When civilians enter any of these bases, their initial impressions of the Marine Corps are made by the appearance of the facilities at the entrance to the base and the professionalism – or lack thereof – of the personnel manning the gate.
…In fact, Marines so trusted the truism that self-formed impressions of the Corps are vitally important that they supported professional main gate facilities and squared-away U.S. Marine Corps guards as important tools in the recruiting battles waged by the Marine Corps every day. As an institution, the Marine Corps kept Marines at their base gates longer than any other service…
…As a young Marine, I was proud of the differences compared to the other services, including the acknowledgement that “rent-a-cops” just did not cut it as gate guards. So did my fellow Marines. In the typically crude – but honestly – worded Marine Corps way, they routinely commented that civilian gate guards for the other services too often looked like 10 pounds of manure crammed in a five-pound bag.
The Marine Corps prided itself on being different and kept Marines at the main gates, looking and acting like the professionals they are. I can’t count how many times visiting family members and friends commented on how prideful an experience it was – and how secure and safe it made them feel – to be waved through the main gate and saluted with a pop and a snap by a straight-as-an-arrow U.S. Marine guarding the base.
…However, civilian guards have started manning the main gate at Camp Lejeune. They are sure to follow at Cherry Point and New River. The decision to do so was probably made to save scarce Marine Corps military police personnel for higher priority wartime tasks, higher priority tasks than making initial impressions and recruiting.
It will work, though, only if its unintended consequences were carefully considered. Putting civilian guards at the gates of Marine Corps bases is cultural change…If my initial impression as a retired Marine is any gauge, the Marine Corps has much work to do.
At Camp Lejeune the other day, I was unenthusiastically waved through the gate by a sullen “rent-a cop” in the truest sense of the term. He seemed more interested in the speed at which he could pass vehicles through the main gate than in making good, initial impressions. He was not interested in recruiting anybody – or providing security for that matter. No eye contact, no greeting and no professionalism. Just like the guards at the Army, Navy and Air Force bases I remember as a young Marine. Ten pounds crammed into a five-pound bag.
It’s just another example of the military outsourcing jobs to civilians that used to be handled by Marines. Guard duty, bodyguards, computer techs, supply specialists, cooks, armorers, mechanics. Why, I don’t really know. Sometimes it seems like one day, the Marine Corps will be all grunts with civilian support staff.
Is that what they want?
They already like to call civilians working for the Marine Corps “civilian Marines” and I HATE that! There’s no such thing! Either you’re a civilian, you’re a Marine, or you’re a former Marine. No silly “civilian Marine”. Come on.
Anyway…I have to wonder if the military police themselves, and other Marines who stand guard duty, are glad they don’t have to anymore. Guard duty sucks. It’s the most boring, repetitive, brain-cell-killing job out there.
You might see a guard for ten seconds on your way in and think “Cool!” but people seem to forget that the guards stand post for hours and hours and hours. Wave, salute, wave. Wave, salute, wave. Marine guards are nice to look at but don’t forget that while you’re busy enjoying the sight of a snappy, uniformed, handsome Marine on guard duty, they are probably hating life.
I am a female Marine currently in the Individual Ready Reserve. I like to sleep, travel, read, eat, explore, and take photographs. I read lots of news and I like reading about life in other countries. I am easily amused and my dream job is to be snoozing in a warm patch of sunlight, hopefully with a piece of tasty cheese nearby for when I wake up hungry.
This post reminds me a bit of the pictures you took of the private guards in the country you are posted in. A military installation should be guarded by military personnel not wannna be rent-a-marine. Imagine what would happen if as rumor has it that the Embassy Guards would be replaced by private guards. you would end up with a fat trigger happy moron with a cigarette in his mouth an ugly uniform. I am sure that they would not receive all the screening and training that you went through. What motivation would they have to defend the embassy at all cost? A few more pesos a month? it seems a bit ridiculous.
Well, as a matter of fact…embassies ARE guarded by private guards already. Marine guards are only responsible for internal security. The host country is responsible for the outside. Those guards that just got shot up in Istanbul were private Turkish guards, not Marines. Remember that giant mob that attacked the embassy in Belgrade? The Marines didn’t come out guns blazing because that’s not our job. Our job is to guard the classified information and people INSIDE the building. That’s it.
I see, thanks for the clarification, but wasn’t there some talk about replacing the Marines that have guarded the interests of the US inside the Embassies? By the way the new embassy on Sussex Dr in Ottawa has one of the best collections of modern art I have ever seen as well a s a really good scotch selection!!!!!
Outsourcing was and still is BELIEVED to be the way to cut costs and make the department’s budget and personnel smaller. I don’t really agree.
But of course, we know that quality often decreases, as the job is quickly degraded to something that has to be gotten out of the way.
And it’s not just pride that would get hurt, but also people.
It’s only going to get worse…
My stepson is currently stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. When he arrived (12/09/08), he found he would not be learning Marine Combat Training skills at first. Instead he would be Camp Guard for 2-weeks (at least that is what they stated). Tom is disappointed because he was looking forward to pursuing the 21-days of Combat Training thereafter going to Pensacola Fl, where he would learn the skills for an Aviation Electronic Technician position.
I am curious. What are your thoughts?
Perhaps it is a good thing or perhaps not (??).
I agree the 'civilian marine' thing sounds a bit silly. And there certainly a lot of useless civilians working for DoD..
That said.. there are many that work as hard or harder. Not everyone uniformed is effective and hard-working.. There are some civilians that deploy more to combat zones than some marines ever will and work/contribute just as hard… your tone is insulting.