this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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What? That's the job of the marines. All major US embassies are guarded by Marines across the world.
Really? Why marines? Military Bases are staffed by National Guard, I figured that would be the same case.
Where are you getting your info on how overseas bases run?! MPs deal with the general day to day security of bases with a station of marines (no smaller than a squad.) on hand for serious issues. National Guard, usually only call themselves National Guard when guarding the 50 states.
Ok, so, no, Nat gaurd deploys all the time overseas under Federal Title 10 missions.
I incorrectly assumed they would be stationed on bases as base security.
But their title when deployed isn't national guard.
What is their title then?
MP, Marine, staff Sargent, lieutenant, corman...
No. I mean you said they are no longer "National Guard" when they deploy overseas. What do they become?
Okay, to be clear, ALL US Embassies are guarded by Marines. It's a 3 year B-billet some Marines serve across the world for a year at each duty station. There's a school for MSG at Quantico. As for why, for one, Marines have great PR as the toughest the US military has to offer (which has a bit of truth to it, but is greatly exaggerated). Marines are also generally used as shock troops and escorts, naturally leading to a general infrastructure of an [perceived] elite guard pipeline. Also, those blues uniforms look damn good, which is also why it's generally Marines that are the guards front and center around the white house.
In terms of who generally staffs US military bases, it depends on which branch is stationed there. All branches have their own MPs as an MOS or job. Marines are pretty much just on the US coasts and Japan. The Other branches are pretty much all over, though. Lots of them are mixed, too. But usually the staff is gonna be Army, Navy, or [ch]Air Force, depending on the purpose of the base. National Guard is really only gonna be staffing their own bases in their state, or filling in somewhere under one of the Federal branches as a "deployment".