Photo By Sgt. Christopher Gaylord | The battalion officially cased its colors at Starker Gym Tuesday morning in...... read more read more
FORT HOOD, Texas - Some of the Soldiers in the 11th Military Police Battalion (Criminal Investigation Command) have never deployed before; some have never even left the U.S.; and a couple have been to the Middle East and back five times.
Within the next week, they'll be scattered all over the country of Iraq.
The battalion officially cased its colors at Starker Gym Tuesday morning in anticipation of its mission to investigate both U.S. and foreign personnel all across Iraq in the event of unlawful circumstances.
With about 100 Soldiers, the battalion will situate its headquarters in Kuwait and disperse 4-to-11-man teams to different Forward Operating Bases throughout Iraq depending on the size of the base.
Though traditionally headquartered at Fort Hood when not deployed, more than half of the 11th MP Bn. will consist of Criminal Investigation Command Soldiers from all over the country and a few from other parts of the world; since the career field is a scarce asset within the Army, only about 40 are actually from Fort Hood.
The other approximately 60 Soldiers, who arrived here little more than a month ago, trained extensively together and have been placed into three separate Military Police Detachments originally from Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Fort Benning, Ga., and the Alabama National Guard. For the sake of their combat missions, the detachments will temporarily fall under the 11th MP Bn.
The Army's Criminal Investigation Command typically investigates suspected felonies involving Soldiers, contractors or government employees, seeking to either acquit them of alleged illegal activity or prove them guilty of it. While deployed to other countries, CID cooperates on a regular basis with the local populous and foreign forces to seize any possible threats to the communities.
Lt. Col. Peter Lydon, commander of the 11th MP Bn., explained that although the majority of CID cases will likely center on U.S. Soldiers and civilians rather than foreign threats, cases involving U.S. personnel may be the most important part.
"It's important to protect the people who protect the United States," Lydon said. "The American Soldier always gets a certain level of protection; he deserves it."
Stephanie Cook, a former Military Police Soldier herself and a mother of five, was just one of a sprawling crowd of wives, husbands, sons, daughters and friends watching their heroes prepare for combat.
Cook's husband has deployed twice before, so she's knows exactly what to expect. She also knows the value of his duty.
"They have a unique mission that only they can fill," Cook said. "It's a critical aspect of what's going on over there; [CID Soldiers] just add a whole other level of intelligence and skill."
Cook added that she and her children, like any others, hate to see Chief Warrant Officer David Cook go, but they're proud of what he does.
Lydon admitted that while the battalion may not have the single most important mission in Iraq, its mission holds a significance of its own.
"This may not be the most critical point in the war on terror," Lydon said, "but I believe when you answer your nation's call, say goodbye to your families and travel thousands of miles away, that makes it pretty critical for you."
| Date Taken: | 04.27.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2010 20:38 |
| Story ID: | 48786 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 829 |
| Downloads: | 393 |
This work, 11th Military Police Battalion (CID) furls colors, heads for Kuwait, Iraq, by SGT Christopher Gaylord, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
