Military Police



=Military Police Corps (United States)=


 * For other uses, see 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 (USACIDC), both of which report to theProvost Marshal General.

MPs are service members of the U.S. Army.

Some U.S. MP units, usually at the division or brigade level, are designated as combat, division MPs whose combat zone responsibilities include protection of vehicle routes, defile 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. They have been used more in a combat arms role rather than their normal combat support role. {| class="toc" id="toc" style="font-size: 12px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; "

Contents
[hide]*1 Mission
 * 2 Heraldic items
 * 2.1 Branch insignia
 * 2.2 Branch plaque
 * 2.3 Regimental insignia
 * 2.4 Regimental coat of arms
 * 2.5 Branch colors
 * 2.6 Birthday
 * 3 History
 * 3.1 Weapons
 * 3.2 Uniforms
 * 4 Military Police Investigations
 * 5 Units
 * 6 Other military police
 * 7 See also
 * 8 References
 * 9 Further reading
 * 10 External links
 * }

[edit]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 three for enlisted soldiers:
 * 31A Military Police Officer
 * 311A Criminal Investigations Warrant Officer;
 * 31B Military Police
 * 31D Criminal Investigations Special Agent
 * 31E Internment/Resettlement Specialist

[edit]Branch insignia

 * 1) Two crossed gold color metal pistols 3/4 inch in height.
 * 2) The insignia was approved in 1922.
 * 3) 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.

[edit]Branch plaque

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

[edit]Regimental insignia

 * 1) 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.
 * 2) 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.
 * 3) The regimental insignia was approved on 3 July 1986.

[edit]Regimental coat of arms

 * Description
 * 1) The coat of arms appears on the breast of a displayed eagle on the regimental flag.
 * 2) 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.
 * 3) 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.
 * 4) The background color of the flag is green and the fringe is yellow. The coat of arms was approved on 2 May 1986.
 * Symbolism
 * 1) Green and gold are the colors associated with the Military Police Corps.
 * 2) The fasces is an ancient symbol of authority related to a Roman magistrate.
 * 3) The balance is symbolic of equal justice under law and the key signifies security.
 * 4) The sword represents the military.
 * 5) The crossed pistols are the symbol of the Military Police Corps mission: to uphold the law and to keep order.
 * 6) The motto ASSIST, PROTECT, DEFEND reflects the mission.

[edit]Branch colors

 * Green piped with gold.
 * 1) Green – 65007 cloth; 67129 yarn; PMS 357.
 * 2) Gold – 65002 cloth; 67108 yarn; PMS 123
 * 3) The color yellow piped with green was assigned to the Military Police by Army Regulation 600-35 dated 20 April 1922.
 * 4) 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.
 * 5) The current colors, green piped with gold, were assigned by Army Regulation 600-60-1 dated 26 October 1951.

[edit]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.

[edit]History
The Military Police Corps is one of the youngest branches of the 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 with the establishment of the Marechaussee Corps on 1 June 1778. Both were utilized for 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.

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.

The complexity of warfare during World War I 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.

During World War II, Military Police soldiers moved traffic along the Burma Road, supported amphibious operations on Normandy beachheads and managed enemy prisoners of war from Italy to the South Pacific. The Corps was heralded for gallantry at Remagen, 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 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.
 * Postwar Germany. The man on the left is a member of the early West German Civilian Police. The man on the Right is a Lithuanian-German member of the US Army Military Police.

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

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">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 and Operation Just Cause in Panama.

Military police from the 18th Military Police Brigade deploying to Iraq. <p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">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 and Bosnia. Military Police maintained order in war-torn Kosovo, as well as keeping the peace in Afghanistan. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, 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.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">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.

[edit]Weapons
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">The standard weapons of the United States military police are the 9 mm, the , the , and the Mossberg 12 gauge. 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).

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Crew-served or vehicle based weapons include the M2 Browning machine gun, the Mk 19 grenade launcher and the M240B machine gun.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">Mounted MP teams often carry at least one AT4 as well.

[edit]Uniforms
Military Police soldier with an MP brassard <p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">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 (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.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">US military police used to be distinguished by a brassard worn on the left arm when on duty in previous uniform versions such as the Battle Dress Uniform. 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.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">When wearing a Class A (suit) or B uniform they are authorized wear of combat boots instead of regulation low-cut shoes. However, likeAirborne 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.

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">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, a white webbing Sam Browne belt, white gloves, and white gaiters, 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.

[edit]Military Police Investigations
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">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. The Military Police Investigations office also assists the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) in investigating felonies committed by soldiers, cadets and civilians.

[edit]Other military police
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">The U.S Navy uses the terms Shore Patrol and Master at Arms, while the U.S. Air Force 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 United States Marine Corps 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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">[1] 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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">[2]

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em;">The Department of Defense use Department of Defense 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. 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 (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 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.).