Photo By Lt. Col. Darrin Haas | Spc. Greg Clark with Mississippi’s 114th Military Police Company is sprayed with...... read more read more
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The cadre from Tennessee’s 1-117th Regiment, Military Police Battalion, welcomed the U.S. Army’s newest Military Policemen into the Military Police Corps during a graduation ceremony at Smyrna’s Volunteer Training Site, August 22. Twenty-nine students graduated from an intensive 4-week-long Military Police Basic Course held in Smyrna, which transforms Soldiers from previous Military Occupational Specialties to new military law enforcement officers.
Hailing from numerous states to include Arizona, California, New Hampshire, Texas, and Virginia, as well as from Active-Duty, National Guard, and the Reserve components, the students underwent training hosted by Tennessee’s 117th Regional Training Institute’s 1st Battalion. The battalion teaches the MP basic course, as well as various other professional programs including instructor certification and piloting Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Students who attend the MP course are all Soldiers with specialties in different Army career fields that are transitioning to become law enforcement officers.
“Our course is designed to be intense and as realistic as possible with classroom instruction and training scenarios reflecting what they will encounter after graduation,” said Staff Sgt. Kristopher Krasnow, Instructor with the 1-117th. “Our goal is graduating the best law enforcement officers possible, and I’m confident that each of these new MPs will be welcome additions to their units.”
Since the course began on July 25, students have trained in law enforcement skills, special tactics, and numerous other tasks required to become military police officers which include law, responding to and investigating crimes, and traffic accident investigation. They also learned how to respond to numerous emergency situations, they trained on various lethal and non-lethal weapon systems, learned how to safely operate a patrol car, practiced evasive driving techniques, and many other skills that can keep themselves, and the people they swear to protect, safe.
“We ensure that when our students graduate, they are prepared for whatever they may encounter in the field and on the job,” said Krasnow. “What we teach here helps them react to unforeseen situations and can save their lives and those they swear to protect.”
During the graduation ceremony, many students received special awards for their performance during training. Sgt. Will Baasch, with Colorado’s 396th Military Police Detachment, was the Distinguished Honor Graduate for having the highest cumulative scores in all training events. Spc. Raymond Sanchez Cruz, with the 1057th Military Police Company in Nebraska, received the Top Gun award for scoring the highest during handgun qualifications.Spc. Grey Clark, who serves in the 114th Military Police Company from Mississippi, received the class’s top driver award for having the fastest time during the evasive driving test.
“I’m incredibly proud of every student and the hard work they’ve done,” said Krasnow. “I know they will leave here and be talented assets to their units and will serve out nation well.”
Each graduate will return to their state as official military policemen ready for whatever their next mission will be.
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2026 14:40 |
| Story ID: | 573191 |
| Location: | SMYRNA, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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