Military police
Categories: Military police | Military law | Law enforcement | Police officers
Military police (MPs) are the police of a military organization, generally concerning themselves with law enforcement and security.
In wartime, military police are primarily concerned with installation security, close personal protection of senior military officers, management of prisoners of war, traffic control, route signing and resupply route management, as well as their primary policing roles. These personnel are generally not front-line combatants, but are sometimes used in a defensive role as a primary defense force in rear area operations.
In some countries, a military police force, the Gendarmerie, Carabinieri, Civil Guard or Marechaussee, also serves as a national police force, often acting as heavy backup for the civil police and/or policing rural districts. For these duties, such forces are under civilian control and function in the same manner as civilian police forces.
The head of the military police is commonly referred to as the Provost Marshal. This ancient title was originally given to an officer whose duty it was to ensure that the army of the king did no harm to the citizenry.
In many countries, military forces have separate prisons and judicial systems, different from civilian entities. The military possibly also has its own interpretation of criminal justice.
The status of military police is usually prominently displayed on the helmet and/or on an armband, brassard, or arm or shoulder flash. In the Second World War, the military police of the German Army still used a metal gorget as an emblem.
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Military police in different countries
Australia
In the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police also perform the role of a secondary communications network in the front battle zone.
Belgium
Military police duties in Belgium were previously performed by the Gendarmerie Nationale. When Belgium merged all its police into the Federal Police, those personnel performing military police duties were transferred to the Military Police Corps and made part of the army.
Brazil
The Military Police is the name of the State Police and are the standard law and order street police in Brazil, and are employed at a state level. Each of the armed forces also has its own military police force.
Canada
Canadian Armed Forces military police functions are currently carried out by the Military Police Branch. Previous to the creation of the CAF in 1968 they were performed by separate service branches: the Canadian Provost Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force Police.
Finland
The Sotilaspoliisi (Sotilas = soldier | poliisi = police) act as the military police in the Finnish Defence Forces. Their peacetime tasks include guarding and policing military locations. Wartime tasks include guarding key locations and personnel, search & destroy of enemy special forces and handling of the POW's. Lovingly nicknamed "Koirat" (The Dogs) by the majority of the FDF. Their emblem is a black shoulder-cloth with 'SP' written in white.
France
The Gendarmerie act as both the military police and one of the two national police forces.
Germany
The Feldjäger are the military police of the German Bundeswehr. The term Feldjäger (literally meaning "field rifleman") has a long tradition and dates back to the mid-17th century. They perform various police functions within the German Army, and are especially notorious for hunting down deserting conscripts. Their motto is Suum Cuique ("Each to his own").
Italy
The Carabinieri act as both the military police and one of the two national police forces.
Japan
The Kempeitai were the military police of the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. They also performed intelligence and secret police functions.
The Netherlands
In The Netherlands, the function of military police is performed by the Royal Marechaussee [1], a separate branch of the military independent of the army, navy and air force. Besides performing military duties, the Royal Marechaussee also perform civilian duties, such as assisting civilian police forces.
The word Marechaussee seems to derive from the old French name Marecheaux given to an ancient court of justice in Paris called the "Tribunal of Constables and Marshals of France". These constables and marshals were to become members of the Gendarmerie which served as a model for the police forces of both Belgium and the Netherlands. The term Marechaussee was also used for the US Army's military police during the American Revolution.
Singapore
In Singapore, the Singapore Armed Forces Provost Unit serves as the military police unit of the Singapore Armed Forces, and supports the Singapore Police Force by way of collaborations, such as in the co-location of dog-training facilities for policing duties.
Norway
In Norway, MPs are service members of the Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy or Royal Norwegian Air Force. Since approx 2002, all are trained at Sessvollmoen Camp. MPs in the Army are assigned to the Military Police Battalion, located at Bardufoss, Troms county. The current battalion commander is Lt. Colonel Vidar Gade. The battalion consists of approximately 50 officers and NCOs, and 150 privates/corporals. Norwegian MPs first go through a 6 month selection/educational period, before beeing assigned to the battalion or to regimental duties with other units for the remainder of their 12 month service. Norwegian MPs do not have authority over civilians, except on military installations or under martial law. They do have authority over military personnel anywhere, including when such personnel are off duty.
The Norwegian Home Guard (Heimevernet) also has MPs in its ranks. Usually each NHG District (regiment) has one or two platoons, consisting exclusively of former Army, Navy or Air Force MP personnel.
Norwegian MPs wear a red beret and a red lanyard around the left shoulder extending to the left front pocket. Only personnel currently serving as MPs are allowed to wear this. When on official duty, they also wear the MP armband, which is black with "MP" in red types. It was previously worn on the right shoulder, but is now worn on the left shoulder, following NATO practice. They can also wear white webbing, or a number of items for special duties, like high visibility vests for traffic duty etc.
Norwegian MPs are tasked with duties such as traffic control, POW detention and control, criminal investigations within the military, and installation security. Army canine units are also assigned to the MP battalion, but the personnel in such units are not necessarily MPs. Such personnel do not hold military police authority, and do not wear the MP insignia.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, MPs (often known as "Redcaps", or more casually, "Meatheads" - both because of the color of their headgear and in the case of the latter appellation, because it is satisfyingly rude) are members of the British Army's Royal Military Police (RMP). The Royal Air Force Police (RAFP) provide a two-pronged service to the Royal Air Force; firstly they maintain and advise upon the security policies used by the RAF. Secondly, they are responsible for providing its police cover. The Royal Navy is policed by the Royal Navy Regulating Branch, the members of which are known as Regulators (or Master-at-Arms if a Chief Petty Officer or Warrant Officer). The Royal Marines also have a Police Troop, the Royal Marines Police. There also exist Regimental Police, who serve as Military Police in their units or where there is no MP presence. All UK Military Police are classed as 'Service Police' and conform to the Service Police Codes of Practice.
United States of America
In the United States Armed Forces, MPs are service members of the US Army and US Marine Corps; the US Navy and US Coast Guard use the term Shore Patrol and Master at arms. The US Air Force uses the term Security Police, or SPs to describe the Air Force Security Forces.
Each service also maintains uniformed civilian police officers. They are referred to as either Department of Defense Police or Department of Defense Guard. The police officers' peacetime duties are the same as those of civilian police, namely to enforce the laws of the U.S. Military in the form of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), and the regulations of their particular installation. The civilian guards' duties are normally restricted to protection of priority resources.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, MPs have been used extensively to maintain control over the large populations of detainees being held by coalition forces, as well as helping to conduct raids and regular patrols.
Some U.S. MP units, usually at the battalion or brigade level, are designated as combat MPs whose combat zone responsibilities include protection of vehicle routes, defile control, and straggler control, the guidance or detention of soldiers who have become lost, separated from their units, or have fled the battlefield.
Although not considered a combat arm (i.e. a corps whose primary mission is the engagement of the enemy), U.S. military police are trained to use infantry weapons, including grenade launchers and machine guns, since their proximity to the frontline may require their use in an emergency. During the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War, the 716th Military Police Battalion fought as infantry in defense of Saigon, reputedly the first time U.S. military police had done so.
The standard weapons of the United States military police are the M-9 9mm magazine-fed semi-automatic pistol and the M-16 rifle.
In the U.S. Army, military police are usually distinguished by helmet markers or a white service cap as well as a brassard when on duty, as well as the wearing of a Sam Browne belt when under arms. When wearing a Class A (suit) uniform they wear combat boots instead of regulation low-cut shoes. In common with Airborne soldiers they may wear these boots off-duty as well. When in fatigues (work/combat uniform) they may be required or permitted to wear the green scarf identifying the Corps.
During the Second World War, the emblems used were a wide white band around the helmet or a white helmet liner or a white peaked cap, a white webbing Sam Browne belt, white gloves, and white gaiters, atop the standard olive drab uniform. From this clothing, the nickname they were given by the British civilians at the time was "snowdrops."
The United States Constitution requires a seperate system of law and order which applies exclusivly to the United States' arm service branches; as such Military Police have more liberty when conducting investigations than their civil counterparts.
See also
fr:Police militaire he:חיל המשטרה הצבאית ja:憲兵 no:Militærpoliti pt:Polícia Militar