What advice would you give someone going into a Military Police occupation?

PVT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 May 2019 00:29:40 -0400

Response by SSG Phil Miller made May 13 at 2019 12:42 AM

SSG Phil Miller — Mon, 13 May 2019 00:42:26 -0400

Read the US Constitution and the Constitution of the State you will be stationed in.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 13 at 2019 9:55 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 May 2019 09:55:30 -0400

Honestly, don't be a dick. Too many times I have run across MPs that are extremely full of themselves and just itching to extent their perceived aura of importance and authority. Not saying that MPs don't have importance and I'm certainly not saying they don't have authority. Just don't be a dick about it.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 13 at 2019 4:07 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 May 2019 16:07:14 -0400

Don’t

Response by SGT Michael Koukaras made May 14 at 2019 5:23 PM

SGT Michael Koukaras — Tue, 14 May 2019 17:23:45 -0400

I would recommend that you have a serious conversation with your recruiter and the 1SG about what your expectations vs reality are for the job. That way you don't go in with any misconceptions. I became an MP because I wanted to help people, not just chase bad guys. Many people do not understand when they are doing law enforcement at their home station, they forget that the people they apprehend are also their neighbors. "Of the troops, for the troops" that is the motto of the Military Police Corps. Not just apprehending people ,dui's, and I.D. checks. Help who you can and the rest will take care of itself.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2019 12:29 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 May 2019 12:29:25 -0400

Realize that MPs in the Army do a lot of things. You don't necessarily work in a law enforcement capacity your whole career. It all depends on what unit you go to. MPs do a lot of field work, especially when stationed at high rate deployed posts. Just be ready to work garrison law enforcement for 2-3 months and going into a 6 month field cycle after that. Some of the perks of being an MP are the different schools and sections you can get into. For example, MPs have Special Reactions Team (SWAT), Personal Security Detail (Secret Services), Drug Suppression Team (DEA), etc. Also keep in mind that if you plan on staying in for 20 years as an MP, at some point you will lose your specific MOS duties. Sergeants and Staff Sergeants become patrol supervisors, Sergeants first class may only work as the Military Police duty Officer for a few days a month and then go back to their regular platoon Sergeant Admin role and so on. If you want to keep doing law enforcement, go do civilian law enforcement. MPs very rarely become experts at their job. They mostly end up being a jack of all trades, master of none.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2019 5:00 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 15 May 2019 17:00:16 -0400

Keep your nose clean and get as many schools as you can...i.e.:MPI, SRT...etc

Response by PFC John Hoene made May 15 at 2019 10:21 PM

PFC John Hoene — Wed, 15 May 2019 22:21:20 -0400

You will never know what is right. Being an mp is confusing. But you will always know what is wrong. Don’t ever do the wrong thing.

Response by SP5 Ronald Gerhart made Aug 21 at 2021 4:11 PM

SP5 Ronald Gerhart — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 16:11:28 -0400

Fight crime, shoot first!

Response by SSG Steve Knox made Dec 30 at 2022 3:02 PM

SSG Steve Knox — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 15:02:37 -0500

For me, it was a rewarding military career move. You have two worlds, garrison operations and combat operations. Wear that MP badge proudly. Be the best because others will look to you to set the example. Know the answers or get back with the individual with the answer if you don't have it. Always find time to talk to your fellow warriors. You are not the "bad" guy. There may be a lot of paperwork (3975). Make sure it is done correctly LOL. Relax every chance you get with your family and get away. Leave your work at the MP station and take nothing spoken to you personal. If you deploy overseas. know local laws. Some of our warriors will challenge them and YOU will have to be the one that brings them back to base. Security depends heavily on you if you deploy to a combat zone. Take all warrior skills from medical, admin, and combat skills with you. Above all, when you come home, leave all of that behind. After your military career, there is a high demand for first responders on the civilian side. Utilize those skills to enhance your performance. There will be bad days but enjoy the good ones when you can.