Military Police

SPRING 2016

Military Police contains information about military police functions in maneuver and mobility support, area security, law and order, internment/resettlement, and police intelligence operations.

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13 Spring 2016 By Captain Osvaldo R. Santiago C ommanders at all levels are responsible for cap- tured persons (CPERs) operations. Commanders drive operations, and they have an overall respon- sibility for the action and inaction of subordinate units and an obligation to ensure the safe and humane treatment of CPERs. The consequences of failing to conduct these opera- tions correctly can impact national strategic objectives and negatively the overall North Atlantic Treaty Orga- nization (NATO) Alliance goals in allied operations. During rotation 15-03, Saber Junction 15, the com- mander of the 2d Cavalry Regiment emphasized the impor- tance of CPERs operations across the Regiment and held squadron commanders responsible for the treatment of CPERs and collecting-point operations. The high account- ability standard required of subordinate commanders by the 2d Cavalry Regiment Commander set the conditions for a successful and positive outcome throughout the operation. This article highlights the procedures that contributed to successful CPERs operations in a decisive-action training environment. The increased need to enhance interoperability with oth- er government components, military branches, and NATO allies in all facets of warfghting has required the Joint Multina- tional Readiness Center in Hohen- fels, Germany, to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for detention operations. Detention operations may seem complicated to forces not familiar with the mis- sion; however, they are quite sim- ple if incorporated during the early stages of the planning process. During Saber Junction 15, Army and NATO allies established a combined collecting point designed to receive, process, and transfer CPERs during combat operations, which is unique in the current oper- ational environment. How are the challenges of running a combined collecting point in an expeditionary decisive-action training environ- ment exercise with NATO or mul- tinational allies accomplished? In answer to that question, the training event highlighted the principles and guidelines of establishing a collect- ing point and identifed some of the challenges faced in a decisive-action training environment exercise. The three primary variables to a successful combined col- lecting point incorporate— • Commander's responsibility and planning. • Construction of a collecting point. • CPERs in-processing. Generally, the detaining or capturing unit (the unit that has apprehended CPERs for further investigation) is re- sponsible for the proper care, custody, and control of CPERs. Once in custody, CPERs processing is conducted by the de- taining country. The detaining unit establishes a collecting point within its area of operations to facilitate the expedient evacuation of the CPERs. In this scenario, countries that op- erate in overlapping operational environments may fnd that their standard operating procedures differ, although the ob- jective is the same. These varying approaches and standard operating procedures of individual countries can create gaps U.S. and Bulgarian military police soldiers discuss the collecting-point security gaps.

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