Posted on 04/25/2011 2:59:49 AM PDT by Daffynition
COLUMBUS, Ga. --
Starting at 10 o'clock Friday, two senior non-commissioned officers from Fort Benning will be on courtesy patrol. The soldiers will be wearing arm bands that read, "Courtesy Patrol."
Fort Benning Commanding General Robert Brown and Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson made the announcement earlier this week.
They need to increase security in Uptown Columbus comes after two weekend incidents in early April
Thanks. At least somebody remembers this type of thing. You’re probably old enough to remember when commanders didn’t have to worry about day care centers and consideration of others training as well. Ah, the good old days.
Courtesy Patrols? Back in 1960, I did courtesy patrols in Son u ri. Didn’t work there either.
When I was in Boot Camp at Ft. Leonard Wood in 1994, we went home for Exodus during the Christmas holidays. I remember seeing the MPs and Drill Sergeants patrolling St. Louis Airport. The MP’s looked tougher and meaner than the Drill Sergeants.
No, they are checking on military personnel not civilians. It’s nothing new, it just hasn’t been used in decades.
It’s no big deal.
Back in the draft days as a Fort Eustis MP at I was assigned to a courtesy patrol in Newport News VA. The way it worked was that all the GI’s that cooperated with their arrest...mostly for PI, were released to me that night. I would drop them off at the barracks.
Columbus wants the soldiers business but has determined that another soldier comes in handy to safely take into temporary custody another soldier that has had too much to drink and is being rowdy.
The vast majority of these guys just let off steam and that’s the end of it. Of course now a days politically minded company commanders may use these courtesy arrests as a reason to RIF...I dunno but they did after the end of the cold war.
Most people don’t realize that you sign away your rights under the civilian Constitution when you join the service.
You are under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and lose most of your rights under the Constitution.
You simply become the property (paid slave) of the military machine and don’t have common law rights until you leave the military service. I know, I’ve been there.
=^)
CC
We’ve had Courtesy Patrols in Colorado Springs for a while. It’s not a law enforcement issue though. The Patrol simply watches for Soldiers who could potentially get into trouble and steer them away by offering rides home or calling someone to pick them up. The first night I did it we took 12 Soldiers home thus avoiding possible DUI’s. If there is any chance of violence we let the police handle it. Quite a few civilians talk to you too and all have said they think it’s a great idea. It’s an excellent program.
Yup, old enough. Military Police I Corp. (GP) S. Korea mid 1960’s.
This is probably a good thing. It’s a ‘locals vs. soldiers’ thing.
Right.
50 years ago,when I was in the navy in Boston, we had them. (Three man patrols...MP, AP, and SP) We only had authority over military personal, but if threatened by civilians we could hold them for the police. Which we did on one occasion when a guy with a switch blade engaged us.
Not sure what you’re talking about here, or what point you’re trying to make, but, this is purely soldiers taking care of soldiers. A Courtesy Patrol is just that, a courtesy to the local community. They have no police powers and are only armed with radios. There are many times a cold hard look from a senior NCO can end a potential “situation” before it gets to night sticks, handcuffs and a ride downtown. I’m pretty surprised at some of the comments on this thread, next we’ll be hearing, again, how the UN is unloading tanks at Charleston harbor to attack the US.
ok, this is different than true military control of a US city...
sounds like a good program.
But the slippery slope is when the civilian authorities use the military against US citizens.
Our recent govt’s have shown a willingness to let a lot of unconstitutionality slide...
But, this sounds legit as long as it remains as is
Thanks
“....I’m pretty surprised at some of the comments on this thread.......”
Just goes to show how little some of the Flag W avers at Free Republic know about the military.
I visited home once when I was in Germany. I dressed in civies and flew Lufthansa. Nonetheless, an MP very politely approached me in the Lufthansa lounge, inspected my leave papers and wished me a pleasant trip.
“When we assumed the soldier we did not lay aside the citizen,” from then-Gen. George Washington’s June 26, 1775, letter to the Provincial Congress is inscribed inside the apse.
Ref
Note: The above quote was a favorite of Col David (Perfumed Princes) Hackworth USA (Ret.) (now deceased)
*****
“There ain’t no ticks like poly-ticks. Bloodsuckers all.”
-Davy Crockett (unsourced)
Ref
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett
While I was stationed in Germany in the 80’s, I remember being at Oktoberfest in Munich. Every police partol had 2 local polizei and 2 American MP’s, walking together.
B F D
In Paris in the early 60’s, streets were patrolled by the three powers’ MPs: U S Army, British, French accompanying the Parisian police in a jeep. They were especially busy in Place Pigalle (Pig Alley).
We’ve got a great volunteer program here also run by civlians called No DUI. If a person calls them for a ride home, they will show up (two people) and drive you home in your car while the other follows. There is no fee involved but tips are accepted. I know a few guys who have used it and they love it. While on CP, if a civilian approaches you and asks for assistance we either call the No DUI folks or steer them to someone who can help.
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