In May 2020, Marine Corps infantry units saw corporals and lance corporals with no experience in their primary military occupational specialty (MOS) outside the School of Infantry enter the operating forces as small-unit leaders. These Marines were part of a program known as the Marine Guard Program Enlisted For (MGPEF) that took Marines of the 03XX MOS and sent them through the Marine Security Guard (MSG) training pipeline immediately following their completion of infantry training. While the infantry has been receiving Marines with nearly three years time in service but little to no experience in their primary MOS for many years (e.g., security forces and 8th & I), this was the first time it received Marines who had spent the past two years as MSGs.
Although MGPEF Marines lack the experience and knowledge that can be gained only by performing the daily duties of one’s MOS, they have the benefit of having observed the Marine Corps, the State Department, and the world through a different lens than their operating forces counterparts. Their experiences equip them with technical capabilities, knowledge, and communication skills that will make them valued members of any infantry unit as small-unit leaders.
Complex Workload
Watchstanders in the MSG program are expected to stand Post 1 (an embassy’s entry/exit control point) and monitor an array of security equipment, control access areas, and maintain the defensive posture of the facility. Balancing the many demands of the post speaks to the Marine’s ability to proficiently manage a multitude of components that support the overall mission. A Marine in Post 1 is seen as the brains of any response and controls the maneuver element, similar to a Combat Operation Center. By the time these Marines return to their primary MOS, they will have stood more than 4,000 hours on post, with multiple opportunities to control the detachment when conducting response drills and actuals.
In addition, MGPEF Marines are assigned collateral duties that contribute to the welfare and capability of the detachment and train to respond appropriately to a myriad of threats. They leave the program able to manage a complex workload that requires an assortment of skills and knowledge. They have established themselves as professionals who can effectively solve multifaceted problems with timely solutions.
Different View
MGPEF Marines also are exposed to the daily functions of the State Department overseas. Every day they witness the efforts of political appointees, economic experts, and executive-level personnel as they work toward building, improving, and maintaining positive relationships with foreign nations. This provides valuable insight into how the U.S. government operates. In the operating forces as small-unit leaders, MGPEF Marines understand the military
as an instrument of national power. They recognize the military’s use in foreign policy.
Marines in the MSG program also are exposed to other instruments of national power: diplomacy, information, military, and economic (DIME). The most obvious one in the MSG program is diplomacy, which goes beyond an ambassador sitting down with foreign nations’ political leaders. Often, military involvement is necessary, as the credible threat of military action sometimes is enough to encourage diplomatic accords. In other instances, a combatant commander must align his or her military capabilities with diplomatic activities to support the political mission
of the U.S. government. These coordinated efforts often occur within U.S. embassies, exposing MGPEF Marines to the numerous levers the United States can pull to accomplish national objectives. With such an enhanced understanding, Marines leave the MSG program with a comprehensive awareness of the uses and effects of military action outside combat.
Effective Communication
Junior Marines must be able to effectively and tactfully communicate with their seniors to ask for guidance or to pass on information. MGPEF Marines have been expected to interact with high-ranking civilians (ambassadors, deputy chiefs-of-mission, consular chiefs, etc.) both socially and professionally. The ability to communicate respectfully and amiably is a skill many junior Marines struggle to achieve, but the MGPEF Marines learn to adapt to their environment and proficiently communicate with Marines and civilians who greatly outrank them.
A Higher Caliber
Any deficiencies MGPEF Marines may have in comparison with their operating forces counterparts come from the fact that they have been removed from their primary MOS for two years—and there is no substitute for the daily performance of duties and real-life experience and expertise. For this reason, MGPEF Marines will be at a slight disadvantage when first joining their squads. These drawbacks, however, are only temporary.
MGPEF Marines have demonstrated that they are capable of learning and retaining vast amounts of information. Platoon leaders should not be concerned about their ability to quickly adapt to their new environment and master the mental and physical skills of an infantryman.
On entry into the operating forces, MGPEF Marines are bound to lack a level of technical proficiency in their MOS compared to their peers. However, the experiences they have had in the MSG program have granted them a unique perspective on leadership and professional performance, enhanced their communication abilities, and provided an in-depth understanding of national objectives. These abilities, combined with a keen awareness of objectives beyond their tactical environment, make these Marines well-equipped to be extraordinary leaders at the fire-team and squad levels. When these experiences are properly incorporated into their leadership styles, MGPEF Marines will in many ways perform at a higher caliber, with a heightened sense of strategic cognizance, than their peers.
