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/567773
33 By Captain Jessica L. Rovero T here is a long history—dating back to the Revolution- ary War—of women serving in some capacity in the U.S. armed forces. The more formal Women's Army Corps was established during World War II; and since then, the U.S. armed forces have come a long way in integrat- ing women into their ranks. The 2013 announcement that women are no longer banned from serving in ground combat units is the fnal step in that integration process. This decision, which was made by politicians, is still largely debated. There is signifcant concern about whether women are capable of flling roles in ground combat units. Questions about whether women are physically capable, how they should be integrated, and how sexual harassment and assault incidents will be prevented are at the forefront of leaders' minds. However, one branch of the Army—the Military Police Corps—has been changing with the needs of the Army and has already been extremely successful in inte- grating women into its organization. The military police specialty is categorized as an opera- tions feld—not a ground combat feld. However, military po- lice units have often provided the closest jobs to ground com- bat for which women have been authorized to serve. When thinking of a military police offcer, the image that comes to mind is not that of a Soldier wielding an M4 carbine while charging up a mountain toward the enemy, but the image of a gate guard allowing access to installations or a patrolman or -woman issuing traffc tickets. However, these are only a few of the duties required of military police. The acronym MP could be used to refer to , rather than . Military police deploy to com- bat environments and serve in many roles. They served throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Endur- ing Freedom, conducting mounted and dismounted area pa- trols. With only logistical support from U.S. troops, squads and platoons integrated with local national security agen- cies, living and training with them for months at a time. They also integrated with ground combat units supporting infantry missions. And women were there every step of the way. But such has not always been the case for women in the Military Police Corps. Although women began serving as military police as early as 1941, it wasn't until 1943 that they received any type of formal training. The training in- cluded judo and familiarization with handguns; however, women were not authorized to carry frearms. Female mili- tary police had the same jurisdiction over military personnel as male military police. They regularly policed training cen- ters and women's detachments. For locations where males and females were stationed together, mixed male and female patrols patrolled the towns and posts and enforced regula- tions. Some female military police performed foot and jeep patrols, pulled gate duty, directed traffc, checked nightclubs and bars in nearby towns, and arrested those who violated military regulations. However, many other female military police were detailed to administrative positions. During the Korean War, while most women were as- signed to stateside administrative jobs, some female mili- tary police began to be integrated into male units in Japan. In 1953, female military police candidates were required to be 21 years of age and more than 5 feet, 4 inches tall. They were assigned to jobs in criminal investigations, traffc con- trol, gate duty, crime laboratories, and on-post police patrols and were still not authorized to carry frearms. After the reduction of the Women's Army Corps in 1953, there were 20 female offcers and 50 female enlisted Soldiers serving as military police. It wasn't until the 1970s that the U.S. government began making great strides in integrating women into the Army. The number of Women's Army Corps personnel increased during that time, leading to an increase in the number of female military police. On 1 May 1971, the Army established the frst formal military police training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Five female offcers—along with 57 male offcers— attended the school from August to October 1972. Lieuten- ant Laura Lynn Livingston was among the frst women to attend the school; and following her graduation, she became the platoon leader of an all-male military police platoon in the 504th Military Police Battalion. Twenty-four women were selected for the advanced individual training pilot pro- gram, which began 27 November 1972; 21 of these women graduated on 26 January 1973. In 1974, women were fnally authorized to carry frearms; however, instead of the standard issue, .45-caliber handguns the men carried, they were issued the smaller, .38-caliber re- volver. In 1975, women began being assigned to organic mil- itary police units; and in 1977, female military police served in North Atlantic Treaty Organization Return of Forces to Germany (Reforger) exercises. Effective 20 October 1978, the Women's Army Corps was disestablished as a separate entity and women were fnally integrated into the armed forces. Consequently, the number of female commanders increased. One example of a female commander is Captain Linda Norman, who commanded the 108th Military Police Company, Fort Bragg, North Carolina—a mostly male unit. Female military police offcers had the most signifcant role of all women during Operation Just Cause in 1989. By Captain Jessica L. Rovero Fall 2015