Soldiers attending the Tennessee National Guard’s Military Police Basic Course at Smyrna’s Volunteer Training Site became the U.S. Army’s newest military policemen after graduating from an intensive 4-week-long transition course, March 27. The 23 graduates are now military law enforcement officers and the newest members of the U.S. Army Military Police Corps.
Hailing from numerous states to include California, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Ohio, 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 courses and piloting Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, to Active-Duty, National Guard, and Reserve forces. Students who attend the MP course are all Soldiers with specialties in different Army career fields that transitioned to become law enforcement officers.
“Our goal is to graduate the best law enforcement officers possible,” said Sgt. 1st Class Robert Underwood, Senior Instructor with the 1-117th. “It is intense, vigorous, and designed to ensure each student has realistic training and performs realistic scenarios that reflect what they will encounter after graduation.”
Since the course began on February 28, the students have trained in various tactics, law enforcement skills, and numerous tasks required to become military police officers which include military law, responding to and investigating crimes, and traffic accident investigation.
“We ensure that students are prepared for what they will encounter on the job, and how to react to unforeseen situations,” said Underwood. “Our instructors are mostly combat veterans and work as police officers, state troopers, federal agents, and in numerous other law enforcement roles in their civilian professions. They have a tremendous amount of real-world experience that is used to provide the best training possible for our students.”
During training, students learn to respond to numerous emergency situations, train on various lethal and non-lethal weapons they may need, practice evasive driving techniques, learn how to safely operate a patrol car, and many other skills that can keep themselves, and the people they swear to protect, safe.
“This is one of the most serious and professional schools in the military because what we teach here saves the lives of our students and those they swear to protect,” said Underwood.
During the graduation ceremony, many of the students received special awards for their performance during training. Spc. Terrell Roberts, with North Carolina’s 514th Military Police Company, was the Distinguished Honor Graduate. He had the highest cumulative scores in all training events. He was also awarded the class’s top driver award for having the fastest time during the evasive driving test and the top shooter award for scoring the highest during handgun qualifications.Spc. Kevin Booker with North Carolina’s 805th Military Police Company was awarded the class honor graduate for having the highest academic scores throughout the course.
“I’m very proud of every student and all the hard work they’ve done,” said Underwood. “I know they will leave here and serve our nation well.”
Each graduate will return to their state as official military policemen ready for whatever their next mission will be.