ATHENS, Greece -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 visited the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece on March 30.
The Thunderbolts had 21 participants who visited the embassy to learn about Marine security guard duty. The Marines toured a variety of departments and met Daniel Bennett Smith, U.S. Ambassador to Greece.
“Marines should be excited to learn more about such a prestigious special duty assignment,” said Sgt. Francis Garcia, VMFA-251 career planner and coordinator for the trip. “Just imagine being one of a few Marines tasked to safeguard our nation’s classified information while in a foreign country.”
Marine Security Guard Duty provides a 32-month tour at three different embassies around the world. Their main mission is to provide security and mitigate threats the embassy could possibly face.
The Athens detachment presented the squadron with a barbeque and refreshments.
Cpl. Dale Smith, a Marine security guard in Athens, gave a presentation to the visiting Marines about the duty and the amount of readiness required by Marines.
“Visiting an embassy is something I never had the chance to do before participating in Marine Security Guard duty and I believe this will spark a new interest in others,” said Smith, a native of Kansas City, Kan.
Marines at embassies are often secluded from other Marines due to the location of detachments, and commands transitioning through countries rarely plan trips for their Marines to visit embassies.
Given the opportunity to experience the lifestyle of a Marine security guard first hand, Garcia hopes to continue using this career retention tool on future Marines to show them all aspects of the Corps.