Marines Expanding Homeland Defense, Anti-Terrorism Roles.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.

The Marine Corps' new anti-terrorism brigade was built around skills that have been taught to Marine security forces for many years. What is different about this brigade, officials said, is that it facilitates cross training between various units and focuses on close-combat deftness.

The 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, based in Camp Lejeune, N.C., has 4,800 members. The MEB, which can respond to crises worldwide within 72 hours, includes three existing security guard and antiterrorism battalions, in addition to a new infantry unit. To make this happen, the commandant of the Marines, Gen. James L. Jones, asked Congress for $166 million to set up the brigade and augment the Corps by 2,400 troops.

"The MEB capabilities are not something new," said Ray Geoffroy, head of security at the Marine Corps law-enforcement branch. The brigade was created to "enhance what we already have," he told a conference on expeditionary warfare, sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association.

What makes this brigade stand apart, Geoffroy said, is that it teaches a broader set of skills. The 4th MEB, he explained, "will be able to integrate the training of Marine security guards in the same common skills that our Marine security forces receive." These common skills emphasize "integrated command and control," he said. This will make it easier for a Marine security guard, for example, to come back from a three-year tour and rejoin the brigade to serve in the anti-terrorism battalion as an infantry platoon sergeant.

The idea is to keep skilled anti-terrorism troops longer in the brigade. "A Marine would be staying in the brigade for a period of time," said Geoffroy.

Training in the 4th MEB will focus on urban-warfare skills, marksmanship and the ability to deal with nuclear, biological and chemical threats, he added.

According to one source who asked to not be quoted by name, Marines in this unit will hone their counter-terrorism capabilities with close-quarters battle drills. Typically, Marines are trained to shoot from about 1,000 meters. Counter-terrorism tactics require that they learn to shoot from close range (about 70 meters), so they can defeat a terrorist who may be holding a hostage, for example. For these missions, Marines will be using a close-action rifle, which is much shorter than the M-16.

There are four parts to the 4th MEB: 1) The anti-terrorism battalion. 2) The Marine Security Forces battalion, with three companies. This unit supports the chief of naval operations. The companies are based in Bahrain, Patuxent River and Annapolis, Md. 3) The Marine Security Guard battalion, which provides embassy security for the State Department at 103 posts. 4) The Chemical-Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF), which was established in 1996, after the sarin...