Mobile Security Division

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United StatesUnited States Mobile Security Division / Office of Mobile Security Deployment
- MSD -
Seal of the United States Diplomatic Security Service.svg
State level Federation
Position of the authority police
legal form Federal law enforcement
Supervisory authority (s) Diplomatic Security Service - Director of Training
Headquarters Dunn Loring
Employee approx. 66
Website www.state.gov

The Mobile Security Division ( MSD ; German Mobile Security Department ) is a tactical special unit of the security service of the US State Department Diplomatic Security Service .

Mobile Security Division special agents

tasks

"The Ninjas, " as the round-the-clock unit is jokingly called, consists of tactical specialists deployed to protect members of the US government at home and abroad. Operations in hostage-taking and terrorist attacks are just as much a part of the Mobile Security Division's range of operations as the protection and evacuation of US citizens from crisis areas. Education and training of security personnel abroad are also among the tasks of the MSD.

The Mobile Security Division , based in Dunn Loring, consists of eleven teams of six each, which are put together according to the mission:

  • As Mobile Training Teams (MTT), they conduct training courses and courses for local police and security forces as well as United States Marine Corps security personnel and foreign military personnel. In addition, the MSD has developed a comprehensive training module in the field of surveillance technology as well as a teaching program on chemical and biological warfare that is taught at home and abroad.
  • Formed into so-called Security Support Teams (SST), MSD officers are also deployed in the event of attacks on US embassies or threats against their staff, as they can be ready for action within a few hours after the alert.
  • As a Tactical Support Team (TST), which was set up in the early 1990s, the Mobile Security Division is entrusted with personal protection tasks, for example by accompanying the Foreign Minister

The Mobile Security Division works closely with other agencies, such as the Secret Service , the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Teams of the US Marine Corps, the FBI and local police forces at home and abroad.

education

MSD officers are recruited from the ranks of experienced DSS employees. After a rigorous selection process, the candidates undergo an extensive six-month training program at the Diplomatic Security Training Center (DSTC) in Maryland , where expertise , driving training, navigation , precision shooting, first aid and other tactical skills are taught. In addition to internal training, MSD officers visit various state and private training and training facilities, where courses lasting several weeks teach hand-to-hand combat , defensive tactics, weapon handling , precision shooting, close quarters battle (house-to-house fighting and tactical internal security of buildings) and hostage rescue. The final phase of the training includes a realistic hostage-taking scenario and a personal protection exercise with local extras.

equipment

Material, weapons and communication systems of the Mobile Security Division are always state of the art. Their uniforms consist of dark blue combat suit trousers in the style of the SWAT units, blue polo shirts with the DSS logo on the chest, light tactical boots from various manufacturers, kevlar helmets , protective goggles, ballistic vests , gas masks , radios with earphones and larynx microphone , first aid Bags, vests and Camelbak drinking systems. In addition, the MSD officers use night vision devices and the GPS navigation system.

Armament

The standard weapon of the Mobile Security Division is the HK53 A5N from Heckler & Koch with extendable shoulder rest, Navy trigger group (see Heckler & Koch reel-lock weapons # fire selector switch ) and 30-round magazine , which can optionally be replaced by a 100-round drum magazine. This weapon is estimated because they, despite their compact format assault rifle - ammunition with caliber mm NATO 5.56 × 45 verschießt. The range of automatic weapons in the MSD's arsenal is rounded off by the MP5 and MP5K PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) from Heckler & Koch, as well as the Uzi from Israel Military Industries in caliber 9 mm Parabellum . In addition, the Remington 870 forearm repeater in caliber 12 is used. It is mainly used to fire non-lethal ammunition such as rubber bullets or so-called bean bags , but when loaded with shotgun ammunition or shotgun barrel ammunition , it is also used to shoot closed doors. All guns are equipped with SureFire , some additional lamps with ACOG- scopes equipped. Each MSD officer also carries a SIG Sauer P228 service pistol in 9 × 19 mm caliber with a 13-round magazine in the holster . Besides pepper spray and expandable baton also come stun grenades (Flashbangs) used.

Calls

The Mobile Security Division was deployed in crisis regions such as Bosnia and Liberia to protect US facilities and was involved in the arrest of terrorist suspect Ramzi Ahmed Yousef in connection with the bomb attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 and in the follow-up missions after the Involved in bomb attacks on US Army barracks in Dhahran in June 1996 and US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in August 1998.

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