Alabama National Guard announces new unit in Decatur

Photo By Staff Sgt. Samuel Hartley | A section leader of the newly formed 142nd Military Police Brigade attaches one of the first unit patches to a Soldier next to them at Fort McClellan, Ala., June 7, 2020. The patch bears a logo representative of the brigade that was designed with significant input from several members of the unit. (Photo by U.S. Army SGT Samuel Hartley)  

FORT MCLELLAN, AL, UNITED STATES

06.10.2020

Story by Staff Sgt. William Frye  

131st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Fort McClellan, Ala. - The Alabama National Guard announced its eleventh major command, a new brigade of military police Soldiers, during a ceremony held at Fort McClellan on June 7, 2020.
The new unit, known as the 142nd Military Police Brigade, will serve to consolidate existing and future military police elements into “a single command structure with a unified vision and mission.”
The ceremony, officiated by Maj. Gen. Sylvester Cannon, the Alabama National Guard deputy adjutant general and the state’s most senior MP officer, saw leaders place the new unit’s patch on the shoulders of the brigade’s inaugural Guardsmen, along with remarks from leaders on the unit’s purpose and the inspiration for the insignia they will wear.
“We are already wearing the patch with pride,” said Col. Mike Izzo, the commanding officer of the new 142nd MP Brigade. Izzo is the former commander of the 203rd MP Battalion, which will now
fall under the 142nd.
Izzo said the patch design, a collaborative effort of the brigade’s Soldiers, is representative of the U.S. Army military police’s regimental motto “Assist, Protect, Defend.”
According to the write up proposed to The Institute of Heraldry, “the diagonal 45-degree line joining the top and bottom colors represents the Military Police Corps's eagerness to always ‘assist’ during wartime (top) and peacetime operations (bottom).
“The overall shape of the patch, a shield, represents the military police Soldier’s willingness to ‘protect’ the force in both peacetime and wartime operations.
“The battle helmet combined with the sword reflects upon the Military Police Corps's history and tradition where we stand ready and willing to ‘defend’ our forces in a combined effort to preserve our land and freedom under the United States Constitution.”
“This is our biggest honor,” Izzo said. “We, as MPs, are always there to assist, protect, and defend our country, our state, and our fellow Soldiers.”
The new brigade has been in the works for several years—the unit was approved in 2018 and planning began years prior.
“It is a proud day for me,” Cannon said. “I’ve waited a long time to see Alabama stand up an MP brigade.”
The headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) will occupy the Army National Guard armory on Beltline Road in Decatur with the brigade’s subordinate MP units to remain in their current armories around the state.
When fully-activated on August 8th, the 142nd MP Brigade is projected to include approximately 1,000 Soldiers in both military and support roles, with approximately 100 assigned to the HHC.

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• Date Taken: 06.10.2020
• Date Posted: 06.11.2020 10:15
• Story ID: 371887
• Location: FORT MCLELLAN, AL, US