Military police

The term military police refers to a division of any branch of the military that provides law enforcement services. Servicemembers in a military police unit are trained as members of the branch of the military in which they serve and undergo special law enforcement instruction. This can include training in routine police tasks such as controlling traffic and crowds, securing a crime scene, gathering evidence, and studying civil and military laws and regulations. Military police also learn the techniques involved in guarding people and property and how to properly restrain and arrest suspects. The role of military police is challenging because it requires additional skills and can place the police officer in danger, even in noncombat situations. It also requires the military police servicemember to be objective in situations involving colleagues and friends. However, the special training and experience of being in a military police unit can provide an exceptional background for those seeking a career in civilian law enforcement after they are finished serving in the military.

Background

The word military comes from the Latin miles, which means "soldier" or "one who marches in a troop." It became the Latin militaris, meaning "of soldiers" or "of war," and by the mid-fifteenth century, had become the Middle French militaire. The word police comes from the French policer, which means "to keep order in." The terms were combined for the first time around 1827.

The term military police was first used in 1815, and the modern Military Police Corps was created on September 26, 1941, in preparation for World War II. However, the idea of designated personnel in a military unit for the purpose of keeping order among the troops and providing protection existed in many military units long before the 1800s. For instance, the Continental Army that fought for American independence in the late 1700s had provost units. The provost unit of a military troop and its head, the provost marshal, were in charge of keeping order among the troops. This included searching for, imprisoning, and even executing those who deserted, stole, rioted, or committed other offenses. Established in 1778, the first American provost unit—the forerunner of the American military police—included one captain, four lieutenants, one clerk, one quartermaster sergeant, two trumpeters, two sergeants, five corporals, forty-three provosts, and four executioners.

In addition to controlling the troops, military police units are often responsible for guarding prisoners of war. Military police may also be called in where the lines between civil and military functions are blurred, as evidenced during some of the armed rebellions in America's early history. One example was the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794 when citizens took up arms in opposition to a new government imposed tax on whiskey.

In America, military police units grew in importance during the Civil War (1861–1865) and became an established division of the military by the end of World War I (1914–1918). Other countries followed similar timelines. The British military had provost units for many years to police the troops, but only formed an official military police unit in 1926. The Canadian and Chinese military police both originated in 1914, and many other countries formally established military police units in the early part of the twentieth century.

Overview

Military police units are the first line of defense for their branch of the military and are responsible for protecting their military colleagues, their bases, and their equipment from theft, hostile attacks, sabotage, and other threats. They are authorized to use deadly force when protecting military personnel and equipment.

Some branches of military police have special additional responsibilities; for instance, the Air Force security forces protect Air Force One, the plane on which the president of the United States flies. In many cases, military police units are also first responders, much like civilian police. As a result, they are often trained in emergency response techniques such as first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Some are also trained to work with dogs that are used for searching for drugs, bombs, or missing people. All of this allows military police members to respond to natural disasters, riots, terrorist attacks, and many other situations.

Contemporary military police are essentially cross-trained to perform two functions. They are fully trained to serve in combat as part of a military unit and receive much of the same training as civilian police officers. In many cases, special screening tests are used to determine if a person has suitable skills and personality traits to serve in a military police unit.

In addition to aptitude tests, candidates for the military police must meet a number of requirements. These can vary, but often include meeting specific physical characteristics for height, weight, fitness, emotional/mental health, and vision. There may be requirements related to citizenship, the ability to hold a driver's license, absence of a criminal record, and the ability to pass other security background checks.

Members of military police units are often held to different standards than their military colleagues. This can vary greatly, depending on the country in which they serve. In the United States and many other countries, military police are held to a higher standard and are expected to set a legal and ethical example for others. This can sometimes be difficult to do; for instance, since they serve alongside the people they patrol, members of the military police may be called upon to investigate and even arrest someone with whom they have trained and worked. However, the functions military police provide, from gate security at a base to traffic control to guarding their colleagues and their equipment, are all vital to the success of any military branch.

Bibliography

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