The National and International Implications of U.S. Army Military Police Operations
Abstract
Military police units have been deployed often in the U.S. Army's recent history, frequently serving in situations fraught with political and social consequences. From pre-Operation Just Cause Panama to the hurricane devastated island of St. Croix, from the war torn streets of Panama City to the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq, the Military Police Corps has shouldered its share of the responsibility for America's foreign policy decisions. In doing so, these soldiers were frequently involved in situations that have had major political implications. The national and international importance of these deployments are obvious to those who are involved, but their importance is not readily understood by the U.S. Government at large, nor by the combat arms commanders who will make the critical decisions regarding force selection for deployment into politically tense situations. The majority of people who are not directly involved in these situations are unaware of the frequency with which military police forces are employed in volatile environments. The purpose of this paper is to describe Army military police deployments since 1988, and to outline their political implications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 15, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA255620
Entities
People
- Michael L. Sullivan
Organizations
- United States Army War College