In 2014 the Secretary of the Navy (SecNav) established the Marine Corps Combat Instructor Ribbon. This means that Marine Corps Security Forces (MCSF) is now the only 1 of 5 Special Duty Assignments (SDA) not equally recognized. The others (Recruiters, Drill Instructors, Combat Instructors, and Marine Security Guards at embassies) all have SDA ribbons.
The mission of MCSF is to provide expeditionary antiterrorism and security forces to augment overseas security as needed, and to maintain security for designated Navy strategic weapons facilities.
We call on the President and the SecNav to create and award, with a retroactive date to 1920, a ribbon for the successful completion of Marine Corps Security Forces duty for both first term Security Forces contract Marines and career SDA Marines.