themselves flying in social circles "well-above their pay grade" and environments rife with temptation. LCpls may find they are tennis buddies with an Ambassador, or going on photo safaris with wives of embassy staff. You name the soap opera dilemma and some Marine on embassy duty has probably probably been tripped up by it.

Career-wise Embassy duty is a high risk tour. The ones that get in trouble, get in trouble because forget they are Marines. Not only are they Marines, but because of security concerns, even the appearance of impropriety will get you sent home. It doesn't matter if you are a single junior Marine "messed about" with a college age daughter of the embassy GSO, or not. The mere rumor may be enough to get you sent home. During my time, about 1 in 5 officers was relieved "for cause" and about 1 in 10 enlisted personnel were relieved "for cause."

The only saving grace was that if that "for cause" would not have raised an eyebrow anywhere else in the Marine Corps, it won't damage your career. But if it was in fact "shady" your career is over. Surviving an MSG tour unscathed is almost always going to go a long way with a promotion board. If your wondering, I survived, intact all the way to the end.

Finally, if he is selected, I highly recommend he chose to go places he would probably never go to otherwise. I had a choice between Bangkok, Nairobi, and Abidjan. I knew if I stayed in the Marines I'd see plenty of SE Asia. They had a DoD approved school in Kenya for my kids.