Army Military Police - Do you enjoy your job? What is your every day like?

been branched MP for 14 years. tough job and, for the most part, thankless. Patrol blows because 75% of what you do is respond to post housing for some domestic crap. Another 10% is dealing with shoplifters at the PX. 10% traffic stops. and the remainder is rousting crackheads and hookers that have somehow managed to get on post. I had 3 deployments as an MP. 1st one consisted mostly of presence patrols. The 2nd one we were training Iraqi police. The last one I was BN S4 and did nothing but inventory crap that had been sitting on the COB for the last 6-8 years. As for stopping people, the PM usually has a policy on that. When I was at Benning the policy was don't stop anyone unless they are going 10 miles over and don't chase anyone who is going more than 12 miles over. Overall, I prefer logistics over MP any day of the week.

While what encompasses the entirety of Military Police two decades into the 21st century is probably different than what it encompassed two decades prior is somewhat different, here are the two main functions: garrison law enforcement (though when I was at Benning it was DOD police with MP sprinkled into the mix) and initial base security, and Field MP. Garrison is as you described it...patrol, gate duty, human traffic cone, and whatever else the provost marshal for the base and the base commander want you to do. You will get a basic knowledge of Law Enforcement but unless the Army has upped the ante in that part of the training, it isn’t enough to meet the standards for a civilian job as a police officer on its own.

Field MP, was at the time I was in, a conglomeration of Infantry and Air Defense, with a ration of a whole lotta other stuff thrown in. This was when there was still such things as rear areas. MP would act in the capacity of infantry until such actual units could arrive to engage and repel enemy in force in the rear. MP were also equipped with light anti tank weapons and could, at times, man portable anti aircraft weapons.

Then you add route reconnaissance and classification, convoy security, maintaining EPW collection points, refugee control, static route security and checkpoints, and you had a fun filled day wondering which what you had going on.

My suggestion, if you are just starting your military journey and want to really understand the culture...Join a combat arms profession first (infantry, armor, artillery, cavalry, air defense) and prepare to be the most physically tired and mentally unstable but still somehow fulfilled you can become, then if you decide to stay in, think about an MOS that will prepare you for a career outside of the military.

Have fun, stay safe and do whatever awesome shit your drill sergeant says.

SFC had mentioned intelligence, I think if you want to be a LEO that is the way to go if you can get the clearance. Security clearances move you up the rankings on applications. Although you may not shoot as much shit or clear buildings like grunts, law enforcement agencies teach you all that regardless of your prior service. But at the end of the day any military experience will set you apart from non military applicants.