The 3d Military Police Company supports EPW operations in Iraq

Military Police, April, 2004 by Mack Huey, Mark Germano

The 3d Military Police Company had the honor of leading the charge for our Military Police Corps Regiment to support 3d Infantry Division (31D) (Mechanized) during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The leaders of Marne team are very proud of the young men and women who met the challenge and performed under very austere conditions. They are truly at the "tip of the spear"! Not one soldier was lost during combat operations or accidents--which is a tribute to our officers and noncommissioned officers and the equipment and training provided at the unit and the U.S. Army Military Police School

**********

Preparing to Deploy

In the spring of 2002, 3ID was assigned as the Crisis Response Force in Kuwait as a defense against possible Iraqi aggression. The division tasked the 3d Military Police Company to provide direct and general support to the mission using 6-month platoon rotations. The 2d and 4th Platoons deployed to Kuwait with the 2d Brigade Combat Team (2BCT) in September 2002.

In November, before receiving the mission for the main body deployment, the division deputy provost marshal (DPM) and his staff deployed to Kuwait. For 2 months, they planned Operations Lucky Warrior and Victory Warrior training exercises among the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC), V Corps, and 3ID.

In December, 3d Military Police Battalion staff began the military decision-making process and planning phase for additional personnel support, as military police force flow operations would not support the doctrinal attachment of a corps military police company. The division provost marshal (PM) cell was increased from 7 to 21 personnel to support planned tasks, including a protective services detail (PSD) for general officers. With additional personnel, the battalion formed a military police tactical operations and law and order cell. The 30th Military Police Detachment (Criminal Investigation Division [CID]) direct-support element from Fort Stewart, Georgia, provided 11 soldiers to support operations.

In January 2003, the 3d Military Police Company and PM cell deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Simultaneously, two military police companies at Fort Stewart received deployment orders--the 293d Military Police Company deployed to Baghram, Afghanistan, to conduct detention and other military police operations, and the 549th Military Police Company deployed to Kuwait in preparation for hostilities with Iraq. Elements of the 179th Military Police Detachment also deployed in support of both operations. By the middle of March, the majority of military police and CID assigned to Fort Stewart had deployed, so Army Reserve units--the 304th Military Police Company from West Virginia and the 3220th Garrison Support Unit from Florida--were assigned to conduct installation force protection.

In February 2003, the PM cell planned and led an enemy prisoner of war (EPW) exercise to train and evaluate the ability of the 3d Military Police Company to perform internment operations. The field-training exercise focused on capturing, transporting, and processing prisoners; establishing forward and division central collection points (DCCPs); performing sustainment operations; and learning the "five S's" (silence, search, segregate, speed, and safeguard). These invaluable lessons were incorporated into the company's tactics, techniques, and procedures and the division training plan. The training incorporated headquarters soldiers and CID personnel to assist with in-processing procedures, to prepare for the expected large number of EPWs.

While the majority of the division trained and prepared for conflict, the 3d Military Police Company performed security operations. During reception, staging, onward-movement, and integration (RSOI) operations, the company provided more than 125 convoy security escorts from the port and Camp Doha to the four camps--located approximately 25 kilometers south of the Kuwait-Iraq border. The company also provided traffic and accident support.

Mission and Task Organization

The 3d Military Police Company was tasked to conduct all military police battlefield missions in support of the division's scheme of maneuver. Key tasks included supporting breach and berm-crossing operations, establishing forward collection points (FCPs) along the battlespace, establishing multiple DCCPs, conducting route signing for the march north, and performing convoy security operations.

The doctrinal application of military police within 3ID consisted of three direct-support platoons aligned with each BCT. The division DPM worked in the division main command post and the battle captain/operations sergeant major worked from the division rear command post. Due to the magnitude of the mission, the division PM colocated with the PM cell, company headquarters, general-support platoons, and other members and units in the task force. Before crossing the berm, the company was task-organized to best support all aspects of EPW operations. Many hours of brainstorming and planning went into what leadership referred to as "Task Force EPW," a combination of forces brought together to address the issue of sustaining EPW operations over several hundred miles of battlespace. Ironically, after the task force was formed, the former PM of the 82d Airborne Division presented the 3ID PM with an article he had written after Desert Storm. The article described the same mission challenges and similar personnel requirements.