8th Military Police Brigade (United States)

The 8th Military Police Brigade is a military police brigade of the United States Army based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. It is responsible for Army military police units within the United States Indo-Pacific Command Area of Responsibility.

8th Military Police Brigade
8th Military Police Brigade's CSIB
Active26 July 1967 – 18 December 1967
24 August 1968 – 01 July 1972
16 April 1984 – present
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeMilitary police unit
RoleMilitarized law enforcement
SizeBrigade
Part of8th Theater Sustainment Command
Garrison/HQSchofield Barracks, Hawaii, U.S.
Motto(s)Find the Truth[1]
ColorsGreen and Gold
Mascot(s)Watchdog
Commanders
Current
commander		COL Michael C. Jensik[2]
Command Sergeant MajorCSM Mathew J. Selvaggio
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia

Activated during the Vietnam War, the 8th Military Police Brigade was specifically organized to provide planning, direction, and supervision for the criminal investigation work required by the U.S. Army in Vietnam. It replaced a provisional Military Police Group (Criminal Investigation) that had been formed on 3 November 1966 in charge of all criminal investigative work in Vietnam, except for the metropolitan Saigon area.

In July 1972, it became the basis for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Center, Vietnam Field Office. It served in the region for several years and earning ten campaign streamers before being deactivated during the American forces pullout from the region. The brigade was reactivated in South Korea in the 1980s to provide command and control for all U.S. Pacific military police forces, and has since been moved to Hawaii, where much of U.S. Army Pacific is located.

Organization

The Brigade is a subordinate unit of U.S. Army Pacific and the Eighth Theater Sustainment Command[3] It falls under the direct command of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command.[4][5]

Currently, the 8th Military Police Brigade consists of two battalions: the 303rd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion and the 728th Military Police Battalion, which contains the 57th, 58th, 552nd, 558th Military Police companies and the 39th and 13th Military Police detachments, as well as one brigade attached company, the 71st Chemical Company.[6]

History

Vietnam War

The 8th Military Police Group was originally constituted on 8 April 1967 in the regular army and activated on 26 July at Fort Riley, Kansas.[7] After seeing only five months of duty, the group was again deactivated on 18 December of that year.[7]

On 24 August 1968 the group was again activated, this time in Vietnam.[7] Its activation was part of a larger activation of several military police groups in the region to provide greater command and control for Military Police operating throughout the region.[8] As such, the headquarters element took command of military police units already operating in the country. The Brigade provided policing duties, based in Long Binh along with the 89th Military Police Group. During that time it was a subordinate unit of the 18th Military Police Brigade.[9] It received its distinctive unit insignia on 12 November 1969.[1] The group operated in Vietnam until the pullout of U.S. forces from the nation, receiving ten campaign streamers for its role in the conflict.[7]

Reactivation and South Korea

The 8th Military Police Brigade (Provisional) was constituted in South Korea in September 1984 in response to the need for cohesive command and control element in the event of war, for the numerous non-divisional Military Police units on the peninsula. At the time it consisted of the 94th Military Police Battalion in Yongsan (Seoul) and the 728th Military Police Battalion in Taegu (Camp Walker).[10] However, the brigade would remain provisional and would not be officially activated for another ten years while it operated in this capacity.[8]

In 1995, the concept plan was approved for the activation of a military police brigade headquarters in Korea.[10] The 8th MP Brigade was officially activated on 16 April 1996[7] to provide command and control for the 728th Military Police Battalion and the 94th Military Police Battalion in armistice and to serve as the theater military police brigade during hostilities.[10] The same day, it received its shoulder sleeve insignia.[1]

In July 2006, the 8th MP Brigade Headquarters and the 728th MP Battalion were reassigned to U.S. Army Pacific and moved from Korea to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.[10] It was placed under the command of the newly created 8th Theater Sustainment Command. The command is responsible for preparing the 25th Infantry Division and other 8th Army units for worldwide deployment.[11]

Global War on Terrorism
Iraqi Police in training.

Iraq War

Subordinate units of the brigade's 728th MP Battalion deployed to Iraq in October 2004 to provide military police duties while the Army formed a clear rotational schedule for MP units coming and going from the country during Operation Iraqi Freedom.[12] In October 2007, the Brigade again deployed elements of the 728th MP Battalion to Iraq for 15 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.[10] The units suffered several casualties, including soldiers killed in ambushes[11] and vehicle accidents.[13]

Brigade headquarters deployed in the fall of 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.[10] In July 2008, the 8th MP Brigade began its move into Iraq with a pre-deployment site survey to support the upcoming deployment into the country.[14] The brigade headquarters replaced the 18th Military Police Brigade, which ended its deployment in fall of 2008. The 8th MP brigade continued the training and expansion of the national Iraqi Police force in the Baghdad area.[14] On 2 December, the brigade officially took control from the 18th MP brigade and began its deployment.[15]

Honors

Campaign Participation Credit
Conflict Streamer Year(s)
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase V 1968
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase VI 1968–1969
Vietnam War Tet 69/Counteroffensive 1969
Vietnam War Summer–Fall 1969 1969
Vietnam War Winter–Spring 1970 1970
Vietnam War Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1970
Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase VII 1970–1971
Vietnam War Consolidation I 1970
Vietnam War Consolidation II 1971
Vietnam War Cease Fire 1973

Decorations
Ribbon Award Year Notes
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) 1968–1969 for service in Vietnam
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm 1968–1972 for service in Vietnam

References
  1. "The Institute of Heraldry: 8th Military Police Brigade". The Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  2. "8th MP COMMAND TEAM". Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  3. "US Army Pacific Command". United States Army. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  4. "8th Theater Sustainment Command". US Army Pacific. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  5. "US Army Homepage: Organization". United States Army. Archived from the original on 18 August 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  6. "8th Military Police Brigade: History". Fort Leonard Wood Staff. Archived from the original on 11 June 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  7. "Lineage and Honors Information: 8th Military Police Brigade". United States Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  8. "GlobalSecurity.org: 8th Military Police Brigade". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  9. "GlobalSecurity.org: 18th Military Police Brigade". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  10. "United States Army Pacific Command: 8th Military Police Brigade". US Army Pacific Command. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  11. Kakesako, Gregg. "Schofield soldier dies in Iraq". Star Bulletin. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  12. Fisher, Franklin. "South Korea–based MPs on way to Iraq". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  13. "Marine Dies in Iraq; Previous Casualties Identified". American Forces Press Service. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  14. Blottenberger, Daniel. "MP Brigades Complete Mission Recon". 18th Military Police Brigade Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 12 August 2008. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
  15. Vigilant Brigade concludes 15-month deployment, retrieved 12 December 2008.
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