US Marine Corps: Purpose of the Interior Guard - Literature review Example

US Marine Corps: Purpose of the Interior Guard Table of Contents I. Introduction 3 II. Discussion 5 III. Conclusion 11 References 13 I. Introduction This paper discusses the Interior Guard within the US Marine Corps, what it is and what its purpose is in the main. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the Marine Corps as being composed mainly of troops that are amphibious in nature, operating as a distinct US armed forces branch, and which is subsumed under the office of the Secretary of the US Navy, who has the command line jurisdiction and leadership role over the branch (American Heritage Dictionary, 2014). A more nuanced definition outlines the chief functions of the US Marine Corps within the US Navy but acting as a separate entity within that, to include the provision of troop manpower for navy-related operations. Those operations include the seizing and defending of bases for use in combat and other operations. The Marine Corps also has the mandate to provide contingents in vessels of the navy, and forces for securing American missions of diplomacy in other nations, and naval installations outside of the United States. The specialization of the US Marine Corps is said to be in the area of landings of an amphibious nature, as exemplified by such landing made in Japan-occupied territories during the Second World War. Having been an intrinsic part of the US Navy from the 1770s and onwards, the US Marine Corps is credited historically with being among the first contingents to spearhead American war and defense efforts across the centuries. As a branch of the US armed forces, the Marine Corps is said to be the tiniest in terms of manpower, having a body count of just over 200,000, together with an additional 40,000 Americans being part of its reserve rolls. It is divided into four groups, with the men within being scattered across some 35 military installations located chiefly in Japan and the US. Over the centuries too, the functions and capabilities of the Marines are said to have evolved to include air, sea and land capabilities, even as its core expertise has remained emanating from the oceans and the seas to wage land campaigns basically (Britannica.com, 2014; Hoovers, 2014; Gale Encyclopedia of US History, 2014). It is worth noting that the US Marine Corps in general has had an active role in the most important military interventions that the United States either spearheaded or participated in, from the beginning of the First World War all the way to the present. This discussion is important in terms of situating the role of the Interior Guard within this important branch of the US Armed Forces. The Interior Guard is after all a part of the US Marine Corps, and so in a general way the discussion of the US Marine Corps in general is also a discussion of the Interior Guard. This general introduction into the US Marine Corps provides a solid background from which this paper hopes to embark on a fruitful discussion on the purpose and importance of the Interior Guard. That said, going back to the historical contributions of the US Marine Corps, it is worth noting further that in modern times, this branch has been in the forefront of the US efforts in the Middle East, spanning the US efforts in Lebanon and its neighbors in the 1970s, the siege of Israel in the early 1980s, and the invasion of Iraq in 1991. That said too, its efforts have not been wholly combined to participating in conflicts, as the Marine Corps has had notable humanitarian efforts in the recent past. Those efforts include aiding devastated populations in Bangladesh, from natural calamities, and other noteworthy efforts tied to the environment and neutralizing the drug cartels in Mexico as part of an on-going war against drugs (Gale Encyclopedia of US History, 2014; United States Marine Corps, 2014). II. Discussion Marine Corps Order 5530.15 from the Marine Corps Commandant dated October 14, 2008 defines the Marine Corps Interior Guard, its origin, roles, and reasons for existence, as well as its purpose, emanating from the judgment of a Commanding Officer or a Commander to so establish and designate Interior Guards for the preservation of order, the enforcement of regulations, and the protection of property. The Commander or Commanding Officer derives his designation and power from the definition of the leadership role as having command responsibilities over a prescribed territory or an organization in the armed forces, and so officially recognized as such. The Interior Guards existence is then contingent on the legitimacy of the commanders power to create the Interior Guard post as the need arises, and as described for the contingencies enumerated above. The distinctions are made between other forms of guard roles, such as those that have been designated for the defense of specific tactical zones, and the interior guards. The interior guard in particular is governed by regulations relating to the conduct and performance of interior guard duties while in ships, even as outside of ships guard duties are delegated to personnel other than those who are designated for on-board interior guard duties. The presence of a detailed manual that outlines in strict fashion the roles, responsibilities, functions and purpose for existence of the interior guard reflect the seriousness of the role and of the vital nature of the role in performing specific tasks tied to securing order and enforcing the rules of the US Marine Corps within its jurisdictions. It is important to note too that the definition of the Interior Guard contains within it the scope and limitations of its powers and responsibilities as being circumscribed by the powers and responsibilities of the commander who created the Interior Guard post. Moreover, taking a step back, the purpose of the Interior Guard is encapsulated in the definition of the function and the manner by which the role comes into being within the needs and the perceived necessity of a designated and recognized Commanding Office or Commander (Dunford, 2008, pp. 1-1 – 1-4). The other relevant discussions relating to the role and the functions of the Interior Guard as specified in the manual also help flesh out the purpose of the role. In terms of composition, for instance, one can see that the manual prescribes that the Interior Guard may be made up of either a unitary or a greater number of main guards, as determined and ordered by the Commanding Officer. The Interior Guard likewise includes in its roster special guards delineated by the Commanding Officer as well as by commanders of units that are subordinated to the Commanding Officers larger unit. The Deck Officer on board ships function as supervisors in command of the Interior Guard, even as outside of ships a designated Day Officer has supervisory powers over the Interior Guard. Where there are large numbers making up an offboard contingent of Interior Guards, field officers are assigned supervisory roles over a large contingent of guards. The Interior Guard moreover is made up of various roles that are designated again on the basis of need, and the deployment is dependent on the need as well as the absolute numbers of available personnel to man the post of the Interior Guards. Within this grouping the role of the Main guard and sentries are well defined, including the nature and timing of the rotations for shifts. Outside of ships, Guard commanders in charge of the Interior Guard may be established, even as on board ships this role is subsumed into the role of Guard Sergeant. The idea, without going into the details of Interior Guard deployment and the commissioning and deployment of supervisors to the Interior Guard, is that the arrangements for the Interior Guard positions are carefully and thoroughly worked out. In this way the role is well-defined and given due attention, underlining the importance of the Interior Guard role for the purposes that are determined by designated Commanding Officers or Commanders (Dunford, 2008). The purpose of the Interior Guard can also be gleaned from the duties and responsibilities tied to the role and as they are described in the Interior Guard Manual. The key duties pertain to the Interior Guard basically following strictly the chain of command and emanating from the Commanding Officer, down to the Commander of the Guard and the Sergeant of the Guard, who have direct powers of supervision and guidance over the Interior Guard. The overseers in this chain of command make sure that the Interior Guard in turn conscientiously follows the mandates and expectations of the Commanding Officer, including the securing of property and the preservation and securing of peace and order within the areas designated by the Commanding Officer. A strict hierarchy of power governs the observance of the duties of the Interior of the Guard, is another way of stating what the purpose of the Interior Guard is. It is basically to follow that command chain and that hierarchy of responsibilities and power, and to act in accordance with the prescriptions and directives of that chain of command extending from the Commanding Officer down to the Day Field Officer to the Day Officer, the Guard Commander, the Guard Sergeant, and the line officer of senior rank, as well as the Guard Corporal, as the case may be. At the end of the chain of command are the actual Interior Guard, who in one of their key roles are also referred to as sentries. The manual also prescribes the purpose of the Interior Guard in terms of lingering near the areas of duty even when the Interior Guard is not on active duty, indicating that a key role and purpose of the Interior Guard is has to do with keeping the peace and securing public order and privacy and property rights whenever the need arises, and implicitly within the constraints imposed on the Interior Guard by the chain of command and by the necessary rules of engagement. The overall take is that within the chain of command the Interior Guard defines his roles and purpose and those of the designated supervisors and overseers of the entire process. Other key roles that reflect the purposes of the Interior Guard include acting out the roles of orderlies, of being detailed for flag protection and guarding, as well as for purposes relating to supervising other members of the Interior Guard (Dunford, 2008). III. Conclusion The literature that describes the role of the Interior Guard within the larger context of the definitions and roles of the US Marine Corps and its members is clear with regard to the necessity of the role for reinforcing the Armed Forces chain of command, and for the purposes that have been laid out as a response to the external environment by the Commanding Officer. In other words, given the intense attention heaped on the Interior Guard, it is clear that the role has purpose and substance. At the very core the Interior Guard is the first line of defense or the first line of action in the name of security and of preserving order and the peace. This purpose meshes with the purposes and intentions of the many supervisory levels on top of which the Interior Guard represents the most fundamental level or layer. Taking a step back too, that the Interior Guard role analysis necessitates a thorough discussion of its use and of its basis in a strict hierarchy of order and command. means that the purpose of the Interior Guard is well documented and regulated. Strictly speaking the purpose of the Interior Guard is to act on behalf of the chain of command, with the Commanding Officer defining and giving birth to the role and keeping it relevant because of actual identified needs. That chain of command has an effective hierarchy that in the end allows for the expression of the mandate of the top of the hierarchy. In practical terms those purposes are tied to securing the peace, safeguarding property, and the enforcement of the relevant regulations (Dunford, 2008; American Heritage Dictionary, 2014; United States Marine Corps, 2014). References American Heritage Dictionary (2014). Marine Corps: American Heritage Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/united-states-marine-corps Britannica.com (2014). United States Marine Corps: Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/united-states-marine-corps Dunford, J. F. (2008). US Marine Corps Interior Guard Manual. Department of the Navy Headquarters United States Marine Corps. Retrieved from http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Publications/MCO%205530.15.pdf Hoovers (2014). US Marine Corps: Hoovers Company Profiles. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/united-states-marine-corps Gale Encyclopedia of US History (2014). United States Marine Corps: Gale Encyclopedia of US History. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/united-states-marine-corps United States Marine Corps (2014). United States Marine Corps - About. Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/marinecorps/info Read More