When I first came into the military, I was offered a job with the military police. I have to tell you that I had no interest in taking it. I am not saying military police do not have a place in the military; it’s just not a job that I would want. First off, it is a shame that the military needs police as well as CID for crimes committed by military personnel. I have never had the opportunity to serve or work directly with the military police.
My only dealing with them was in Iraq in 2007 when they burst into our building with dogs sniffing socks and searching lockers. I do commend them for the job they did early in Iraq setting up checkpoints, doing vehicle searches, and personnel searches. Early on in the Iraq War, their primary jobs were base defense, and they did a great job. They do serve the same as the infantry or any other MOS. But my idea of serving overseas is far different than giving a soldier, sailor, or marine a ticket for driving five miles an hour over the speed limit on VBC.
Military Police in the Navy
In my time in the Navy, I dealt with military police in a larger fashion. Our duty on base in Coronado consisted of standing as gate guard one out of every twelve days. We had to give breathalyzers to people coming on base and do vehicle searches. I did learn a lot about searching vehicles and personnel, which has helped me in my MOS.
It Is a Tough Job
They do a difficult job and may even have to guard a high-valued target. Being an MP in the military has to be a tough job because nobody wants to be pulled over on base and given a ticket for speeding or anything else. Therefore I would say it’s probably harder to be an MP than a civilian police officer. As I said before, they should be commended for the job they do just as any other soldier, sailor, or marine is. They serve their country overseas, just in a different aspect than a combat MOS. They enforce the rules on base, and that keeps everyone safe. That’s good enough for me.
Military Crime Overseas
The military police have a tough job overseas. They don’t just give speeding tickets; they also have to deal with some high crime. Yes, this is sad. They deal with theft, sexual assaults, rape, and even other capital crimes. It is ridiculous that our soldiers (both male and female) are in danger from each other while overseas.
Then the police have to deal with the illegal booze and drugs bought overseas that puts everybody in danger. Why do people go overseas to stand up and fight for freedom only to break the law? Not just the UCMJ, but also the laws of that country.
Lately, a big eyesore seems to be troops constantly watching “adult videos.” In most countries, this is illegal, and each soldier and service member is made aware of this long before any deployment. And yet they still load up their phones and computers with hours of this addiction. Yes, it is an addiction. Instead of doing that, how about they teach, train, and pass on their experience to their soldiers or make sure they’re doing their SDD so they can be promoted? Do not just call yourself a leader; be a leader. Don’t just act like a leader; be a great leader. The qualities of great leaders are looked up to, trusted, and respected by all their soldiers. If you want to be one, start by helping the military police get rid of any contraband that can cause you, your unit, or any of your soldiers legal problems or UCMJ problems.
Military police are there to keep you safe. Take pride in what you do while you’re deployed and do not be the one the military police have to send home due to the embarrassment you have caused your unit, your squad, your platoon, and your country.
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