Hohenfels, Germany – Soldiers of the the 92nd Military Police Company traveled over 200 miles from their home in Sembach, Germany, to Hohenfels Training Area, Bavaria, to take part in exercise Allied Spirit X. During the U.S. Army Europe-directed training, they had the unique opportunity to practice a wide range of tasks from their field.
When the training was announced the 92nd MP Co. wasn't quite sure what their role would be. “Everybody fell into this belief that we were going to do garrison law enforcement here,” said Col. Glen Schmick, 18th Military Police Brigade commander. “That’s not a fact, we are forward deployed.”
To be a forward deployed MP requires a different skill set than those used in garrison law enforcement. With the demands of regular patrols and duties, the soldiers of the 92nd MP Co. are not always able to train on these tactical aspects.
“We have a dual mission and need to focus on both realms, the law enforcement side and the tactical side,” said 1st Lt. Maria Colompos, third platoon leader, 92nd MP Co. “Unfortunately we don’t have as much time to focus on the tactical side as we would wish, however we have the mentorship networks, the soldiers and the officers, to mold into what we see as the tactical MP.”
Everyday in the 92nd MP Co. brings changes and new challenges. Those that succeed must be strong, flexible and adaptable in order to face an ever evolving military environment.
“A tactical MP understands that the role is multi-faceted, with differences throughout the spectrum of the military,” said Colompos. “Military police can be embedded within any brigade combat team, and that is something the military will align with in the near future. I believe the soldiers within this training cycle will be able to understand that is where the operational picture will be going to.”
Along with training on less frequently used skills, the Soldiers developed new abilities, such as integration and interoperability. With 5,600 participants, Allied Spirit X is an ideal place to practice those skills.
“It’s absolutely critical to talk about interoperability, but you actually have to do it,” said Schmick. “You can read about it and say, yes we can figure it out, but it’s not until you try to understand that you realize we each have our own lexicon, our own language, tactics and procedures.”
The 92nd MP Co. will return home after this training with a new mindset and skills to employ. Due to the success of their mission at Hohenfels, more MP units will attend future training iterations.
“We’ve worked out a rotation and for the foreseeable future we will put an MP company back here,” said Schmick.