Military Police contains information about military police functions in maneuver and mobility support, area security, law and order, internment/resettlement, and police intelligence operations.
Issue link: https://militarypolice.epubxp.com/i/383260
MILITARY POLICE . 19-14-2 12 the presence of a force protection subject matter expert were necessary for each site. Therefore, once training began, the force protection offcers were split between the two sites. As company and battalion leaders constantly rotated between the sites, a force protection offcer was always available for consultation and a reassessment of the threat environment. Through a proactive approach to force protection and the ability to adapt to threat updates provided by the exercise antiterrorism offcer and local counterintelligence teams, the force protection offcer assigned to each site implemented a daily battle rhythm that included security checks of key sites. Site Assessments One of the fnal Task Force Gimlets events involved as- sisting with the coordination of a 2-day, cultural-experience trip for the Soldiers following the completion of the training exercise. The purpose of the trip was to provide Soldiers with a few days' recovery from the demanding feld exercise and to offer them a brief glimpse into the Thai culture through the exploration of some historical sites in Thailand. The battalion command team initially selected trip locations of Bangkok and Chiang Mai. With support from the battalion S-2, military police Soldiers con- ducted a reconnaissance of the selected trip sites. In Bangkok, military police Soldiers and the force protection offcer met with the joint intelligence staff offcer at the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group Thailand—an agency based at the U.S. Embassy. There, we received an up-to-date security briefng that detailed the current state of unrest and violence stemming from political protests that were occurring throughout the country and we identifed the most common criminal threats against tourists in the city. Upon our return to the task force headquarters, we presented our fndings to the battalion commander and command sergeant major. The threat information and security assessments pertaining to hotel and historic sites were passed to 25th Infantry Division leaders, who ultimately decided (based on this new threat information) that a trip to the smaller city of Chiang Mai was a better option. The battalion commander requested that one of the force protection offcers attend a separate staff ride to the city of Kanchanaburi with battalion staff offcers and conduct a threat assessment and force protection brief. The group moved through the city, maintaining a constant vigilance. Kanchanaburi is home to the Burma Railway (a portion of which is famously known as "the bridge over the River Kwai"), a World War II-era bridge constructed by the Japanese army using prisoners of war. The trip concluded with a visit to a cemetery where former British and Australian prisoners of war are buried. There, the battalion commander conducted a wreath-laying ceremony. In an effort to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture prevent illegal and invasive species from entering the United States, the force protection cell conducted agricultural inspections of vehicles and containers express (CONEXs) returning to Hawaii from Thailand and CONEXs being shipped to Fort Irwin, California, to be used during the upcoming brigade rotation at the National Training Center. U. S. Marine offcials from the exercise headquarters visited us at Camp B and Ban Dan Lan Hoi and provided us with agricultural inspection work sheets and a short synopsis of expectations. While packing, we certifed large equipment in excess of 20 pieces and certifed the internal contents of CONEXs. This afforded battalion and senior commands with peace of mind regarding the safety and integrity of the outgoing CONEXs. Therefore, the crucial mission of the force protection cell had an effect on future readiness. During jungle survival training, Soldiers were instructed on techniques for handling, cooking, and eating a cobra. The last part of the training included tasting the blood of the cobra. (continued on page 14)