Posted on 03/30/2006 6:06:52 PM PST by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — When Gen. William S. Wallace commanded V Corps during its push into Iraq, he said the military police who were part of his forces were critical to the mission’s success.
“I’ve always had great admiration and respect for MPs,” he said Wednesday.
Standing before the commander of the Training and Doctrine Command were soldiers of the post’s 18th Military Police Detachment who received the Brig. Gen. David Stem Award for being the most outstanding military police unit in the command.
This is the 21st time the award has been presented to a TRADOC MP unit.
“The 18th MP is a winning team,” Wallace said.
Saying MPs are motivated soldiers, which shows wherever they are assigned, he noted the soldiers of the post detachment not only do outstanding military work but are engaged in other activities in the civilian community.
The detachment has exceeded re-enlistment goals, supported drug abuse education programs in schools and are excellent in sports, the general said.
He drew laughter when he noted the detachment soldiers are the fort’s reigning golf champions.
However, Wallace was serious when he said that in today’s world — the one in which Americas armed forces are engaged in a war against terrorists — MPs are being called upon to provide force protection to their compatriots in the field, while training Iraqi police to take over the jobs of protecting their nation’s citizens.
The job of military police is taking care of others, protecting them at home installations and overseas, the general noted.
But it is through a combination of leaders and soldiers that great teams are created, Wallace said.
On Fort Huachuca, the detachment’s leaders and soldiers have come together, with the support of family members, that led to winning the award for their work during fiscal year 2005, he said. The 2005 budget year ran from Oct. 1, 2004, through Sept. 30, 2005.
The award is named after the late commandant of the United States Military Police School and the chief of the Military Police Corps and Regiment. Initially, it was called the Liberty Award when it was established in 1985. The name was changed to the Stem Award in 1987.
Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast said safeguarding soldiers, civilians and families is the detachment’s job, and it does it well.
The capabilities of the soldiers are tested and proven daily, said Fast, commander of the Intelligence Center and the fort.
But it is not just normal law enforcement the soldiers are asked to do, for they have other missions not normally found on a post. The MPs were responsible for detaining 3,000 illegal immigrants who were found on the post, Fast said.
About two weeks ago, the MPs were heavily involved in the rescue of a spelunker who was injured in a caving accident on the fort, Fast said.
The type of training the detachment does and the relationship the unit has established with other area law enforcement agencies came together during the rescue, she said.
“It paid off in spades,” Fast said before Wallace spoke.
Garrison Commander Col. Jonathan Hunter spoke after Wallace, telling the four-star general to pencil in another date next year to come back to the post and present the Stem Award to the detachment.
He noted the detachment is doing even more during the first half of the current fiscal year, and he expects the unit will again be chosen from the 17 TRADOC installations to receive the award.
The detachment will represent TRADOC for the top MP unit award in the Army.
Wallace said being an MP “is an exceptionally tough job.”
Looking at the audience near the gazebo on Brown Parade Field, he had a special message, almost an order, for them.
“To the folks on Fort Huachuca, be proud of these soldiers,” Wallace said.
General William S. Wallace, left, presented the 18th Military Police Detachment on Fort Huachuca with the Training and Doctrine Command's Brig. Gen. David H. Stem Award for being the best military police unit in the command during fiscal year 2005. Spc. Ashley Bashans, the youngest MP in the detachment, holds the trophy Wednesday, while Spc. Angel Tovar, middle, holds the detachment's guidon at Wednesday's ceremony. (By Bill Hess-Herald/Review)
bttt!
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