Guard Artillerymen Training As MPs to Support Terror War

American Forces Press Service ^ | Jan. 9, 2004 | By Donna Miles

[Calpernia]

The third group of National Guard artillerymen is slated to begin retraining as military police at the Army's Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Jan. 12 to support the war on terror.

Army Lt. Col. Henry R. Evans, commander of the Army Reserve unit conducting the training, said B and C companies of the Illinois National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery Regiment, will undergo a four-week class in basic military police skills.

The soldiers are among the first of about 2,200 Army National Guard soldiers to be retrained as provisional military police to conduct patrols, control crowd and direct traffic at military installations in the United States and Germany.

The National Guard Bureau announced the decision last fall to help ease the burden placed on the Army's heavily tapped active and reserve military police corps, much of it deployed overseas in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

In addition, more than 12,000 of the National Guard's 15,000 military police soldiers have been mobilized since Sept. 11, 2001 -- some more than once, according to Col. Frank Grass, chief operations officer for the Army National Guard. Grass said nearly all of the Guard's 82 military police companies have been activated.

In response, the Guard will establish 18 new provisional military police units— 14 from field artillery units, one from a transportation unit, and three from combat support units that had already been slated to convert to military police units, Grass said.

Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a Jan. 6 Pentagon briefing that the decision to convert units less likely to be called on in the current security environment and to convert them to much-needed military police "makes eminent sense."

Grass said it demonstrates the flexibility of the National Guard. He said that's something America's citizen soldiers have demonstrated repeatedly since the Minutemen first took up arms to protect their country during mid-1700s and continue to do as they respond to emergencies within their states.

"This shows that the Guard is relevant, viable and adaptable to a changing environment," Grass said. "It fits right in with what we've always done as a National Guard."

So far, four field artillery batteries from the Missouri National Guard have received the training: A and C companies, 1st Battalion, 128th Field Artillery; and A and D companies, 1st Battalion, 129th Field Artillery.

Troops from the 128th Field Artillery Regiment who made up the first class of artillerymen-turned-military police graduated Dec. 19 and are now serving in their new capacities at Fort Polk, La.

Evans said Army Reservists from the Nashville, Tenn.-based 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 100th Division, are teaching junior enlisted soldiers how to conduct patrols, route reconnaissance and crowd control, set up traffic control points, detain unauthorized persons and work with local law enforcement. The course lasts four weeks.

Noncommissioned officers and officers receive additional training that emphasizes leadership and management as well as military police skills.

At the end of the training, the enlisted soldiers receive the military police job classification, Evans said. Their unit designation changes as well, with "Military Police Provisional," in parentheses, following the unit name.

While the military police specialty involves "a whole different skill set" from those required of artillerymen, Evans said the training runs smoothly because the students "are already seasoned soldiers."

And although they take "great pride in being field artillery soldiers," Evans said most of the students have responded positively to their reclassifications into a new job specialty.

"It hasn't affected their motivation," Evans said. "They're highly motivated soldiers."

[Calpernia]

Pro Military, Pro Coalition News

The third group of National Guard artillerymen is slated to begin retraining as military police at the Army's Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Jan. 12 to support the war on terror.

[Support Free Republic]

Rank	Location	Receipts	Donors/Avg		Freepers/Avg		Monthlies
59	Turkey	10.00	1	10.00	10	1.00

Thanks for donating to Free Republic!

Move your locale up the leaderboard!

[Old Sarge]

This has been going on for some time. One of Kentucky's Artillery units has already transitioned.

Thing of it is, they're not all going to the sandbox. Some MP/FA hybrids are staying here for Noble Eagle - augmenting security forces, and the like.

[dts32041]

Of the Troops, For the troops. Some of the best MP's I ever served with were ex cannon cockers or as they call themselves gun bunnies.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Good post. Thanks, Cal.

[Jet Jaguar]

Yes the Army is using artillery troops to guard AF Bases in the U.S. It frees up USAF troops trained for the middle east to be in the middle east. I thank those Army troops who keep my workplace secure. They are very professional and courteous, and have been a big influence on the courtesy of those USAF security forces still state-side. Thanks Army!

SGT

[T-Bird45]

Just a note to all for accuracy: artillery units are referred to as an artillery battery, not a company. This, of course, assumes they are not permanently being re-tasked as MPs.

#4 - for the ping list...

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you, SGT.

[Psycho_Runner]

"Just a note to all for accuracy: artillery units are referred to as an artillery battery"

(dispatch) 1 Adam 12, 1 Adam 12...Bank robbery in progress, bank of Bagdad,downtown branch, please respond..

(1 Adam 12) Fire Mission, enemy bank robbers, grid 687547, HE, VT fuse Danger close.

(dispatch) Go ahead but try to save the ATM.

(1 Adam 12) Mission accomplished. ATM OK

[T-Bird45]

LOL...although I probably would have requested ICM instead of HE-VT: pour encouragement les autres.

[Psycho_Runner]

I am from the old school. I try not to use rounds which are smarter than me.

[ExSoldier]

"they call themselves gun bunnies."

THIS is my rifle and THIS is my gun.....!

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Crossed Cannons to Crossed Pistols Ping.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Guard Artillery Troops to Become MPs

[Cannoneer No. 4]

December 17, 2003: The American armed forces are rushing to convert active duty and reserve troops to military police. The navy is expanding it's Master at Arms (naval military police) force to over 10,000 sailors. This is to provide more security for warships in port. The Coast Guard has traditionally provided this, but is now being eased out of the job. The air force has been constantly expanding it's Security Force units. The air force security people are divided into "police" (who guard the air base gates and provide police services) and the Security troops, who are trained and equipped as light infantry, and provide tight security for things (warplanes and nuclear weapons, for example), that need it. The air force has more security troops than the army has infantry. Since September 11, 2001, the air force security troops have been getting heavier weapons and more electronic monitoring equipment. The army is retraining 2,000 reservist artillerymen, from seven disbanded artillery battalions, to form 18 Military Police guard companies. Through the 1990s, many officers noted that the many reserve artillery units were not needed now that the Cold War was over. The introduction of smart bombs, rockets and shells has reduced the need for artillery even more. So it was not unexpected when many reserve artillery units were ordered converted to military police. The artillery equipment was taken away, replaced with more light vehicles and police equipment. The troops underwent retraining. Even without all this retraining, since September 11, 2001, over a hundred thousand reserve troops were mobilized for security duties that they were not trained for. So while the armed forces have resisted creating special peacekeeping units, they have acquired a divisions worth (over 12,000 troops) of new military police since September 11, 2001.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

ping

[U S Army EOD]

Yes we just had one of these guys locally from Thompson, Georgia killed.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Fort Dix 1st stop for 152nd Guardsmen will serve as military police in Iraq