MSG stands for Marine Security Guard, Marines of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group who provide security at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. MSG detachments are small units assigned to specific overseas posts, often for a shared tour of duty.
What Does MSG Stand For in the Marine Corps?
In the Marine Corps, MSG is short for Marine Security Guard, also known as a Marine Embassy Guard.
The organization itself has gone through a name change over the years. What’s now the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group was formerly known as the Marine Security Guard Battalion, but both names still circulate in the community and in gear that predates the change.
What Does a Marine Security Guard Do?
U.S. Marine Security Guards have worked closely with the State Department and the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for more than six decades to protect and safeguard people, property, and sensitive information at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world.
MSGs operate under the guidance and operational control of a civilian federal agent of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) known as the Regional Security Officer (RSO), the senior U.S. law enforcement representative and security attaché at each diplomatic post.
Security Guards protect mission personnel and classified information through security inspections and access control, using advanced security equipment. Most importantly, they’re trained to respond to situations like intrusions, bomb threats, demonstrations and riots, fires, or natural disasters at embassies or consulates.
It’s demanding, high-stakes work carried out by small detachments, often just a handful of Marines per post, stationed across more than 130 countries worldwide.
The MSG Battalion Motto: “In Every Clime and Place”
“In Every Clime and Place” is documented as the motto of the Marine Security Guard Battalion, the Marine Corps organization MSG detachments belong to. The phrase itself traces back further, to a line in the Marines’ Hymn, and it’s long been associated with the Marine Corps as a whole.
For the MSG community, though, it’s become their own: a battalion whose Marines serve at posts on every continent, in climates ranging from desert heat to arctic cold.
The phrase shows up constantly in MSG culture, on patches, decals, and gear across the community. It captures something specific about the job – that no two posts are alike, but the mission is the same wherever a Marine is sent.
The Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon
The Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon was established in 1997 and made retroactive to January 1949, when the first Marine Security Guards departed for overseas assignments.
The ribbon is awarded to Marines who complete 24 months of duty with the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group. Subsequent tours are recognized with additional service stars on the ribbon, one for each qualifying period of service.
MSG Detachment Coin Traditions
MSG detachments are small units, often just a handful of Marines assigned to a single post for a shared overseas tour. That size and shared experience makes coining a natural fit: a detachment coin becomes something specific to that post, that group, that tour, in a way a generic Marine Corps coin can’t be.
Detachments commonly commission coins to mark the end of a tour, to commemorate a specific post, or as a keepsake exchanged with host-nation counterparts and other agencies working alongside the detachment. Our MSG Detachment Shanghai coin is a good example of this. Its design features the U.S. on one side and the other representing China, the host country, reflecting that specific detachment’s post in Shanghai.
Finished Coin (Front)
Finished Coin (Back)
About the MSG Detachment UAE Coin
This coin was commissioned to be awarded to Marine Security Guards assigned to the detachment in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The customer wanted something luxurious and colorful, with the flags of the USA and UAE displayed on both sides of the coin, and the details finished in gold plating for a shiny, lavish look throughout.
The coin is diamond-shaped rather than the more common round or shield shape. The front carries the UAE flag’s colors, with a central emblem featuring a palm tree and star inside a ring, and a ribbon banner across the bottom reading “Dubai, United Arab Emirates.”
The back carries the American flag’s stars and stripes, with a central emblem featuring an eagle and crossed weapons, and a ribbon banner reading “Marine Security Guard Detachment.”
What Goes on an Embassy Detachment Coin?
A consulate detachment or marine embassy guard coin typically pairs the host-nation flag with the U.S. flag, along with a handful of other common elements:
- Post and city names
- Detachment identifiers
- The eagle, globe, and anchor
- Department of State elements
- Dates marking a specific tour
The MSG Battalion motto, “In Every Clime and Place,” shows up on plenty of detachment coins too, tying an individual post’s coin back to the wider MSG community.
Because every post and every detachment is different, no two of these coins look quite alike, even though they’re drawing from the same general set of design elements. It’s the same way any custom Marine Corps challenge coin reflects its own unit’s story.
Design a Coin for Your Detachment
We design custom MSG challenge coins for detachments, with free professional artwork and unlimited design revisions before production. We’re veteran-owned, and we build every design around your specific post rather than a generic template.
A note on ordering: we work on a custom minimum order, not single MSG coins.
We ship worldwide, including to detachments overseas. Shipping is free within the continental U.S.; international costs vary and will be confirmed at quote time.
Request free coin artwork to start your detachment’s design.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does MSG stand for in the Marine Corps?
MSG stands for Marine Security Guard, a Marine assigned to the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group who provides security at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
What does a Marine Security Guard do?
Marine Security Guards protect personnel, property, and classified information at U.S. embassies and consulates, working under the Regional Security Officer and responding to security threats at post.
What is the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group?
The Marine Corps Embassy Security Group is the Marine Corps organization responsible for providing security guards, known as MSGs, at U.S. diplomatic posts worldwide.
What does “In Every Clime and Place” mean?
“In Every Clime and Place” traces back to a line in the Marines’ Hymn and has become the MSG Battalion’s own motto. It reflects MSG Marines’ experience serving at posts across every climate and continent.
Who does an MSG detachment report to at post?
An MSG detachment operates under the Regional Security Officer (RSO), a Diplomatic Security Service agent who serves as the senior U.S. law enforcement representative at each post.
What is the Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon?
The Marine Corps Security Guard Ribbon is awarded after 24 months of MSG duty, with additional service stars recognizing subsequent qualifying tours.
What is the difference between a Marine Security Guard and a Diplomatic Security Service agent?
A Marine Security Guard is a U.S. Marine assigned to embassy security duty, while a Diplomatic Security Service agent is a civilian federal agent, including the Regional Security Officer who oversees MSG operations at post.
What goes on a Marine Security Guard challenge coin?
Designs draw from flags, post-specific insignia, and mottos, but each coin is built around that detachment’s own post rather than a fixed template. We’ve built similarly detailed designs for other Marine units, like our Marine CI/HUMINT coin.
Can detachments overseas order custom coins?
Yes. Our custom coin service isn’t limited to the continental U.S.; shipping costs for international or APO/DPO addresses vary and will be confirmed with you when requesting a quote.
What is the minimum order for MSG detachment coins?
Our standard minimum order is 50 coins. We’re a custom coin maker, not a source for single stock coins.
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