Making Marine Security Guards

After viewing the video, I could see how much different MSG training is now than when I went through it in 1969. Then, MSG Bn (including the school) was in a barracks (no longer there, but across the street from the swimming pool) at Henderson Hall - the school and HQ were on the first deck and we students lived in open squad bays on the second deck. Most of our classes were in one classroom with a MGySgt and a GySgt for instructors. We had to run PT along the wall at Arlington Nat'l Cemetery. We had an outing to fam fire shotguns and .38 Spl S&W revolvers, and another to the State Department to do unannounced security inspections (I was lucky enough to be on the team that inspected SecState's office, and got to see the Franklin desk), and another to go downtown to Bond's Clothing store to get issued our civilian clothing allowance (several black Nixon-style suits with narrow black ties, with wingtip shoes). We also had to go to cash sales to be fitted for our large blue dress uniform issue. We had daily uniform inspections and learned a lot of "press and shine" tricks. Final inspections was in Blue Dress "A" on the tennis court across from the MSG HQ and School. We had liberty cards and got nightly and weekend liberty that expired at midnight - the Bn SgtMaj would often be waiting with the Duty NCO to see if anybody checked in late - even a minute after midnight could get your liberty card pulled and you sat around the barracks polishing shoes or studying. We graduated at the base theater. In those days, if one got sent to a "hardship post" (Iron Curtain countries, mostly), they got reassigned after a year to a more desireable post (like Paris). As for me, I was posted to the MSG Det at the American Embassy in Ottawa, Canada. The reason for this was that during my final board, the members asked me why I'd requested London, Canberra and Ottawa. I told them it was because I had little ability with foreign languages and wanted to go someplace where they spoke English. If not, they could waste money on language training for me (as all Marines had to take in non-Anglo countries). I spent 2-1/2 years in Ottawa, and can truthfully say that it was the best time of my life. While I was there, our principal training consisted of mandatory MCI courses (hard-copy then - no computers available). Once a year, we'd to the RCMP indoor range and fam fire our weapons. None of us received any "police" training in takedowns or cuffing - I presume we were expected to improvise if the occasion ever arose. Terrorism wasn't on the horizon, so the worst thing we had to face was leftist and peacenick demonstrators that sometimes got violent outside the Embassy. We were good friends with the Ottawa police, who usually beat hell out of them before arresting them. We parties hard and had a great Marine Birthday Ball every year - there were seven of us and we hosted 500. As I said, it was a great tour.

TSgt Joe C. PO3 Steven Sherrill SGT (Join to see) CW3 Kevin Storm TSgt David L. LTC Jeff Shearer SSG (Join to see) SGM Steve Wettstein SMSgt Thor Merich SSG Warren Swan ] Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS SN Greg Wright MSG (Join to see) PO1 John Johnson MAJ Ken Landgren LTC Greg Henning

Awesome video. I was an MSG back in the day (98-00). By far one of the best experiences I've had in the military. Would recommend it to anyone.