Marines With Embassy No Live Ammo in Egypt??

[idnative1948]

Just had this emailed to me. Sure hope to hell it IS NOT true!

http://freebeacon.com/reports-marines-not-permitted-live-ammo/

 

[whiskeydog]

I doubt that it's true...and even if it is, it wouldn't have a made a difference.

I got out of the Marine Corps in '06 and moved back home to MT, however my last two years were based in Frankfurt as an Inspecting Officer for MSG's (Marine Security Guards) at US Embassies.

Most embassies have 6 Marines (1 Staff NCO, and 5 Guards). Each of the 5 guards take turns at "Post 1" while the other 4 perform various daily duties or relax before their next shift at Post 1. From Post 1, the Marine sits behind bullet proof glass and watches several screens showing feeds from various cameras around the embassy. He also has access to switches to lock down all magnetic doors leading into the embassy. No Marine other than the Marine at Post 1 ever carries a weapon...they stay locked in the "react room" along with other weapons, armor, non-lethal devices and other fun stuff.

The reason I say it would not have made a difference whether they are armed or not is that the primary job of the Marines is not to protect the Americans in the embassy. The number 1 priority is to protect classified information...if there is an attack, the Marines will first ensure that all classified material is either destroyed or secured in vault with the means to be destroyed if necessary. The Marines secondary responsibility is to protect the Ambassador, US citizens, and US gov't property. That being said, they would protect them from inside the embassy...under no circumstance would most RSO (regional security officer) authorize a Marine to leave the embassy building. Additionally, I don't know what the situation was at this embassy, but there are many embassies where the Marines live in town away from the embassy or at least in a separate house on embassy grounds. This attack happened at 10pm and apparently the attackers were inside the embassy within 15 minutes. If the Marines were at their house on the compound with gunfire going on outside, they would have had no way to get to their react room in the embassy. The reports said there were 3 people inside...there had to be 4 because there is no way a Marine was not standing at Post 1. Why he didn't get the 3 men...including the ambassador to the safe room and behind a 60 minute mag-locked fire door...i don't know. I can speculate the the ambassador pulled rank and didn't want to go, but we'll probably never know for sure. The embassy grounds are supposed to be secured by local security companies or host nation military, but these groups often lack proper training, skill, and motivation...

You can be sure that when the fighting started, there wasn't a Marine around who was not searching for anyway possible to get back to the embassy, into the react room, and into the action!

 

[THWAK1]

You'd be about as popular with Leon Panetta as "Mark Owen" is!

 

[whiskeydog]

there's nothing there that you can't find on wikipedia or your local bookstore...

 

[THWAK1]

there's nothing there that you can't find on wikipedia or your local bookstore...

I understand that, just giving you some crap. I'm retired Air Force, so I know and understand the whole sensoring of any subject prior to approval by Public Affairs!

 

[reedjj]

Not true, I worked security at embassies for three years as a Marine Security Guard. 2006-2009 I assure you they have live ammo, they pound a little too hard and that wall that may catch lead poisoning.

Semper Fi

 

[sbhooper]

I was a Marine Security Guard from 1975-77. I was in the embassy in Iran and we were always wondering when things would go to crap. Luckily, it waited until I left. The takeover of the embassy in Iran should never have happened. The Iranians figured that they would lose a few people as martyrs and it would be over. The gutless ambassador would not let the Marines do anything but throw gas. The Iranians did not know what to do with it when they got it because it was unexpected.

A Marine can use deadly force in a one-on-one in the embassy after hours. In a crowd situation, they cannot shoot unless the chief of mission gives the order. It sucks, because most ambassadors want to do the touchy-feely thing instead of taking care of business. The Marines are far better armed than we were back in those days, but they still can't use the right force.

You don't see Russian embassies getting taken over.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

sbhooper-

Did you know a guy in Iran named Mike Mitrenko? He is a buddy of mine and he was at the embassy at the same time.

 

[putm2sleep]

Maybe we did not have the proper support in place either????

http://www.navytimes.com/mobile/new...arships-displayed-dnc-veterans-tribute-091112

 

[Dinkshooter]

This crap over there is getting way out of hand. I can see blowing up an embassy but this is WAY out of hand. Now these people can't get their juicy fried chicken. No one wins in this case.

 

[noharleyyet]

Maybe we did not have the proper support in place either????

Reported that it was a safehouse that an infiltrator gave up.

Let's drill for our own.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Just had this emailed to me. Sure hope to hell it IS NOT true!

http://freebeacon.com/reports-marines-not-permitted-live-ammo/

Bunch of nonsense....

A couple of rules.... Anything that show up in your inbox that has "FW:FW:FW . . . .. " is likely nonsense, should be deleted.

The sole source for this assertion was "Nightwatch"—a conservative "intelligence" blog written by former Defense Department analyst John McCreary and hosted by a subsidiary of a defense contractors' lobby group—which attributed the report to unnamed (and uncounted) "USMC blogs."

And, anything that comes from Free Bacon is nonsense. That website is wrong more than they are right, and, when wrong, they take it down and move along. The feed the right-wing nutcases....

Free Bacon isn't worth the price....

From: Cross, Alex Maj OLA, LA-41B
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2012 4:55 PM
To: Cross, Alex Maj OLA, LA-41B
Subject: Marines in Libya and Egypt


Ladies and Gentlemen-

The following information is provided regarding Marine involvement in the recent actions in Egypt and Libya:

Egypt:
-The Ambassador did not impose restrictions on weapons or weapons status on the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group (MCESG) detachment. The MCESG Marines in Cairo were allowed to have live ammunition in their weapons. The Ambassador and Regional Security Officer have been completely and appropriately engaged with the security situation. Reports of Marines not being able to have their weapons loaded per direction from the Ambassador are not accurate.
- The Marine Corps does not establish Rules of Engagement (ROE). Nonetheless, ROE is classified and release of that information would jeopardize the Marines and U.S. interests. Any further inquiry should be directed to the State Department, since Marine security guards report to the ambassador not to a military commander.
-As reported in open sources, approximately 2000 personnel were protesting outside the U.S. Embassy and six individuals entered Embassy grounds. The Marines quickly took control of these six individuals and subsequently turned them over to local security officials.
-There were no Marines injured in this, or other actions in Cairo.
-There are no Marine dependents in Cairo.

Libya:
-Contrary to open source reporting, there are no Marines currently stationed at the Embassy in Tripoli, or the Consulate in Benghazi.
-There were no Marines killed in the attack on the Consulate in Benghazi.

Yemen:
-The American Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen has a MCESG reinforced with a Marine security force. Due to operational security, we are not at liberty to provide additional details at this time.

Marine Corps Embassy Security Guards (MCESG):
Embassy security in Tripoli and the consulate in Benghazi fall under the Regional Security Officer with the State Department. The U.S. maintains over 285 diplomatic facilities worldwide. MCESG provides 152 security detachments provide internal security at designated U.S. diplomatic and consular facilities in order to prevent the compromise of classified material vital to the national security of the United States. Perimeter security is the responsibility of the host nation police/security forces. AMEMB Tripoli does not have a MCESG detachment. Typically, when a new embassy is established, it takes time to grow a new MCESG detachment. In coordination with the State Department, there was discussion about establishing a detachment in Tripoli sometime in the next five years. Overall, the plan is to grow the number of MCESG detachments worldwide to 173. The size of a MCESG detachment depends on the size of the Embassy and the security situation on the ground. They normally range anywhere from 5-20+ Marines in size. MCESG can, and have, provided security at Consulates as well as Embassies. For example, Marines guard the US Consulate in Hong Kong and, in the past, have guarded the US Consulate in addition to the Embassy in Haiti. The decision as to which consulates receive this augmented security lies with the State Department. State identifies its requirements and DOD/Marines work to provide it. A U.S. Ambassador serving in an unstable region can/will normally have a security detail provided by the State Departments Diplomatic Security Corps. State has agents specially trained to provide personal security details (similar to the Secret Service). Stephanie Hoostal at the State Liaison Office (B-330) can be reached at 6-4542 if you have questions specific to the State Dept.

Fleet Anti-Terrorism Support Team (FAST):
A FAST platoon deployed to Libya yesterday (12 Sep 12) to provide security for the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli. Established in 1987, FAST platoons provide a limited-duration, expeditionary security force to protect vital naval and national assets. FAST companies maintain forward-deployed platoons at various naval commands around the globe and possess U.S.-based alert forces capable of rapidly responding to unforeseen contingencies worldwide. FAST is not designed to provide a permanent security force for installations. FAST platoons are primarily designed to conduct defensive combat operations, military security operations, and rear area security operations in response to approved requests in support of geographic combatant and fleet commanders. When deployed to reinforce embassies with existing MCESG detachments, FAST platoons will customarily provide an outer cordon of security inside the embassy compound, while MCESG Marines maintain security of the chancery proper, and host nation police/security forces provide an outer cordon of security beyond embassy grounds.

NOTE: Although a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has traditionally been forward deployed to the Mediterranean (2.5 MEU forward deployment-1 x east coast MEU to the Med, 1 x west coast MEU to the Pacific, and the 31st MEU forward based out of Okinawa, Japan), there is currently no MEU presence in the Mediterranean. The Marine Corps currently maintains a 1.5 MEU presence forward deployed. We currently have the 24th MEU from the east coast deployed to the Persian Gulf, a west coast MEU is conducting work-ups for deployment, and the 31st MEU is operating from Okinawa.

Please see the attachments for more information on FAST or MCESG. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Marine Corps Liaison Office in RHOB-B324.

Respectfully,
Alex Cross, Maj USMC
Deputy Director, Marine Liaison Office
U.S. House of Representatives
B-324 Rayburn

 

[rhomas]

The US should pull all of our people out of every one of the Muslim countries, round up and deport every Muslim currently in this country and send them back to wherever they came from, and then reply as Teddy Roosevelt (if he had the capabilities) and Ronald Reagan would............NUKE the FUGGERS off of the face of the planet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dinkshooter]

round up and deport every Muslim currently in this country and send them back to wherever they came from

Hitler? Is that you??????

 

[d-bone20917]

The US should pull all of our people out of every one of the Muslim countries, round up and deport every Muslim currently in this country and send them back to wherever they came from, and then reply as Teddy Roosevelt (if he had the capabilities) and Ronald Reagan would............NUKE the FUGGERS off of the face of the planet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lots of hate coming from those fingers.

 

[JoseCuervo]

The US should pull all of our people out of every one of the Muslim countries, round up and deport every Muslim currently in this country and send them back to wherever they came from, and then reply as Teddy Roosevelt (if he had the capabilities) and Ronald Reagan would............NUKE the FUGGERS off of the face of the planet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Impressive hate speech there.

You do a lot for the hunting community with your ignorance.

 

[sbhooper]

sbhooper-

Did you know a guy in Iran named Mike Mitrenko? He is a buddy of mine and he was at the embassy at the same time.

Not to my recollection. He may have been a little different time frame. I was actually there 75-76 and then transferred to Argentina.

 

[sbhooper]

The US should pull all of our people out of every one of the Muslim countries, round up and deport every Muslim currently in this country and send them back to wherever they came from, and then reply as Teddy Roosevelt (if he had the capabilities) and Ronald Reagan would............NUKE the FUGGERS off of the face of the planet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent a year in Iran and a year in Iraq, and I have to say that I agree with you. Unfortunately, it is not realistic as we live in a do-gooder society that will not do what needs to be done. That is why our country is in a downward spiral. Somehow our fine politicians cannot figure out that the middle east cannot be brought into this century.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Sbhopper- he must have gotten there after you left. He was still there when the students took the embassy, and was a guest of the ayatollah for a few years.

As for the nuking thing. Not sure I would go that far, but don't be confused this is the Muslim's crusade. I just hope we can keep fighting them over there. It is international, no one country over there is responsible, the radical clerics are.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Dink, I just hope that "Secret Ingredients" included pork products. John