10 new posts planned for embassy duty

10 new posts planned for embassy duty
By Bryan Mitchell - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Oct 18, 2008 8:32:47 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.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/10/marine_embassy_101708w/%2e