Military Police Corps - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

For other uses, see Military Police Corps
Military Police Corps
The Military Police Corps is the uniformed law enforcement branch of the United States Army. Investigations are conducted by Military Police Investigators or the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command , both of which report to the Provost Marshal General.MPs are service members of the...

.

The Military Police Corps is the uniformed law enforcement

Military police

Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...

branch of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

. Investigations are conducted by Military Police Investigators or the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC), both of which report to the Provost Marshal General.

MPs are service members of the U.S. Army

United States Army

.

Some U.S. MP units, usually at the division

Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

or brigade

Brigade

A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

level, are designated as combat, division MPs whose combat zone responsibilities include protection of vehicle routes, defile

Defile (geography)

Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front...

control, route reconnaissance and straggler control, the guidance or detention of soldiers who have become lost, separated from their units, or have fled the battlefield. Since the beginning of the war on terror, military police have become a valuable asset to combat operations due to the versatility of the MOS

United States military occupation code

A United States military occupation code, or a Military Occupational Specialty code , is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job. In the U.S. Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes is used...

. They have been used more in a combat arms role rather than their normal combat support role.

Mission

The Army's Military Police provide an important function in the full spectrum of Army operations as a member of the Maneuver, Fires, and Effects division. The Military Police Corps provides expertise in police, detainment and stability operations in order to enhance security and enable mobility. The Army's Military Police can be utilized in direct combat and during peacetime. The Military Police have five main functions:

1. Maneuver and mobility support operations

2. Area security operations

3. Law and order operations

4. Internment and resettlement operations

5. Police intelligence operations

These five functions of the Army's Military Police all provide a commander with the necessary information and support for the successful completion of many Army missions.

The Military Police Corps has five career paths within the Army, one for commissioned officers, one for warrant officers, and four for enlisted soldiers:

31A Military Police Officer
311A Criminal Investigations Warrant Officer;
31B Military Police
31D Criminal Investigations Special Agent
31E Internment/Resettlement Specialist
31K Military Working Dog

Branch insignia

Two crossed gold color metal pistols 3/4 inch in height.
The insignia was approved in 1922.
The M1805 pistol, sometimes referred to as the Harper's Ferry Pistol (Harper's Ferry Model 1805)(made at the Harper's Ferry Arsenal), was selected since it was the first American military pistol and remained the Army model for many years. The parts of this weapon were standardized and inter-changeable, thereby marking an advance in arms production.

Branch plaque

The plaque design has the branch insignia, letters, and rim in gold. The background is green. This is also a rare emblem.

Regimental insignia

A gold color metal and enamel device 1 3/16 inches in height consisting of a shield blazoned as follows: Vert, a fasces palewise, axe Or and rods Proper (brown), thereover in fess a balance and in saltire overall a key with bow in sinister base and a sword with hilt in dexter base all of the second.
The shield is enclosed at bottom and sides by a gold scroll of three folds inscribed ASSIST PROTECT DEFEND in green letters and surmounted at the top by two crossed gold pistols.
The regimental insignia was approved on 3 July 1986.

Regimental coat of arms

Description

The coat of arms appears on the breast of a displayed eagle on the regimental flag.
The coat of arms is: Vert, a fasces palewise, axe Or and rods Proper (brown); thereover in fess a balance and in saltire overall a key with bow in sinister base and a sword with hilt in dexter base all of the second.
The crest (On a wreath of the colors Or and Vert a pair of crossed pistols of the first) is displayed above the eagle's head.
The background color of the flag is green and the fringe is yellow. The coat of arms was approved on 2 May 1986.

Symbolism

Green and gold are the colors associated with the Military Police Corps.
The fasces is an ancient symbol of authority related to a Roman magistrate.
The balance is symbolic of equal justice under law and the key signifies security.
The sword represents the military.
The crossed pistols are the symbol of the Military Police Corps mission: to uphold the law and to keep order.
The motto ASSIST, PROTECT, DEFEND reflects the mission.

Branch colors

Green piped with gold.

Green – 65007 cloth; 67129 yarn; PMS 357.
Gold – 65002 cloth; 67108 yarn; PMS 123
The color yellow piped with green was assigned to the Military Police by Army Regulation 600-35 dated 20 April 1922.
With the establishment of gold for the Armor and the use of green for the insignia on the Armor flag, the colors for the Military Police were reversed.
The current colors, green piped with gold, were assigned by Army Regulation 600-60-1 dated 26 October 1951.

Birthday

26 September 1941. A Provost Marshal General's Office and Corps of Military Police was established in 1941. Prior to that time, except during the Civil War and World War I, there was no regularly appointed Provost Marshal General or regularly constituted Military Police Corps, although a "Provost Marshal" can be found as early as January 1776, and a Provost Corps as early as 1778.

History

The Military Police Corps is one of the youngest branches of the United States Army

United States Army

. It was officially established on 26 September 1941.

The Military Police Corps traces its lineage and history back to the American Revolution. General George Washington

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

requested that the staff position of Provost Marshal

United States Army Provost Marshal General

The Provost Marshal General is a United States Army staff position that handles investigations and incarcerations of U.S. Army personnel. It is the senior-most Provost Marshal position in the U.S. Army, reporting to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. The position brings all aspects of...

be created to deal with disciplinary issues. In January 1776, William Maroney was appointed as the first Provost Marshall of the Continental Army. The Provost Marshals relied on soldiers temporarily drawn from other units, and had difficulty enforcing discipline. On 20 May 1778, Congress established the Provost Corps, which General Washington referred to as the "Marechaussee." Captain Bartholomew von Heer, a German-speaking officer from Pennsylvania, was appointed as the first commander of the Marechaussee on 1 June 1778. Under the new organization, the Provost Marshal was responsible for soldiers under custody and for punishments, while the Marechaussee was tasked with the enforcement of order within the Continental Army. The Marechaussee Corps would be formed exclusively as a police organization, and was organized and equipped as light dragoons, utilizing their speed to aid in troop movements and moving prisoners from the battlefield. The Marechaussee protected the Army's rear and flanks during troop movements, searched for stragglers, guarded river crossings, and engaged in combat when needed, as in the Battle of Springfield

Battle of Springfield (1780)

The Battle of Springfield was fought during the American Revolutionary War on June 23, 1780. After the Battle of Connecticut Farms, on June 7, 1780, had foiled Lieutenant General Wilhelm, Baron von Knyphausen’s expedition to attack General George Washington’s army at Morristown, New Jersey,...

. The Provost Corps was disbanded in November 1783.

In 1863, the Office of the Provost Marshal General was established and oversaw the Veterans Reserve Corps (VRC). In the US Civil War, the VRC maintained law and order at garrison areas, while other provost guard units served on the front lines. After the war, the Office of the Provost Marshal General was discontinued as the Union Army disbanded.

During the Moro Rebellion

Moro Rebellion

The Moro Rebellion was an armed military conflict between Moro revolutionary groups in the Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan and the United States military which took place in the Philippines as early as between 1899 to 1913, following the Spanish-American War in 1898...

following the Spanish–American War, the United States founded the Philippine Constabulary

Philippine Constabulary

The Philippine Constabulary ' was the oldest of four service commands of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was a gendarmerie type para-military police force of the Philippines established in 1901 by the United States-appointed administrative authority replacing the Guardia Civil...

. Training began in 1902, and Brigadier General Harry Hill Bandholtz

Harry Hill Bandholtz

Major General Harry Hill Bandholtz was the US representative of the Allied Military Mission in Hungary in 1919.-Life:Bandholtz was born in Constantine, Michigan and a graduate of the United States Military Academy. In 1902 he served as Provincial Governor in Tayabas Province in the Philippines...

was appointed as chief of the Constabulary in 1907.

The complexity of warfare during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

required a Corps of specially trained soldiers to handle massive numbers of prisoners of war and control the movement of troops and supplies in the zones of operation. The Military Police Training Department was established 9 September 1918 at Caserne Changarnier in Autun

Autun

Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...

, France. Following the war, Brigadier General Harry Hill Bandholtz

Harry Hill Bandholtz

, who had served as Provost Marshal of the American Expeditionary Forces, proposed the establishment of a permanent Military Police Corps. Although Congress failed to act upon this recommendation, it allowed for the permanent organization of Army military police units in the National Defense Act Amendment of 1920.

In 1917, CPL Charles W. Baltimore, a black Military Police soldier stationed at Camp Logan

Camp Logan

Camp Logan was a World War I-era army training camp in Houston, Texas. The site of the camp is now primarily occupied by Memorial Park where it borders the Crestwood neighborhood, near Memorial Elementary School. Some chunks of concrete, many building foundations, and extensive trenches used for...

, Texas, inquired into the beating of a black soldier by Houston police, and was himself beaten and arrested. The racial tension which followed led to the Houston Riot

Houston Riot (1917)

The Houston Riot of 1917, or Camp Logan Riot, was a mutiny by 156 African American soldiers of the Third Battalion of the all-black Twenty-fourth United States Infantry. It occupied most of one night, and resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and sixteen civilians. The rioting soldiers were tried...

, which killed four soldiers and sixteen civilians, and 60 black soldiers were executed or sentenced to life in prison.

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Military Police schools were established at Camp Gordon and Fort Benjamin Harrison

Fort Benjamin Harrison

Fort Benjamin Harrison was a U.S. Army post located in suburban Lawrence, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis. It is named for the 23rd United States President, Benjamin Harrison. Land was purchased in 1903, with the post being officially named for President Harrison in honor of Indianapolis being...

, and MPs also trained for port security at Fort McHenry

Fort McHenry

Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay...

. Military Police soldiers moved traffic along the Burma Road

Burma Road

The Burma Road is a road linking Burma with the southwest of China. Its terminals are Kunming, Yunnan, and Lashio, Burma. When it was built, Burma was a British colony.The road is long and runs through rough mountain country...

, supported amphibious operations on Normandy

Operation Overlord

Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...

beachheads, and managed enemy prisoners of war from Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

to the South Pacific. The Corps was heralded for gallantry at Remagen

Remagen

Remagen is a town in Germany in Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Ahrweiler. It is about a one hour drive from Cologne , just south of Bonn, the former West German capital. It is situated on the River Rhine. There is a ferry across the Rhine from Remagen every 10–15 minutes in the summer...

, as a fighting force in numerous combat actions and as peacekeepers at war’s end. In 1944, the Army again saw the need for a unit to investigate crime involving Soldiers in Europe. The United States Army Criminal Investigation Division was established as a branch of the Provost Marshal

Provost Marshal

The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...

General’s Office and has continued investigative activity since.
In 1949, the newly formed Defense Department was in the process of reorganizing the Army and plans were developed to disband the Military Police Corps. But when Congress passed the Army Reorganization Act in May 1950, the Corps survived, remaining a separate branch of the Army.

When the armies invaded South Korea in June 1950, there were some MP units stationed in Korea. One of those was the 55th Military Police Company, which had been assigned to Camp Ascom in December 1948. Most of those military police units that arrived during the early months of the war came from Japan, where they were serving as occupation forces following World War II. While the majority of MP companies came from outside Korea, most of the battalions of the Korean War were formed on the peninsula

During the Korean war

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

, Military Police kept supply routes open. Subsequently, Military Police monitored the exchange of prisoners and patrolled the demilitarized zone. Military Police, adapting to a different style of warfare in Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

, earned status as a combat support arm, partially as a result of combat success during the Tet Offensive.

Since Vietnam, the versatility of the Military Police Corps has made it a "Force of Choice" for use in low-intensity conflicts and Operations Other than War such as Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada (1983) and Operation Just Cause in Panama (1989).

During Operations Desert Shield and Storm, the Military Police provided area security, conducted battlefield circulation control, and exercised custody over thousands of Iraqi prisoners. Since 1991, the Military Police have assisted in restoring hope to Somalia and upholding democracy in Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

and Bosnia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

. Military Police maintained order in war-torn Kosovo

Kosovo

Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

, as well as keeping the peace in Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq

2003 invasion of Iraq

The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...

, MPs were used extensively to maintain control over the large numbers of detainees being held by coalition forces, as well as helping to conduct raids, convoy security and regular patrols. MP's were the main force responsible in rebuilding and training the Iraqi Police. Ever since the invasion, military police have been one of the most heavily engaged MOS's in the Iraqi theater due to the constant exposure outside the wire.

In the United States, MPs often provided disaster relief and internal security, while still fulfilling their fundamental function of maintaining discipline and security within the Army. The Military Police Corps has been a very busy organization during the years of its existence, and as one of the most deployed branches of the Army, it appears that it will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Women in the Military Police Corps

Women in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps were assigned Military Police duties as early as 1941. By 1943, soldiers in the Women's Army Corps

Women's Army Corps

The Women's Army Corps was the women's branch of the US Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps on 15 May 1942 by Public Law 554, and converted to full status as the WAC in 1943...

were trained as Military Police in order to police female soldiers, although they had jurisdiction over all soldiers, including males. Women have since served in the Military Police Corps, and female MPs have crossed many gender barriers in the United States Armed Forces.

In the 1983 Invasion of Grenada
Invasion of Grenada
The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was a 1983 United States-led invasion of Grenada, a Caribbean island nation with a population of about 100,000 located north of Venezuela. Triggered by a military coup which had ousted a four-year revolutionary government, the invasion...

, 4 female MPs from the 82nd Airborne Division were deployed to Grenada. Conflicting views of Women in combat
Women in combat
Women in the military have a history that extends over 4,000 years into the past, throughout a vast number of cultures and nations. Women have played many roles in the military, from ancient warrior women, to the women currently serving in conflicts....

caused them to be ordered back to the United States, only to be ordered back to Grenada days later.

In the 1989 United States invasion of Panama
United States invasion of Panama
The United States Invasion of Panama, code-named Operation Just Cause, was the invasion of Panama by the United States in December 1989. It occurred during the administration of U.S. President George H. W...

, CPT Linda Bray led the 988th Military Police Company in an assault against Panamanian Defense Forces, and is considered the first woman to lead U.S. troops in combat.

SGT Leigh Ann Hester
Leigh Ann Hester
Leigh Ann Hester of the 617th Military Police Company, a Kentucky Army National Guard unit out of Richmond, Kentucky, received the Silver Star for her actions on March 20, 2005 during an enemy ambush on a supply convoy near the town of Salman Pak, Iraq.Hester was the first female soldier to...

became the first woman since World War II to receive a Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....

, for her actions in Iraq on 20 March 2005.

Tulsi Gabbard became the first female to graduate Alabama Military Academy as the distinguished honor graduate in March 2007.

In 2010, Brigadier General Colleen L. McGuire
Colleen L. McGuire
Brigadier General Colleen L. McGuire, USA is a former officer of the United States Army. She was the Commanding General of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command and the 13th Provost Marshal General, the first woman to hold either position. Brigadier General McGuire was also the...

became the first woman to hold the office of Provost Marshal General of the Army.

Women now make up 25% of the MP Corps. The mixed-gender MP Corps is valued in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...

, where cultural taboos may prevent male soldiers from interacting with women.

Uniforms

In the U.S. Army, a simple patch with the legend "MP" worn on the left arm distinguishes a military police soldier wearing the new Army Combat Uniform

Army Combat Uniform

The Army Combat Uniform is the current combat uniform worn by the United States Army. It is the successor to the Battle Dress Uniform and Desert Camouflage Uniform worn during the 1980s and 1990s. It features a number of design changes, as well as a different camouflage pattern from its...

(ACU). This patch is attached to the uniform by velcro. For both garrison law enforcement duty as well as for tactical field work, the patch is a subdued gray with black lettering.

US military police used to be distinguished by a brassard

Brassard

A brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm, used as an item of military uniform to which rank badges may be attached instead of being stitched into the actual clothing...

worn on the left arm when on duty in previous uniform versions such as the Battle Dress Uniform

Battle Dress Uniform

The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...

. The brassard was black with white lettering for garrison law enforcement duty and could include extra designations such as "Customs MP" or "K-9 MP" (for dog handlers). Tactical brassards were green with black lettering for temperate climates and sand with light brown lettering for desert duty.

When wearing a Class A (suit) or B uniform they are authorized wear of combat boots instead of regulation low-cut shoes. However, like Airborne

Airborne forces

Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...

soldiers who may only wear the boots while on jump status, MP's may only wear these boots with Class A or B uniforms when performing law enforcement duties.

During World War II, the emblems used were a wide white band around the helmet or a white helmet liner or a white peaked cap

Peaked cap

A peaked cap, forage cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations and also by many uniformed civilian organizations such as law enforcement agencies...

, a white webbing Sam Browne belt

Sam Browne belt

The Sam Browne belt is a wide belt, usually leather, which is supported by a strap going diagonally over the right shoulder. It is most often seen as part of a military or police uniform.-Origins:...

, white gloves, and white gaiters

Gaiters

Gaiters are garments worn over the shoe and lower pant leg, and used primarily as personal protective equipment; similar garments used primarily for display are spats....

, atop the standard olive drab uniform. From this clothing, the nickname they were given by the British civilians at the time was "snowdrops." An MP armband was also worn on the left arm, usually black or dark blue with white letters.

Weapons

The standard weapons of the United States military police are the 9 mm M9 pistol

M9 Pistol

The Beretta M9, formally Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is a 9×19mm Parabellum pistol of the United States military adopted in 1985. It is essentially a military specification Beretta 92F, later the 92FS....

, the M4 carbine

M4 carbine

The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...

, the M203 grenade launcher

M203 grenade launcher

The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...

, and the Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun

Shotgun

A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...

. Usually MP team leaders are assigned an M203 grenade launcher, gunners are assigned an M4, and drivers are assigned the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW).

Crew-served or vehicle based weapons include the M2 Browning machine gun, the Mk 19 grenade launcher

Mk 19 grenade launcher

The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...

and the M240B machine gun.

Mounted MP teams often carry at least one AT4

AT4

The AT4 is an 84-mm unguided, portable, single-shot recoilless smoothbore weapon built in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics...

as well.

Units

Military Police are considered maneuver support, and MP units may be organized at many different levels, based on the size of the unit it is meant to support. An Army Corps

Corps

A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...

may contain one MP brigade, which is responsible for training and supplying subordinate MP units. When MP units are deployed, their parent unit may maintain administrative control (ADCON) while relinquishing tactical control (TACON) to the deployed unit being supported. Smaller MP units are also organic to maneuver units. An infantry division, for example, contains an organic MP Company

Company (military unit)

A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...

, while a maneuver Brigade combat team

Brigade combat team

The brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the US Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its attached support and fire units. A brigade combat team is generally commanded by a colonel , but in rare instances it is commanded by...

includes an MP platoon

Platoon

A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...

or cell.

Military Police Investigations

The Military Police Investigations (MPI) office is usually responsible for the investigation of minor crimes, such as crimes against property under $5,000.00 and crimes against persons except murder and rape committed on a military installation, but they may investigate other crimes in certain circumstances. MPI personnel are enlisted MP's who go through a special course at the Military Police School in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri

Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri

Fort Leonard Wood is a census-designated place in Pulaski County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,667 at the 2000 census. It is named in honor of Major General Leonard Wood, who was awarded the Medal of Honor...

Other military police

The United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

also employs military police forces. Although typically associated with and attached to a Marine Corps Base Provost Marshal, the USMC also fields combat support MP companies. In addition, the US Marine Corps implemented the Marine Corps Civilian Police program in June 2007 to provide a civilian law enforcement service for garrsion policing and for Marine Corps facility protection. Like their US Army counterparts, Marine MPs are trained at Fort Leonard Wood.

The U.S Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

uses the terms Shore Patrol

Shore patrol

Shore patrol are service members that are provided to aid in security for the U.S. Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, and the British Royal Navy while on shore...

and Master at Arms, while the U.S. Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

uses the term Security Forces, or SPs (for their former name, the Security Police), to describe the Air Force Security Forces. The U.S. Coast Guard, whose members have civilian law enforcement authority under Title 14 of U.S. Code, uses Coast Guard Police Officers (regular and reserve military members assigned to uniformed patrol duties at Coast Guard Police Departments in various cities).

The Department of Defense

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

use Department of Defense Police

Department of Defense Police

Department of Defense Police, not to be confused with Pentagon Police, are the uniformed civilian police officers of the United States Department of Defense various branches of the United States Armed Forces . They are also referred to as DoD Police...

. Each service also maintains uniformed civilian police officers. They are referred to as either DOD Force Protection, DOD (Department of Defense) Police, DOD (Department of Defense) Guard, DA (Department of the Army) Police or DA Guard. The Air Force utilizes Department of the Air Force Police

Department of the Air Force Police

The United States Air Force Police are the civilian uniformed police service of the United States Air Force, responsible for the Force Protection of assets and all aspects of Law Enforcement on Air Force installations, and other facilities operated by United States Air Force.The Air Force Police...

. The police officers' peacetime duties are the same as those of civilian police, namely to enforce the laws of the U.S. Military in the form of the Uniform Code of Military Justice

Uniform Code of Military Justice

The Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....

(UCMJ), and the regulations of their particular installation. The civilian guards' duties are normally restricted to protection of priority resources. There is one Department of Defense police agency whose duties include executive protection and law enforcement throughout the Pentagon Reservation and throughout the National Capital Region (NCR). The United States Pentagon Police

United States Pentagon Police

The United States Pentagon Police is the federal police force of the Secretary of Defense. The mission of the USPPD is to promote high quality law enforcement and security services, in order to provide a safe and orderly work environment for the Department of Defense in the National...

is the principal law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Defense and the federal police force of the Secretary of Defense. These officers/agents provide a wide array of services to the Department of Defense community throughout the NCR and possess full federal authority as described in Title 10 of United States Code (U.S.C.).

External links

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Mission

Branch insignia

Branch plaque

Regimental insignia

Regimental coat of arms

Branch colors

Birthday

History

Women in the Military Police Corps

Uniforms

Weapons

Units

Military Police Investigations

Other military police

See also

Further reading

External links