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The Military Police Corps has a legacy that stretches beyond its
75 years, and today's MPs continue to pass down lessons taught since
the founding of the Continental Army in 1775, the provost marshal
general of the Army said Sept. 22, 2016 during the MP Corps
Regiment's 75th Anniversary Regimental Review at Fort Leonard Wood,
Missouri.
“When I think of what you have ahead of you, I want
you to know that the trust you're going to experience ... reaches back
to the founding of our Army,” Maj. Gen. Mark Inch told the U.S. Army
Military Police School (USAMPS) students representing the Army's MP
units in the formation. “The demonstrated character, competence and
commitment in which military police throughout history have served
the force.”
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Sept. 22, 2016 - Maj. Gen. Mark Inch, provost marshal general of the
Army, reviews soldiers in formation during a Regimental Review
marking the Military Police Corps Regiment's 75th anniversary at
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. MPs attended events throughout the week
to mark the anniversary. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Boyer)
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The review was a high note in a week of events held at Leonard
Wood to mark the regiment's 75the anniversary. A crowd of hundreds
watched as Soldiers being trained at every level of MP skills
performed precise movements under the glaring sun. Inch, who serves
as the U.S. Army's provost marshal general, said those MPs were
learning from battle-hardened leaders who have deployed multiple
times over the past 15 years.
“When we look at the mid-grade
NCOs and field-grade officers today who've done two, three and four
deployments and been called upon again and again because of the need
for their unique skill sets, we recognize our value to commanders
continues,” he said.
Brig. Gen Kevin Vereen, chief of the MP
Corp Regiment and USAMPS, said the school will continue preparing
MPs for the unknown challenges ahead.
“We must continue to
ensure that we understand the varied threats our Soldiers face today
and in the future,” he said. “We must maintain the edge on our
adversaries. We're here to innovate, right here in the heart of
America.”
MPs continue to show their value to commanders,
Vereen said.
“I don't care where you go, name me an Army installation, name me
an operation the Army is conducting right now, and you will find
military police professionals.”
In addition to the review,
USAMPS and the MP Regimental Association held a variety of events
Sept. 19-25. The week started with a memorial ceremony at the
Regimental Memorial Grove on Leonard Wood. Command Sgt. Maj. Richard
Woodring, senior enlisted leader of the MP Corps Regiment and
USAMPS, shared stories of MPs killed in the line of duty throughout
the years. He noted that the year between ceremony and the last was
the first in a long time during which no MP had fallen.
“I'm
pleased to say that this year we will not hear roll call, as no
member of our corps has been lost in the line of duty,” he said.
“I'm proud of what we do to remember our fallen, and I truly believe
it gives us an advantage in combat. There is not a U.S. Soldier
alive today who doesn't know how much we honor our fallen comrades.
I believe it gives them the additional courage, if necessary, to
make the ultimate sacrifice, knowing that they will never, ever be
forgotten.”
The ceremony was preceded by the dedication of a
statue of a dragoon on horseback, honoring MPs all the way back to
the Continental Army, which employed “Troops of the Marechaussee” in
an MP-like role.
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Sept. 19, 2016 - Brig. Gen. Kevin Vereen, chief of the Military
Police Corps Regiment, speaks at the dedication of a Dragoon statue
at the Military Police Regimental Grove at Fort Leonard Wood,
Missouri. MPs attended events throughout the week to mark the
regiment's 75th anniversary. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Boyer)
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The MP Corps Regiment also inducted five new members into
its hall of fame. Maj. Gen. Alfonso Lenhardt, Col. James
Harrison, Lt. Col Rex Smith, Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Davis
and Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Lambert represented the hall's
2016 class. Harrison and Smith were inducted posthumously.
Vereen said they represented a wide range of MP experiences.
“A former commandant and Vietnam veteran; a former
brigade commander who made the ultimate sacrifice in support
of the Global War on Terror; a great leader who landed on
Utah Beach on D Day; a former POW who was held captive for
1,832 days; a senior noncommissioned officer who served in
leadership positions in garrison and in combat – each in
their own way has contributed to solidifying the 75-year
existence of the Military Police Corps,” he said.
Davis said he was successful because he worked for officers
who let him lead as a noncommissioned officer. He talked
about his time as a brigade command sergeant major, and what
his commander told him.
“'Here's what I want you to
do,' he said. ‘Do your sergeant major thing, just keep me
informed occasionally,'” Davis said. “He let me do my job.
That's important.”
An MP Spouses Challenge, a dining
out, and an MP Corps Regimental Run rounded out a week of
celebration for the regiment. Vereen said this celebration
of the past was a spark for the future.
“These
Soldiers and leaders on the field are our future,” he said
during the Regimental Review. “Our future starts here, right
in the heart of America.”
By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Boyer
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
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