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/484012
37 MILITARY POLICE . 19-15-1 By Captain Charles A. Dib The Mission I n late April 2014, the concept for a professional develop- ment session for leaders evolved into a plan to conduct a combined arms gap-crossing exercise at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The effort was spearheaded by the 5th Engineer Battalion, but was supported by all branches and echelons within the 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, including the 92d Military Police Battalion. The primary responsi- bility for providing military police support to the gap- crossing exercise was assigned to the 988th Military Police Company (Combat Support). The 988th had already been preparing for an August platoon certifcation exercise, which was to serve as the culminating event for its green training cycle. 1 The platoon leaders were notifed that the certifca- tion exercise would now include providing support for a gap crossing and that they should adjust their training plans ac- cordingly. The 988th now faced a dilemma. On one hand, it needed to be ready to conduct the specifc and very detailed mission of providing military police support to a wet gap crossing. On the other hand, it needed to ensure that platoons were ready to become certifed on the full spectrum of military police tasks supporting unifed land operations. With the support of the 92d Military Police Battalion staff, company leaders developed a plan to address this apparent dichotomy of in- terests. Most key collective tasks required for military police to support unifed land operations are encompassed within the single mission of providing support for a gap crossing . Therefore, rather than training for a gap-crossing mission and a platoon certifcation, the company would prepare for certifcation by training to support the gap crossing. A s the company command team and the operations sec- tion planned the next 3 months of training, they focused on an end state that included completing a wet gap crossing and receiving the battalion commander's certifcation of the unit's three military police line platoons. According to Field Manual (FM) 3-39, Military Police Operations, "Military police units play a vital role by assisting the commander in controlling traffc at the gap-crossing site and vicinity to al- low units to enter and cross the gap as quickly and effcient- ly as possible." 2 At frst glance, this appears to be a simple mission; however, it becomes increasingly complex when the gap crossing is analyzed in the context of a decisive opera- tion in enemy territory. M ilitary police doctrine currently includes three primary disciplines: 3 • Security and mobility support. • Detention operations. • Police operations. As a combat support military police company, the 988th needed the ability to execute key tasks from the full spec- trum of military police operations in any contingency envi- ronment. The goals of the gap-crossing mission coincided perfectly with those of the assigned mission. The location of the gap-crossing exercise was not the fa- miliar and comfortable environment of stability operations in a developed area; rather, the gap crossing was conducted in support of a decisive operation against an established en- emy force in an expeditionary environment. There was no forward operating base, the roads had not been reconnoi- tered or cleared, and the citizens of the occupied nation were not yet familiar with coalition convoys operating in their neighborhoods. From the military police perspective, the mission was not to simply sit at an intersection and direct traffc. To be pre- pared for any contingency, Soldiers needed to be trained in each of the three primary military police disciplines. This requirement shaped the focus of the 3-month period begin- ning with the initial receipt of the mission and culminating in the events of 18–20 August 2014, when the 988th Military Police Company executed its mission to support a wet gap crossing and certify its platoons in support of unifed land operations. As the 988th Military Police Company began to execute its training plan, the transition to an expeditionary mind-set proved to be the frst challenge. Company leaders identifed several weaknesses that needed to be addressed immediate- ly. Chief among them were the unit's dependency on hard site training areas and its forward operating base mentality. "Military police units play a vital role by assisting the commander in controlling traffc at the gap-crossing site and vicinity to allow units to enter and cross the gap as quickly and effciently as possible."