CLIQUES : Doctor, Lawyer, Security Guard . . .

What do an Indian army colonel, an NYPD officer, an archeologist and a prize-winning poet wear when they hang out together? The navy blue blazer and gray flannel trousers of a J. Paul Getty Museum security officer.

The strong and silent types who stand watch over the sculptures and sarcophagi have some exotic sidelines and former professions. There’s also a Japanese literature professor, an Ethiopian superintendent of schools, two theologians, an astronomer and assorted musicians and artists.

Wilbur Faulk, director of the museum’s security and a former fire captain, is proud of his international staff. Although he won’t divulge the size of the museum’s security force, Faulk will say that 13 languages or dialects are spoken and 12 countries represented, including Guyana, Belize, Chile, India, Malaysia and England. For many, including Faulk, the Getty was a temporary job that turned permanent. For others, it’s a prelude to a career in law enforcement or an alternative to retirement.

“I’ve never worked with so many different types of people,” says Don Philipp, a former regional planner for Los Angeles County. “To use the jargon of the day, it’s a real multicultural experience.”

Visitors to the Getty, however, remain unaware of the guards’ diverse backgrounds. “A good security officer,” says Faulk, “remains inconspicuous.”