How has your branch's mission changed since WWII?

2015-02-16T18:49:02-05:00

While watching Fury I saw a dozer pushing bodies into a mass grave. It made me wonder how the Engineer's mission has changed since WWII. How has your branch's mission changed since WWII?

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Feb 16 at 2015 6:50 PM

2015-02-16T18:50:46-05:00

Signal is still signal just more high tech.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 16 at 2015 8:21 PM

2015-02-16T20:21:06-05:00

Outstanding Question, Brian!

As a Military Police Officer, I spent my years as a 2nd Lieutenant evangelizing to any and all Field Grade audiences who would listen to me, that as a combat multiplier, my Combat Support Platoon was far more effective for them mounted onboard our M-1025s with our MK-19s and M-2s aggressing the threat with the full lethal capability (and at a much safer stand-off distance than the perimeter of the ASG TOC), than if they were to merely shrug their shoulders and deem us their perimeter security/QRF force for the duration of the exercise. Bear in mind, these were the days prior to 9/11, the MP Corps was evolving more rapidly than other assets in the USAR framework due to the higher OPTEMPO of Operation Joint Guardian. Of course, having all the schoolhouse knowledge in the World as one of the latest grads of the MP Officer's Basic Course only served to fire my zeal!

I encountered plenty of the Hollywood misconception as to what the MP mission really is. No, it's not about rolling drunks out of night clubs, or standing sentry at some lonesome checkpoint; those are mere tasks of 5 primary functions of the MP Branch. Anyone who would willingly enlist to exclusively perform those duties would need a psych consult! No, the 5 primary functions of the MP include Maneuver & Mobility Support Ops, Area Security Ops, Law & Order Ops, Internment & Resettlement Ops, Police Intel Ops. As you may well imagine, there is considerable overlap among these functions. As a Combat Support MP, our bread and butter was in the realms of MMSO and Area Security. If you ordered us to dismount and dig-in to defend your perimeter, as a Commander, you were depriving yourself of a mobile strike-force. One fully-equipped Combat Support MP Platoon can bring to a gunfight more concentrated firepower than one dismounted Light Infantry Company. Yes, you really did read that correctly. When deployed to Iraq as a Company Commander in 2006, I am reminded of a conversation with my Infantry counterparts who were looking aghast at my MTOE. After a long pause, one of them looking at his Squad's vehicle's and then mine, finally asked, "Well, what's really the difference between your Company and mine then?" I replied with a wry smile, "Two things, near as I can tell. 1, We all women to enlist in our MOSs, and 2, You must have a clean criminal background to join."

At any rate, as that 2LT, I was only successful selling my point with those Senior Leaders who were still actively engaged in professional development, and were willing to listen the young leaders coming out of the institutional learning environment with a clear understanding of doctrine at their level. Those two weeks of AT were professionally rewarding not just for me, but for my Squad and Team Leaders as well. When you are regarded as a valued member of the team, with specific set of skills, and then given the latitude to go out and execute, WOW! And I realize I'm merging two of your posts together here, but it kind of serves the purpose. Because the next year, we ended up working for the polar opposite - an antique who not only misused an MP Platoon, but an entire MP Company! For two entire weeks, an entire MP Company and all of their vehicles, formed the defensive perimeter for an ASG CDR's TOC! Brutal does not even begin to describe the agony of the experience! And this crusty old COL's justification for this abuse of assets? Stephen Ambrose's book, Citizen Soldiers, made reference that Patton had a Company of MP to guard his mobile CP while enroute to rescue the 101st at Bastogne! Again, with the WW II stereotype!

Now in the Post 9/11 World, I find I am still dispelling misconceptions about my Branch. No thanks to Abu Ghraib, I have been asked about the treatment (or more aptly, the mistreatment) of detainees. When I tell them I didn't work in a Detainee Ops capacity, people then automatically make the assumption I was serving as a Convoy Security Commander and getting convoys lost, like in the Jessica Lynch scenario! Nope! Strike two, Dude! When I tell them what I actually did - Police Transition Training with the Iraqi Police Force - I've actually been called a liar, and told that was exclusively a Special Ops mission! Some people...

Yes, my MP Corps has changed a ton since WW II. And it's been rather exciting to spend the bulk of my career in the Branch during such an extended period of evolution. It's not what my recruiter told me I would be doing I became an MP; it's actually been so much more!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 16 at 2015 8:37 PM

2015-02-16T20:37:24-05:00

Excellent question Cpt.

Major Stewart's dissertation is searchable online, or it was.
It's brilliant with precision foresight. The best "deficiency report" aka
"monograph" submission" I've ever read.

Replace his example "Iran" with "ISIS" and "Russia"- Perfect.

Response by SPC Todd Hanson made Feb 16 at 2015 9:09 PM

2015-02-16T21:09:52-05:00

Being finance and Army's smallest branch we no longer give out cash on pay day or issue checks, our job has become more computer ordinated then the old accounting ledger. Soldiers no longer saluting the paying officer when you recieve your pay. That tradition is lost.

Response by MAJ(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2015 1:21 AM

2015-02-17T01:21:39-05:00

I don't know about the changes since WWII. However, I do know that the number two guy behind George Washington was BG Horation Gates (AG). He was a key advisor, primary assistant to GW, and commanded during the battle of Saratoga.

The AG branch (second oldest) has changed dramatically over the years. The AG today has entirely different responsibilities and will not be leading Soldiers into battles anytime soon.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2015 1:55 AM

2015-02-17T01:55:50-05:00

Chemical corps has done through a big change. The CBRN threat is now mostly snall scale terrorist Labs. Additionally, homeland defense has taken it's claim on us. We are now trained to mitigate mass cas events that could occur on US soil. Imagine, for instance, terrorists causing an industrial chemical train to derail.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2015 7:08 AM

2015-02-17T07:08:04-05:00

The Infantry's mission will never change, "they" will just keep making up ROE that prevents us from accomplishing it.