Tet Offensive: The battle that changed MP history

I am sharing this, as many - still - have no idea what our Military Police do beyond the gates of posts, camps, and stations. Since I entered the Army in 1980, there has not been any US Military Contingency Operation that did not include Military Police; in fact Military Police are among the most deployed assets in our Army. In such high demand after 11 Sep 01, the Army grew the MP Regiment from 45k to 65k.

During the holiday of “Tet,” the

Vietnamese New Year, Viet Cong infiltrators attacked Saigon in the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 31, 1968.

Their targets included the Vietnamese Joint General Staff Headquarters, the Presidential Palace, the American Embassy, Tan Son Nhut Airport, the Vietnamese Navy Headquarters, and the National Broadcasting Station.

The only U.S. unit available in Saigon was the 716th Military Police Battalion. The defense of the American Embassy resulted in the loss of four Army MPs and one Marine.

Sixteen MPs were killed in an ambush as they responded to a reported attack on an officers’ quarters near Tan Son Nhut airport. In all, the 716th suffered 27 killed and 44 wounded during the Tet Offensive.

The effectiveness and dependability displayed by Army MPs during the Tet Offensive led to the MP Corps being recommended and approved as a combat support element, in addition to its previous designation as a combat service support element.