MPs in the field?

[Veovius]

Hi, this is my first post, but I have been lurking for a while.  I have read a lot of threads, and I have a question.  If it has already been covered, please accept my apologies, this site can take forever to load (or just never load)!

I am very interested in applying for the Military Police, and I would like some info on what they do in the field, ala Afghanistan.  I talked to a Combat Engineer buddy and he mentioned that all they do is speeding tickets and traffic control at the market.  I'm pretty sure that's a gross generalization.  Does anyone have any info on what they do deployed, how to get deployed, how close to combat they normally get?  I also heard that MPs do things like mark routes, guard prisoner camps overseas, etc.

In the end, I guess my dilemma is that I want to go into policing, be it civilian or military.  I also want to serve my country, and would love the experience of being at the pointy end, to put it bluntly (ha!).  I'm considering signing up as Infantry and remustering to MPs, but if I can get that experience going straight MP, that would be great.

Thank you for all the help!

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Here is a link to the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal Annual Report 2004-2005. Its a little old but gives a good overview of military police operations.

I knew I could find it! Here's an overview of the MP trade at the CF Recruiting website.

 

[EpicBeardedMan]

  I'm considering signing up as Infantry and remustering to MPs, but if I can get that experience going straight MP, that would be great.

I think Infantry is full for awhile but they are hiring MP's I do know that much. It would be better to take the direct route unless you wanted to wait for a bit  :-X. I'm kind of in the same boat you are, I'm interesting in MP but I'm interested in the combat arms trades so my second choice was Combat Engineer after Military Police, from what I gathered off this site they fight as Infantry at times but you learn a lot about constructing things and demolitions. (Also I wasn't qualified enough for AESop  ;D)

 

[SeanNewman]

A lot of MPs in Afghanistan are involved in detainees, or "operations" MPs.

MPs in Canada (generally) do more conventional police-type police duties on bases.

That being said, they get Land Duty Allowance so they must go to the field a lot  :

 

[Veovius]

Retired AF Guy : Thank you for the Provost Marshall link, that was great.  It's easy to forget that there are lots of overseas assignments that don't start with A and end with -stan.

Petamocto : When you said detainees, did you mean basically guarding prisoner camps?  What's a Land Duty Allowance? Is that like the extra overseas tour pay?

 

[Franko]

That being said, they get Land Duty Allowance so they must go to the field a lot  :

Especially the det in Moncton.       

Regards

 

[brendanhm1]

If your an MP and want to see combat, go POMLT. POMLT is a small section of MPs and Infantry training the AUP. Plenty of patrols and plenty of time outside the wire.

There's a POMLT firefight vid on youtube if your interested.

 

[Veovius]

Wow, that sounds perfectly like something I would want!  I wish I knew about that a couple years ago.....

Is there any information on a pullout date for the POMLT teams?  Have they been done before or is this a new initiative?  As in, I'm pretty sure that even if I got in today, between training and people more senior to myself, I wouldn't stand a good chance of making it before it was all over.  Could this be something that I could look forward to in the future, or is it an Afghanistan-specific mission?

 

[SeanNewman]

If you haven't started yet, it will be completely impossible to you to get trade qualified plus go through tour work-up training before getting on the final Afghan deployment next year.

I don't know what the next mission will be, but it is highly likely that every MP or other soldier who will be involved in a P-OMLT position already knows.

 

[MrPickles18]

That being said, they get Land Duty Allowance so they must go to the field a lot  :

Negative... unless you're in Pet, edm or ValCat.  I'm paying back a month and a half of LDA at the end of this month.  Yipee...

 

[vonGarvin]

Negative... unless you're in Pet, edm or ValCat.  I'm paying back a month and a half of LDA at the end of this month.  Yipee...

I have no sympathy for you whatsoever. 

EDIT TO ADD: when I saw the thread title, I thought maybe this was in the humour section.  ("MPs in the field?  Sure, if you count the parking lot at Tim Hortons on Gateway as 'the field'.")

 

[SeanNewman]

...Sure, if you count the parking lot at Tim Hortons on Gateway as 'the field'.")

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaam!

MrP,

I would like to go on the record though as saying I have had nothing but positive experiences with MPs.  Any time one was ever mad at me it was completely justified.  Every time it could have gone either way the MP was always cool about it.  That being said though, all of those times were on base.

A bit anecdotal, but I experienced an absolutely brutal MPO case last fall where a candidate had passed 3/5 mods on BMOQ-L then failed.  For his own good, we suggested he actually return for the navigation mod (in the field) because sitting stagnant for a few months he would probably lose that skill and lose his field fitness.  He actually had tears in his eyes begging me not to have to do those two weeks again because they were in the field.

I am not suggesting that all MPs are like that, but there was a small cheer in the office when the notice came out that he would lose LDA.

 

[stealthylizard]

The new term for POMLT is OMAT (A is for Advisory), not that it really makes that big of a difference.

 

[lawandorder]

MP's conduct more field functions then people might think, at the NCM level at least.  That MPO that was on his BMOQ that didn't want to go into the field to re-do his nav, is just like those young Pte's that don't want to go an re-do night nav or section attacks, or that Cpl/MCpl on PLQ that fails the defensive portion and has to re do it.  A Person, who in general, probably isn't cut out for the CF.

 

[vonGarvin]

MP's conduct more field functions then people might think,

:rofl:



Oh, sorry, you were being serious?  Yes, we did have MPs in the field with us in Zharey, etc.  But here?  In Canada?  I think since the days of 4 MP Pl in Germany, well....

 

[George Wallace]

MP's conduct more field functions then people might think, at the NCM level at least. 

Why did a picture of that female MP from 2 MP Platoon just come to mind?  She was manning a TCP and was supposed to direct traffic.  When our convoy arrived (I was in the lead vehicle), we had to wait as she pushed the crosswalk button to change the lights and stop traffic.  As a MCpl she should have had at the very least some idea of how to stand in the middle of an intersection and direct traffic.  All us 011's know how, and we don't get Spec pay.

 

[MP 811]

Why did a picture of that female MP from 2 MP Platoon just come to mind?  She was manning a TCP and was supposed to direct traffic.  When our convoy arrived (I was in the lead vehicle), we had to wait as she pushed the crosswalk button to change the lights and stop traffic.  As a MCpl she should have had at the very least some idea of how to stand in the middle of an intersection and direct traffic.  All us 011's know how, and we don't get Spec pay.

Sorry to hear that George....rest assured, this is not the norm.  I along with many of my colleagues would have quite readily, got up and conducted traffic control in the intersection......its our job!

 

[George Wallace]

I agree it is not the norm.  It is an example of how one bad apple, no matter the Trade, can tarnish the whole Trade.

 

[lawandorder]

Oh, sorry, you were being serious?  Yes, we did have MPs in the field with us in Zharey, etc.  But here?  In Canada?  I think since the days of 4 MP Pl in Germany, well....

Yep thats the kind of Example I was talking about. 

And George, I too am sorry for your encounter with that MP, unfortunately its the way it goes sometimes, But I would have directed traffic for you.

 

[Poppa]

Screw you George...you're big and ugly enough to cross the street on your own. Besides..I wouldn't want to get my boots dirty