42nd Military Police Brigade (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=42nd Military Police Brigade


caption=42nd Military Police Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
country=United States
type=Military Police Brigade
branch=Active Duty
dates=1968-01-25 - 1992-07-01
2004-10-16 - Present
specialization=Military Police
command_structure=I Corps
size=Brigade
garrison=Fort Lewis, Washington
ceremonial_chief=
nickname="The Protectors"
motto="Integrity of Action"
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=
current_commander=COL David P. Glaser
current_commander_label=
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=Distinctive unit insignia
identification_symbol_2=
identification_symbol_2_label=

The 42nd Military Police Brigade is a military police brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Lewis, Washington. It is a subordinate unit of I Corps.

First activated as a customs unit in post-World War II Germany, the brigade has a long history with United States Army Europe. Its duties as a customs unit meant that the unit was garrisoned in Germany for over forty years from 1950 until 1990, never seeing action in the US operations in Korea, Vietnam, or the Gulf War. It was deactivated during the post-Cold War drawdown of the US Military.

Reactivated in 2004, the brigade provides corrections and force protection for I both Corps and Fort Lewis. The brigade and its subordinate units have seen several tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Organization

The brigade is a subordinate unit of the I Corps, and is separate, meaning that it does not report to a division level headquarters, even during theater operations.cite web |url=http://www.lewis.army.mil/mpbde/sites/organization/ |title=42nd Military Police Brigade Organization |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=42nd Military Police Brigade Staff. |year=2008 ]

The brigade contains four prime components, all headquartered at Fort Lewis. The Brigade's two permanently assigned MP battalions are the 504th and 508th Military Police Battalions, both of which have several subordinate companies. The Brigade also contains a Force Protection unit and a detachment for the Brigade's Provost Marshal.

History

Origins

The 42nd Military Police Group traces its lineage back to the 7751st Military Police Detachment, which was established on March 21, 1949, to fight organized and widespread black-market activities which posed a serious threat to the German economy.cite web |url=http://www.lewis.army.mil/mpbde/sites/commander/history.asp |title=42nd Military Police Brigade Homepage: History |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=42nd Military Police Brigade Staff. |year=2008

] The unit enforced USEUCOM Customs Regulations, investigated violations, controlled parcel post shipments of black marketable goods, and manned twenty-three border stations used by US military personnel crossing the international borders of Post-World War II, US occupied Germany.

In August 1950, the US High Commission for Germany requested the services of the "Customs Unit," later designated as the 42d Military Police Detachment, to control the eastward movement of restricted goods to "Satellite Bloc" countries. With the increase in tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, this function was important to US interests in Europe. On November 1, 1952, the detatchment was relieved of its strategic export control function, which was subsequently was resumed by German authorities. In May 1955, Germany regained sovereignty over its land from US Military forces. The rights, privileges, and obligations of the foreign forces and their members stationed in Germany were then based on the Bonn forces convention, the forerunner of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Status of Forces Agreement (NATO SOFA) and the supplementary agreement that followed. As a result, the unit was charged with establishing customs controls within Germany. It was because of this responsibility that the unit would never be deployed in support of the Korean War or the Vietnam War.

Cold War Years

On January 25, 1968, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 42nd Military Police Group was constituted in the Regular Armycite web |url=http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/mp/0042mpbde.htm |title=Lineage and Honors: 42nd Military Police Brigade |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=US Army Center for Military History. |year=2008 ] and activated in Germany. The group was charged with providing customs enforcement and maintaining liaison and cooperation with German customs authorities at all levels. In addition, the group is responsible for establishing customs policies and procedures for the Federal Republic of Germany and to negotiate with German authorities on questions of procedure and US forces entitlements arising from tax and customs issues within the NATO SOFA. It received a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its outstanding job performing this role. In 1969, the group received its own distinctive unit insignia.cite web |url=http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/MP/42MilitaryPoliceBrigade.htm |title=The Institute of Heraldry: 42nd Military Police Brigade |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=The Institute of Heraldry. |year=2008 ]

On July 1, 1974, the 42d Military Police Group was transferred to the 15th Military Police Brigade, retaining its missions and affiliation with United States Army Europe. On December 13, 1974, drug suppression and anti-hijacking protection were added to the missions of the 42d Military Police Group. On June 1, 1976, relieved from it assignment to 15th MP Brigade, the 42nd MP Group was reassigned to US Army Europe and Seventh Army and, on October 21, 1977, placed under the 21st Support Command.

On December 1, 1977, the Commander of the 42nd MP Group became the Executive Agent for all customs matters in US European Command. As the Executive Agent, the group commander provided staff supervision over the US Military Customs inspection programs in 11 countries throughout Europe. This responsibility included staff supervision of 169 military customs inspection programs operated by the US Army, US Navy and US Air Force.

On January 21, 1978, the 42d MP Group was reassigned to Headquarters, US Army Europe/7th Army (Office of the Deputy Commander in Chief) and converted into a major command. In August 1983, the Commander of the 42d Military Police Group was also designated the USAREUR Executive Agent for customs for US Forces personnel in Germany.

The brigade's responsibilities in Europe prevented it from being deployed in the Gulf War. In August 1994, the 42nd Military Police Group was deactivated with the military drawdown of US Military forces in Europe. In May of 2004, the still inactive unit was redesignated as a brigade, in preparation for its reactivation that fall.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

In late June 2004, the 1st Military Police Brigade (Provisional) based at Fort Lewis, Washington, received word that it would be reflagged as the 42nd Military Police Brigade. On October 15, 2004 the provisional brigade was deactivated and the 42d Military Police Brigade was activated as the I Corps Military Police Brigade. The next day, the brigade received its own shoulder sleeve insignia. Responsibilities of the Brigade at Fort Lewis include the direction of inter-service corrections operations at the Fort Lewis Regional Corrections Facility, as well as emergency services and force protection operations for the Fort Lewis area.cite web |url=http://www.thesubtimes.com/2008/01/42nd-military-p.html |title=42nd Military Police Brigade Change of Command |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher="The Suburban Times". |year=2008 ] The unit received word from the Department of the Army that it would deploy to Iraq less than thirty days after activation.cite web |url=http://www.wood.army.mil/mpbulletin/pdfs/fall%2006/Swengros-42d.pdf |title=42d Military Police Brigade |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=Colonel Richard Swengros. |year=2006 |format=PDF]

The 42nd Military Police Brigade deployed to Baghdad, Iraq from November 2004 to November 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, relieving the 18th Military Police Brigade which had previously been assigned there. [cite web |url=http://www.hqusareur.army.mil/htmlinks/Press_Releases/2005/Aug2005/29Aug2005-01.htm |title=Iraqi highway patrol headquarters opens; way ahead difficult, but ready for challenge |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=Lynne Steely, 18th Military Police Brigade Public Affiars. |year=2006 ] The brigade operated out of Forward Operating Base Volunteer during its tour.cite web |url=http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/apr2005/a040405ms2.html |title=Cadets Learn Basics During Eight-Week Course |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=Mary Rose, Multi-National Corps, Iraq Public Affairs. |year=2006 ] During this tour, subordinate units of the brigade were responsible for training cadets of the Baghdad civilian Police department.cite web |url=http://www4.army.mil/news/article.php?story=7119 |title=MPs help train Baghdad police cadets |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=Mary Rose, Army News Service. |year=2006 ] This training included law training, human rights education, first aid, and weapons training on Glock-19s and AK-47s. They also had a counter-terrorism class for Iraqi officers. During the assignment, the brigade suffered several casualties, including multiple soldiers killed by improvised explosive devices, [cite web |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/09/05-09-24c.htm |title=42nd MP Brigade Soldier Killed by IED |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=Press Release, US Central Command. |year=2007 ] [cite web |url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=32964 |title=Soldier Dies in Non-Combat Incident; Earlier Casualties Identified |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=American Forces Press Service. |year=2006 ] and another soldier killed in a rocket-propelled grenade attack. [cite web |url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/03/25_galballye_rochsoldier/ |title=Rochester soldier killed in Iraq |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=Erin Galbally, Minnesota Public Radio. |year=2006 ] Their organizational operation during the deployment received praise, and was the basis for the organization of subsequent Military Police brigades that deployed. [cite web |url=http://www.wood.army.mil/mpbulletin/pdfs/fall%2006/Swengros-MP%20Ops.pdf |title=Military Police Operations in Iraq |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=Colonel Richard Swengros. |year=2008 |format=PDF] After its return from Iraq, the Brigade's operations were assumed by the 49th Military Police Brigade. [cite web |url=http://www.militarymuseum.org/GWOT49MPBde.html |title=The 49th Military Police Brigade in Iraq |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=Lt. Col. Grace Edinboro, XO, 49th Military Police Brigade. |year=2008 ] The brigade received another Meritorious Unit Commendation for its work during the deployment.

The brigade was scheduled to deploy to Iraq in spring of 2008. Its assignment was to conduct theater wide internment facility and reconciliation center operations, as well as managing the Iraqi Correctional Officer Training academies. Subordinate units of the Brigade have been deploying to Iraq regularly. The 571st MP Company deployed for 15 months, from November 2006 until January 2008. [cite web |url=http://www.nwguardian.com/103/story/2622.html |title=Military Police return from 15-month Iraq tour |accessdate=2008-07-07 |work= |publisher=Amie McMillan, 42nd Military Police Brigade. |year=2008 ] The 504th MP Battallion deployed to Iraq in July of 2007. Also deployed were the 54th and 170th Military Police Companies.

Honors

Unit decorations

Campaign streamers

References

External links

* [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/MP/42MilitaryPoliceBrigade.htm The Institute of Heraldry: 42nd Military Police Brigade]
* [http://www.lewis.army.mil/mpbde/sites/local/ 42nd Military Police Brigade Homepage]