Regimental command sergeant major

Military Police, Oct, 2004 by James F. Barrett

It is hard to believe that as I write this article I am approaching three years as the command sergeant major of this great Regiment. During this time, I have visited military police units throughout the United States and around the world. Everywhere I go, regardless of the type of unit, our soldiers continue to amaze me. As I have stated several times in the past, senior leaders at every installation and command constantly tell me that the military police soldiers set the example. This applies to both our Active Army and Reserve Component units. Of course this doesn't happen by accident. It's due to the outstanding leadership of our officers and noncommissioned officers. This was never more visible than during my recent trip to Iraq. I was able to see firsthand the skill and courage of our soldiers and leaders. This is also true of the wounded soldiers I visited at Army hospitals.

As we all know, this is the time of year when we observe the anniversary of our Regiment. We take the time to celebrate, to gather as senior leaders to discuss issues facing our Regiment, to conduct our Warfighter competition and, most importantly, to remember our soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of this great nation. This year's theme truly reflects the growth that our Regiment will undergo over the next few years. As many of you know, this growth has already begun. We are in the process of standing up several new units this year alone. This is good news, as all three specialties will experience growth. However, we will continue to work to ensure that our unit structure, equipment, doctrine, and policies are appropriate for our mission in support of the Army. This is also true of our training at all levels. We will continue to revise training and doctrine to ensure that they are relevant and provide for the professional development of our soldiers. As always, I look forward to your input and feedback to help us accomplish this.

I do not have to tell you that with our current operational tempo and transformation, we have a very full plate. However, I am confident that as long as we have the caliber of leaders and soldiers that we have now, we will always remain the Army's "Force of Choice." I look forward to seeing all of you as I travel around the Regiment.