THE MARINE SECURITY GUARD RIBBON

The Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon is a United States Marine Corps military award that was established by order of Secretary of the Navy John Howard Dalton on 15 July 1997. The award recognizes those Marine Corps personnel who have served as U.S. Embassy Security Guards and is retroactive to 28 January 1949.

Personnel.

Marines possessing MOS 8151 who are serving with the Marine Security Guard Battalion (MSGBN), or previously served with the MSGBN in MOS 8151 billets at embassies, are eligible to receive the Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon (MCSGR). MSGBN personnel are also eligible to
receive the ribbon; however, personnel serving at Headquarters, MSGBN are not eligible. In addition, the following personnel are eligible to receive the MCSGR:

– Training Personnel: Director of Marine Security Guard (MSG) School/Battalion Commander; Officer in Charge (OIC) of MSG School; Operations Officer MSGBN; Assistant OPS Officer MSGBN; and SGTMAJ of MSGBN.

– Command Personnel: Lettered Company Commander /Executive Officer (XO)/Operations (OPS) Inspecting Officers/First Sergeant (1STSGT) and MSGBN XO.

Period of Service

Marines assigned to Marine Security Guard duty (MOS 8151) are eligible to receive the ribbon upon completion of 24 months of service at a foreign establishment. Subsequent awards will be made for every 24 months served, either consecutively or cumulatively.

Marines who served successful tours at a lettered MSGBN company headquarters or at HQ MSGBN, Quantico are not eligible to receive this award.

Posthumous Awards. On a case-by-case basis, the MCSGR may be awarded posthumously without regard to period of service.

Personnel transferred early for the Good of the Service must have served a minimum of 12 months in the program to be eligible for this award. Personnel transferred due to Relief for Cause are not eligible for the ribbon.

For the purpose of determining eligibility for this award, duty performed at a Department of State overseas post in an 8151 MOS billet after graduation from the Marine Security Guard School at MSGBN Headquarters is qualifying duty. This includes Company D located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The award consists of a ribbon bar only. No citation or certificate will be issued.

The MCSGR may be awarded retroactively to 28 January 1949, the date the first MSGs departed Washington, DC, for their overseas assignments. One award is authorized for the period 28 January 1949 to 15 August 1974, regardless of the number of qualifying periods.

Authority to award the MCSGR is delegated to commanding officers. An entry will be recorded in the Marine’s service record denoting issuance of the award.

Waivers. Requests for waiver shall be submitted to Commanding Officer, MSGBN, 2007 Elliot Road, Quantico, VA 22134-5112.

The USMC Awards Branch is the authority used to have the award added to your official record. To have the award added submit a SF-180 “REQUEST PERTAINING TO MILITARY RECORDS“ and include your CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD [1070] (if available; it is usually found in your SRB) as an attachment and they can have the award added to your official record. If you do not have your CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD (1070) simply submit the form with pertinent information and they will do the research for you.

Be sure to ask for an updated DD-214 with your request to ensure it has been added.

Send the completed SF-180 form to the following address:

Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps
Manpower Management Records & Performance (MMRP-10)
2008 Elliot Road Quantico, VA 22134-5030

YOUR NAME (REQUIRED)

YOUR EMAIL (REQUIRED)

MEMBER #

YOUR MESSAGE

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