Military Police Corps ( United States ) The Military Police Corps is the uniformed law enforcement branch of the United States Army . Investigations are conducted by Military Police Investigators or the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command ( USACIDC ) , both of which report to the Provost Marshal General . Some U . S . Army MP units , usually at the division or brigade level , are referred to as " combat MPs " or " line MPs " , or more specifically as " division MPs " or " brigade MPs " , and have combat zone responsibilities strikingly different from the law enforcement duties conventionally associated with the Military Police Corps , instead more closely resembling mission loads traditionally assigned to infantry units . These responsibilities consist of , but are not limited to , patrols including mounted and dismounted patrols as well as LP / OP ( Listening Post / Observation Post ) " static patrols " , movement to contact , route reconnaissance , raids , cordon and search operations , and convoy and personnel escorts . Operationally , these duties still fall under the " Area security " and " Maneuver and mobility support " operational categories listed among the five main functions of the Military Police Corps ( see section below ) . Since the beginning of the " Global War on Terror " , military police have become a valuable asset to combat operations due to the versatility of the MOS . Mission . The Army ' s Military Police provide an important function in the full spectrum of Army operations as a member of the Maneuver , Fires , and Effects division . The Military Police Corps provides expertise in police , detainment and stability operations in order to enhance security and enable mobility . The Army ' s Military Police can be utilized in direct combat and during peacetime . The Military Police have five main functions : 1 . Maneuver and mobility support operations 2 . Area security operations 3 . Law and order operations 4 . Internment and resettlement operations 5 . Police intelligence operations These five functions of the Army ' s Military Police all provide a commander with the necessary information and support for the successful completion of many Army missions . The Military Police Corps has five career paths within the Army , one for commissioned officers , one for warrant officers , and four for enlisted soldiers : The 31K MOS was approved 30 August 2011 , and will incorporate existing Military Working Dog specialists from the 31B Z6 and 12B K9 MOS , beginning in 2013 . History . The Military Police Corps is one of the youngest branches of the United States Army . It was officially established on 26 September 1941 . Military Police in the Revolutionary War . The Military Police Corps traces its lineage and history back to the American Revolution . General George Washington requested that the staff position of Provost Marshal be created to deal with disciplinary issues . In January 1776 , William Maroney was appointed as the first Provost Marshall of the Continental Army . The Provost Marshals relied on soldiers temporarily drawn from other units , and had difficulty enforcing discipline . On 20 May 1778 , Congress established the Provost Corps , which General Washington referred to as the " Marechaussee . " Captain Bartholomew von Heer , a German - speaking officer from Pennsylvania , was appointed as the first commander of the Marechaussee on 1 June 1778 . Under the new organization , the Provost Marshal was responsible for soldiers under custody and for punishments , while the Marechaussee was tasked with the enforcement of order within the Continental Army . The Marechaussee Corps would be formed exclusively as a police organization , and was organized and equipped as light dragoons , utilizing their speed to aid in troop movements and moving prisoners from the battlefield . The Marechaussee protected the Army ' s rear and flanks during troop movements , searched for stragglers , guarded river crossings , and engaged in combat when needed , as in the Battle of Springfield . The Provost Corps was disbanded in November 1783 . Civil War . In 1863 , the Office of the Provost Marshal General was established and oversaw the Veterans Reserve Corps ( VRC ) . In the US Civil War , the VRC maintained law and order at garrison areas , while other provost guard units served on the front lines . After the war , the Office of the Provost Marshal General was discontinued as the Union Army disbanded . Spanish - American War . During the Moro Rebellion following the Spanish – American War , the United States founded the Philippine Constabulary . Training began in 1902 , and Brigadier General Harry Hill Bandholtz was appointed as chief of the Constabulary in 1907 . World War I . The complexity of warfare during World War I required a Corps of specially trained soldiers to handle massive numbers of prisoners of war and control the movement of troops and supplies in the zones of operation . The Military Police Training Department was established 9 September 1918 at Caserne Changarnier in Autun , France . Following the war , Brigadier General Harry Hill Bandholtz , who had served as Provost Marshal of the American Expeditionary Forces , proposed the establishment of a permanent Military Police Corps . Although Congress failed to act upon this recommendation , it allowed for the permanent organization of Army military police units in the National Defense Act Amendment of 1920 . In 1917 , CPL Charles W . Baltimore , a black Military Police soldier stationed at Camp Logan , Texas , inquired into the beating of a black soldier by Houston police , and was himself beaten and arrested . The racial tension which followed led to the Houston Riot , which killed four soldiers and sixteen civilians , and 60 black soldiers were executed or sentenced to life in prison . World War II . During World War II , Military Police schools were established at Camp Gordon and Fort Benjamin Harrison , and MPs also trained for port security at Fort McHenry . Military Police soldiers moved traffic along the Burma Road , supported amphibious operations on Normandy beachheads , and managed enemy prisoners of war from Italy to the South Pacific . The Corps was heralded for gallantry at Remagen , as a fighting force in numerous combat actions and as peacekeepers at war ’ s end . In 1944 , the Army again saw the need for a unit to investigate crime involving soldiers in Europe . The United States Army Criminal Investigation Division was established as a branch of the Provost Marshal General ’ s Office and has continued investigative activity since . After the war ended , cavalry units in Germany were utilised to form the United States Constabulary , a police - like patrol organization . It was disbanded in the 1950s . In 1949 , the newly formed Defense Department was in the process of reorganizing the Army and plans were developed to disband the Military Police Corps . But when Congress passed the Army Reorganization Act in May 1950 , the Corps survived , remaining a separate branch of the Army . Korean War & Vietnam War . When North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950 , there were some MP units stationed in Korea . One of those was the 55th Military Police Company , which had been assigned to Camp Ascom in December 1948 . Most of those military police units that arrived during the early months of the war came from Japan , where they were serving as occupation forces following World War II . While the majority of MP companies came from outside Korea , most of the battalions of the Korean War were formed on the peninsula During the Korean war , Military Police kept supply routes open . Subsequently , Military Police monitored the exchange of prisoners and patrolled the demilitarized zone . Military Police , adapting to a different style of warfare in Vietnam , earned status as a combat support arm , partially as a result of combat success during the Tet Offensive . Current Role . During Operations Desert Shield and Storm , the Military Police provided area security , conducted battlefield circulation control , and exercised custody over thousands of Iraqi prisoners . Since 1991 , the Military Police have assisted with interventions in Somalia , Haiti and Bosnia . Military Police maintained order in war - torn Kosovo , as well as keeping the peace in Afghanistan . During the 2003 invasion of Iraq , MPs were used extensively to maintain control over the large numbers of detainees being held by coalition forces , as well as helping to conduct raids , convoy security and regular patrols . MPs were the main force responsible in rebuilding and training the Iraqi Police . Ever since the invasion , military police have been one of the most heavily engaged MOS ' s in the Iraqi theater due to the constant exposure outside the wire . In the United States , MPs often provided disaster relief and internal security , while still fulfilling their fundamental function of maintaining discipline and security within the Army . The Military Police Corps has been a very busy organization during the years of its existence , and as one of the most deployed branches of the Army , it appears that it will remain so for the foreseeable future . Women in the Military Police Corps . Women in the Women ' s Army Auxiliary Corps were assigned Military Police duties as early as 1941 . By 1943 , soldiers in the Women ' s Army Corps were trained as Military Police in order to police female soldiers , although they had jurisdiction over all soldiers , including males . Women have since served in the Military Police Corps , which has given the regiment some distinction . ( In the 1953 Film " Off Limits " , Bob Hope plays a character who joins the Military Police so he can train with women . ) Female MPs have crossed many gender barriers in the United States Armed Forces . Women now make up 25 % of the MP Corps . The mixed - gender MP Corps is valued in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan , where cultural taboos may prevent male soldiers from interacting with women . Modern US Army Military Police . Uniforms . In the U . S . Army , a simple patch with the legend " MP " worn on the left arm distinguishes a military police soldier wearing the new Army Combat Uniform ( ACU ) . This patch is attached to the uniform by velcro . For both garrison law enforcement duty as well as for tactical field work , the patch is a subdued gray with black lettering . US military police used to be distinguished by a brassard worn on the left arm when on duty in previous uniform versions such as the Battle Dress Uniform . The brassard was black with white lettering for garrison law enforcement duty and could include extra designations such as " Customs MP " or " K - 9 MP " ( for dog handlers ) . Tactical brassards were green with black lettering for temperate climates and sand with light brown lettering for desert duty . When wearing a Class A ( suit ) or B uniform they are authorized wear of combat boots instead of regulation low - cut shoes . However , like Airborne soldiers who may only wear the boots while on jump status , MPs may only wear these boots with Class A or B uniforms when performing law enforcement duties . During World War II , the emblems used were a wide white band around the helmet or a white helmet liner or a white peaked cap , a white webbing Sam Browne belt , white gloves , and white gaiters , atop the standard olive drab uniform . From this clothing , the nickname they were given by the British civilians at the time was " snowdrops . " An MP armband was also worn on the left arm , usually black or dark blue with white letters . Weapons . The standard personal weapons of the United States Army military police are the 9mm M9 pistol , the M4 carbine , the M203 grenade launcher , the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon ( SAW ) or M240B , and the Mossberg 12 - gauge pump action shotgun . MP team leaders are typically assigned an M4 with an M203 attached , drivers are assigned an M4 , and gunners are assigned an M249 or M240B in addition to any other crew - served weapons they are responsible for . Crew - served or vehicle - based weapons used by MP fireteams include the M2 Browning machine gun and Mk 19 grenade launcher , and MP teams often carry one or two AT4 anti - tank weapons as well . Units . Military Police are considered maneuver support , and MP units may be organized at many different levels , based on the size of the unit it is meant to support . An Army Corps may contain one MP brigade , which is responsible for training and supplying subordinate Military Police units . When MP units are deployed , their parent unit may maintain administrative control ( ADCON ) while relinquishing tactical control ( TACON ) to the deployed unit being supported . Smaller MP units are also organic to maneuver units . An infantry division , for example , contains an organic MP Company , while a maneuver Brigade combat team includes an MP platoon or cell . Military Police Investigations . The Military Police Investigations ( MPI ) office is usually responsible for the investigation of minor crimes , such as crimes against property under $ 5 , 000 . 00 and crimes against persons except murder and rape committed on a military installation , but they may investigate other crimes in certain circumstances . MPI personnel are enlisted MPs who go through a special course at the Military Police School in Fort Leonard Wood , Missouri .