Back and forth, I paced the floor of my dorm room at Boston College. I was a senior and facing down branching. Finally, when the phone call came in, I was overwhelmed with joy. I was going to be a part of the greatest branch in the Army. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a police officer. Then when September 11, 2001 happened, my dreams shifted towards something larger. I still loved law enforcement, but I wanted to serve in the military as well. What separates the Military Police from every other branch is that we serve those who chose to serve. We embody our motto, “Of the Troops, For the Troops”. Military Police enable other units’ commanders to conduct their missions. We preserve their fighting force and secure their installations or other critical areas.
The MFE Branch with a Full-Time Mission
What other Maneuver, Fire, & Effects (MFE) Branch accomplishes its mission in both garrison AND deployed? No other MFE branch expects Soldiers to utilize deployed skills during daily garrison operations. When MPs are not deployed, they still have a full-time mission of providing law enforcement, investigations, and corrections experts. MP Soldiers have to employ their tools and skills to defuse high risk situations.
Maturity & People-Skills
The biggest asset that Military Police have is their ability to interact with people. Whether it’s a routine traffic stop, a domestic dispute, or daily interactions with the prison populace, these Soldiers master the art of communication and interpersonal tact. MPs are some of the most professional, intelligent, and skilled Soldiers in the Army.
The trust and responsibility given to even the lowest privates is far beyond their peers in other branches. What other branch offers a private the discretion to make on the spot decisions that could have severe consequences? This is an everyday occurrence for that MP Private. MP Soldiers face being first on the scene to “shots fired” or the lone officer during a prison riot. In the blink of an eye, a situation can escalate and require young Soldiers to make split second decisions.
The MP Lieutenant
The above principles apply exponentially for the MP Lieutenant. As a Platoon Leader, you have more responsibility than any other branch in the Army. While deployed, MPs operate at the platoon and sometimes even down to the squad-level. As a junior leader, you are charged with providing guidance and leadership while separated from the rest of the company. Often times, you are the subject matter expert on all MP capabilities and limitations for senior combatant commanders.
In a garrison environment, junior officers act as MP Duty Officers. They make decisions about law enforcement that can impact the entire installation. In the event of a large incident, you don’t have the guarantee that a senior leader will be there to take over. You have to act and make decisions based on your training and expertise. It is critical for incoming officers to be able to exercise this type of initiative. You have to be headstrong, dedicated to your profession, and hungry to continue to learn. The best officers that I have ever worked for have been those who were lifelong learners and strived for those positions that they may not have any experience in, in order to diversify and learn. The Military Police Corps is filled with these types of officers because of the many different mission sets that we conduct.
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It is hard for me to pin point exactly what makes the Military Police Corps the best branch. I could talk about the multitude of different weapon systems and equipment that give us both lethal and non-lethal capabilities. But, what makes the Military Police Corps so amazing are the intangible elements. Things like the rush of adrenaline you get when you hear a call come over the radio, the comradery built from enduring another long midnight shift, and the pride you have when you see flags with the thin blue line. The Military Police Corps may be small, but it has one of the most important missions to the Army. Without it, the Army would not be able to accomplish its mission to fight and win our nation’s wars.
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