Mobile Security Division
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The Mobile Security Deployment, formery called the Mobile Security Division, is a special force within the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) of the Department of State.
Their assignment is the protection of members of the US Federal government of the United States overseas. Fighting kidnapping and terrorism are part of their duties, as well as protection and evacuation of US citizens out of crisis areas and training of personnel in foreign countries.
The Mobile Security Deployment, based in Dunn Loring, Virginia, consists of eleven teams with six officers each:
- Mobile Training Teams (MTT), hold classes for local law enforcement issues, United States Marine Corps security personnel and select foreign personnel.
- The Security Support Teams (SST) are trained for counterattacks of US embassies or threats against diplomatic personnel.
- The unit Tactical Support Team (TST) has been established in the 1990s and is assigned to the Mobile Security Deployment performing personal security, e.g. escorting United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
MSD cooperates closely with other federal agencies, for example with the Secret Service, the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Teams of the United States Navy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement agencies, both domestic and foreign.
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[edit] Selection and training
MSD officers are selected out of BDS staff. The training duration is six months and is held at the Diplomatic Security Training Center (DSTC) in Maryland. The curriclum is based upon weapon handling, car handling, navigation, precision shooting, first aid and tactics. Finally, the training simulates a kidnapping and personal security scenario.
[edit] Equipment
Garments, weapons and communication devices of the MSD are always state of the art. MSD uniforms are tailored to the mission, including use of Kevlar helmets, protective goggles, body armor, gas masks, radio transceivers with headphones, first aid kits, tactical vests and camelbak drinking devices, night vision goggles and GPS handheld devices such as Garmin GPS II Plus.
[edit] Weaponry
The MSD officers are equipped with firearms of the type U.S. Military M-4 carbine, different H&K MP5 submachine gun variants, Israeli Uzi submachine guns, Remington 870 shotguns, and SIG-Sauer P228/229 pistols. MSD operators are trained to use and deploy with U.S. Military weapons, including the M-249, M-240, M-2 50 caliber, and Mark 19 grenade launcher. Other weapons include pepper spray, extendable clubs and stun grenades.
[edit] Assignemnts
MSD forces were involved in Bosnia and Liberia protecting U.S. diplomatic missions and arresting terrorist such as Ramzi Ahmed Yousef perpetrator of the (World Trade Center bombing in 1993), as well as the ivestigation of terrorists bombings in a United States Army barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia in 1996 and the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya.
