COSTAR-A New Concept
The peacetime and combat missions, and the wide range of responsibilities encompassed by these missions, make the 15th MP Brigade unique in military police history. Although all of the activities now under the brigade's command were performed in Europe prior to 1965, they were never before brought under one central headquarters and coordinated through one commander.

The 15th MP Brigade was formed in response to the COSTAR (Combat Service to the Army) concept, the result of a five-year study undertaken by the Department of the Army between 1960 and 1965. COSTAR called for the formation of a Military Police Brigade because of the advantages of centralization and flexibility which such a brigade would bring to military police operations.

In 1964 the Department of the Army sent a directive to Headquarters USAREUR, ordering the formation of a military police brigade in Europe. This brigade was to be formed from resources already available in Europe, and was to operate in support of USAREUR and Seventh US Army.

The task of implementing this directive fell to USAREUR Provost Marshal, Brigadier General Harley L. Moore, Jr., and his Deputy, Colonel Herbert J. Michau. The job was not an easy one. It was clear from the beginning that the COSTAR brigade concept would have to be modified in order to be most effective in Europe. In planning the 15th Brigade, several factors had to be taken into consideration.

The first of these factors was the dual nature of the military police mission in Europe. The MPs have both an important combat mission and an equally important peacetime mission. The organizers of the brigade had to determine the most efficient means of accomplishing both these missions at the same time.

The second factor affecting the brigade organization was the geographical dispersion of the military police in Germany. US Army Military Police are stationed throughout the Federal Republic, from Bremerhaven on the North Sea to the Austrian border and from the Czech border to France, over an area of 75,000 square miles. This geographical dispersion would severely tax the logistical and support functions of the proposed brigade.

The third factor to be considered in planning the brigade was the manpower ceiling in existence at that time. The directive authorizing the formation of the 15th MP Brigade specified that the then authorized limitations of spaces could not be exceeded.

In 1964, at the time that planning for the 15th Brigade began, the 2d MP Group -- activated in June of 1964 -- was the main MP unit in Germany. It was composed of three MP battalions which provided the personnel for the day-by-day police work. Germany was divided into 11 areas, each of which had a provost marshal's office. The Area PMs were responsible for the daily law enforcement activities within their areas. Each major garrison town in Germany also had a CID detachment, all of which were under the 2d Group. Although the 2d MP Group and its subordinate units were in the US Army Area Command, certain other MP units in Germany, notably the 6th MP Detachment (CI) and the CI Crime Laboratory in Frankfurt, were directly under USAREUR. (Webmaster Note: The article seems to be incomplete - if not inaccurate - at this point. Tom Briggs, Area PM and CO of the 31st MP Det, and Richard Burch, 31st MP Det, have provided some additional details. See their email.)

Initial Organization
Taking into account the special needs of the military police in Europe, and the units available to meet these needs, the COSTAR concept was tailored to meet the requirements of USAREUR. The brigade, as it was activated in June of 1965, consisted of two MP Groups, the 2d and the 14th. The brigade was placed under the United States Army Area Command and the groups' geographic areas of responsibility coincided with the districts of the Area Command.

At the same time as the 385th was joining the brigade, a new problem was being felt throughout USAREUR, as the result of a war half-a-world away. Increasing numbers of experienced officers and men were being levied from the 15th MP Brigade for service in Vietnam. The "Vietnam drawdown" strained the military police resources in Germany by causing a shortage of personnel throughout the command. MPs found themselves shorthanded, working harder and longer to fill the gaps left by the departing men. Unfortunately, until the Army's resources caught up with the manpower requirements of the Vietnam conflict, there could be no other answer than harder work.

The men of the 15th rose to the occasion, putting increased effort into their work. Their efforts were so successful that the incident rate throughout USAREUR declined during the year 1966, despite the shortage of trained MP personnel.

A Symbol of Vigilance
Perhaps the most important psychological achievement of the brigade in 1966 was the adoption of the unit patch, "the Griffin." The patch was approved by the Institute of Heraldry in April 1966, and shortly thereafter the patches became available for all the men of the brigade. The 15th Brigade patch replaced the Seventh Army patch which was worn prior to 1966.

The Griffin patch, which has now become a familiar sight throughout the Federal Republic of Germany, is a green shield with a yellow embattled border. Within the border is a yellow griffin's head. A mythological animal, the griffin is the symbol of eternal vigilance and preparedness, and refers to the 15th's mission of daily law enforcement and combat preparedness.

The new patch was a visible symbol of the new unit pride felt by all the men of the brigade. From the standpoint of unit morale, "the Griffin" gave the men an invaluable sense of esprit de corps as military policemen.

Throughout the period 1965 to 1967, all the units of the brigade were undergoing an intensive period of training in preparation for their wartime mission. The 709th MP Battalion, for example, conducted extensive field training during the months from December 1965 to March 1967. According to the battalion history, "each platoon went independently to the field for two weeks. and a formidable number of company-sized training periods and tests were conducted."

All of the units of the 15th were undergoing similar training. During this phase, the brigade's units rendered military police support for six separate winter exercises as well as for many other major field operations. Besides training the men, these exercises also served to test the brigade's combat support capabilities under realistic field conditions.

In the fall of 1966, the 709th also participated in a more unusual exercise -- a championship fight. The 709th was tasked to provide a large part of the police support for the World's Heavyweight Boxing Championship Match between Cassius Clay and George Mildenberger, which was held in Frankfurt.

In 1967, the 709th had another unusual mission to perform. A Soviet pilot, flying a MIG-17 fighter, plane, defected to the West and landed his plane in West Germany. The 709th provided security for a convoy which marched to the East German border to return the plane to the Soviet authorities.

In May 1967 the Brigade gained another platoon, the 570th MP Platoon (Railway Guard), which had previously been under the command of USAREUR Headquarters. The 570th, although a small unit, has one of the most unusual missions in Europe. The platoon, stationed in Frankfurt, is responsible for the security of all US Government rail shipments in West Germany. The 570th guards US Mail and official consignments, and investigates pilferage of official shipments in transit. The 570th Railway Guard is unique, not only in Europe, but throughout the US Army.

In June of 1967 the 15th MP Brigade faced another of the recurring international crises which are the reason for the US Army's presence in Europe. In that month, war erupted in the Mideast between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The "Six-Day War" of 1967 required quick action on the part of the 15th. The 709th MP Battalion was tasked to dispatch a company into the area to provide security for US citizens in the combat area. Within six hours of notification on 8 June, Company A of the 709th was airlifted to a staging site in Athens, Greece.

Fortunately, the MPs were never needed during the brief Arab-Israeli conflict, and Company A was returned to Europe five days later, on 13 June. The brief flare-up was over, but the necessity of combat preparedness had once again been impressed upon the men of the 15th.

REFORGER Redeployment
The year 1968 brought in a new USAREUR concept of combat preparedness. This new concept, called REFORGER, is a scheme for quick mobilization of Army units for use in Europe. Under REFORGER, many units would be kept in the United States, rather than in Europe. These REFORGER units would remain constantly ready to be airlifted back to Germany upon short notice in case of a threat to the peace in Europe.

In the spring of 1968, more than 25,000 USAREUR troops were returned to the United States. Although stationed in the United States, these troops remained part of the NATO defense force and under the operational command of the US Commander-in-Chief, Europe. The 15th MP Brigade was one of the USAREUR units to have elements redeployed in line with REFORGER. The 2d and the 14th MP Groups, as well as the 463d MP Company, returned to the United States. From their CONUS bases, they would be redeployed to Europe if required. The last elements of the 463d and the 2d Group left Germany on 10 August 1968. Under the new organization, the battalions came under the direct command of the brigade, rather than the groups.

On 20 August 1968, Europe faced a new international crisis. That morning, Soviet armored units crossed the Czechoslovakian border in force, to crush the newly liberalized communist regime which had been defying Soviet power for several months. The Russian move was not completely unexpected by the Western powers. Ever since the spring of 1968, when Czech Communist Party Secretary Anton Dubcek had begun to deviate from the Moscow party line, the threat of Russian tanks had been growing.

Once again, events in the Eastern bloc had justified the presence of US troops in Europe. An ironic effect of the Soviet invasion was that it forced the men of the 15th MP Brigade into defending the Russians.

The Soviet government maintains a Military Liaison Mission (SMLM) in Frankfurt as a result of the 1947 Huebner-Malinin Agreement, which provided for the exchange of military liaison missions between the American and Russian forces in Germany.

In August 1968, an outraged mob of Germans broke into the SMLM compound in Frankfurt during a demonstration, protesting the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Since the buildings, personnel, and material in the compound are under the protection of the US Forces, the troops of the 709th MP Battalion were selected to repel the demonstrators. The MPs succeeded in clearing the compound without any injury to persons or property, either among the demonstrators or the Soviets, thus preventing what could have been an international incident.

In November 1968, the first of the massive REFORGER training exercises, REFORGER I, was initiated. This complex NATO operation was designed to test the speed and effectiveness of massive troop shipments from the United States to continental Europe. Under REFORGER I, elements of several units returned to Germany. These troops were airlifted to Europe and then moved to pre-positioned sites where their equipment was stored. Once equipped, they then moved to their respective combat sectors.

REFORGER l required a total brigade effort to provide the necessary military police support. The MPs were responsible for providing traffic control posts, rest stops, roving patrols, and enforcement of law and order among the moving troops. In their assigned areas, the battalions were responsible for directing and convoying the REFORGER units. These movements were accomplished with speed and safety, thanks to the efforts of the MPs involved.

1969 - New Missions, New Units
On 15 January 1969 the 15th MP Brigade took another major step in reorganization. On that day, the brigade was shifted to USAREUR from Seventh Army Support Command, and became a major assigned unit of United States Army Europe, directly responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, USAREUR.

This reassignment of command was the first step in further augmentation of the Brigade, and involved several important changes. As a major USAREUR command, the Brigade Headquarters had to assume several functions which had previously been handled by Seventh Army Support Command. To accomplish these new missions, the brigade headquarters was expanded by a TDA augmentation which created several new staff sections and expanded already existing sections.

A Personnel Services Section was added to the headquarters to meet the administrative and personnel needs of the entire brigade, a function previously met by area servicing companies. A Comptroller Section was added to give the headquarters the capability of handling the budget operations of the entire brigade, which had also previously been administered by Seventh Army Support Command.

A Staff Judge Advocate Section was added to the headquarters with the mission of advising the brigade commander in all matters relating to military justice and discipline, legal affairs, and legal services. An Information Office was formed, to perform the public and command information activities for brigade headquarters, and to supervise such activity throughout the brigade. A permanent CMMI team was formed under the S-4 section, and the other sections of the brigade were similarly "fleshed out," and their activities expanded. All of this was part of the continuing effort to perfect the staff expertise to better perform the new missions, an effort which still continues today. Altogether, the number of persons assigned or attached to the brigade headquarters increased from 48 in 1968 to 190 in 1969.

The expansion of the headquarters staff greatly increased space requirements. The brigade headquarters was forced to seek new accommodations. In the spring of 1969, the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment moved from Frankfurt to Rhein Ordnance Barracks, near Kaiserslautern.

Before the headquarters was settled into its new offices, the new augmentation of the brigade began. On 15 May the brigade gained two MP groups. One, the 42d MP Group (Customs) was transferred from USAREUR command; the other, the 9th MP Group (CI), was newly activated within the brigade.

The 42d MP Group exists pursuant to the NATO Status of Forces Agreement and other agreements concluded between the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany. These agreements grant members of the US Forces and their dependentS in Germany exemptions from import duties and other taxes on goods intended for their personal use. To preserve these privileges, the US has agreed to enforce those German customs laws and regulations applicable to US Forces personnel.

The 42d MP Group is charged with the mission of enforcing those customs laws and regulations. The group provides customs support for all three branches of the US Armed Forces throughout the Federal Republic of Germany, an area of over 247,860 square kilometers.

This mission involves the 42d in several facets of military police and customs work. Operating through five area detachments and twelve sub-detachments, the 42d's customs investigators assist the German customs officials in investigating black market activities of US tax-free merchandise involving US Forces members. Joint investigations are conducted whenever necessary.

The group also operates customs inspection stations at Rhein-Main Airport in Frankfurt, Stuttgart Airport, the port of Bremerhaven, and at selected border crossing points. Customs inspectors at these stations inspect the baggage of US Forces personnel entering or leaving Germany. These customs inspection points process approximately 200,00 US Forces members arriving and departing Germany each year.

The 42d also performs Postal Customs Inspection. MP Customs Postal Inspectors in US Forces Post Offices spot-check personal consignments to and from US Forces personnel to prevent the mailing of contraband items in violation of customs regulations.

The 42d is further responsible for issuing the customs documents required of members of US Forces for the duty-free importation of personal items, the purchase of vehicles from customs bonded warehouses, and the transfer of dutiable items from members of the American forces to non-members.

The 9th Military Police Group (CI) was activated on 15 May, the same day that the 42d joined the brigade. The 9th is the first Criminal Investigation Group to be activated in Europe since World War II. It has the additional distinction of being the only CI Group in the US Army which operates in six foreign countries. The 40 field offices of the group are located in Belgium, Germany, England, France, Holland and Italy.

The activation of the 9th MP Group was the result of three years of planning and consideration. The group was formed upon deactivation of the eight non-divisional CI detachments in Europe, the 5th, 6th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 25th, 37th, and 52d MP Detachments. The personnel and equipment resources of these detachments were transferred to the seven lettered detachments of the new group.

The 9th Group was formed in order to consolidate the various CI detachments in Europe under one headquarters. According to Colonel Edward G. Luce, 9th Group Commander, "The reason for consolidation was to provide central direction to the CID effort and thereby achieve greater economy in personnel, standardization in CID procedures, and greater flexibility for rapid response to specific requirements anywhere in Europe.

"All criminal investigative personnel, no matter where they are, have an identical type mission. With all CID offices under central command, we can insure that all elements maintain uniform standards in the performance of that mission. Previously, the CI detachments were under various major subordinate commands of US Army Europe and Seventh Army. As a result, CID personnel sometimes would be assigned missions quite foreign to their area of responsibility, and in this way they were not being utilized properly. The local commands would perhaps not use them as effectively as we would hope to use them under central direction."

At first, the new group organization was only a paper transfer. The detachments and field offices remained in the same locations without a change in mission. But, in the summer and fall of 1969 the 9th undertook an internal reorganization to equalize the CI workload and resources among the detachments.

In the reorganization, completed in January 1970, portions of the investigative areas of responsibility of Detachments C and D were assigned to Detachments E and G. The current missions of the detachments are as follows:

Detachment A, located in Heidelberg, provides criminal investigative support to all US Armed Forces and other NATO investigative agencies located in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to Pakistan. Detachment A conducts investigations which have been directed by the Provost Marshal, USAREUR & Seventh Army, without regard to specific area of responsibility. These special investigations include the international traffic in drugs and narcotics, and other problems of special concern to the Commanderin-Chief, USAREUR.

Detachment B, located in Frankfurt, provides criminal investigative laboratory support to all United States Armed Forces and other NATO investigative agencies located in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to Pakistan. The CI Crime Lab in Frankfurt, one of only four such labs in the US Army, provides scientific analysis of evidence in cases under investigation by the CID.

Detachment C, located in Nurnberg, provides area support to US Forces located in the Northern Bavaria, Franconia, and Vogelsberg areas of Germany, including the US Army units along the East German and Czechoslovak borders.

Detachment D, which has its headquarters in Mannheim, provides area support to US Forces located along the Rhine River, from Switzerland in the South to Bremerhaven on the North Sea.

Detachment E, headquartered in Munich, has investigative responsibility for the South Bavaria and Wuerttemberg areas of Germany, as well as the Southern European Task Force (SETAF) in Italy.

Detachment F, located in West Berlin, furnishes criminal investigative support to US Army Berlin, including Helmstedt, which is on the western end of the free access autobahn to Berlin.

Detachment G, with headquarters in Kaiserslautern, provides support to all US Army elements in Germany west of the Rhine River and in France, England, Belgium, and Holland.

In June 1969 the brigade gained two new companies, the 554th MP Company "Honor Guard," and the 59th MP Company. The 554th, a veteran of the Normandy, Northern Europe, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns of World War II, was reactivated in 1964 it Pirmasens. In 1967, the company was reassigned to Headquarters, US European Command (USEUCOM).

Located at Patch Barracks, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, the 554th provides physical security for USEUCOM Headquarters and its direct support agencies. The company provides the MP Honor Guard, equipped with distinctive uniforms, for all Headquarters USEUCOM ceremonies.

When it joined the brigade in 1969, the 554th was assigned to the 385th MP Battalion. Under the Wuerttemberg Area Provost Marshal, the Honor Guard is responsible for law enforcement, crime prevention, and traffic control on Patch Barracks and in the nearby towns of Boeblingen and Vaihingen.

The 59th MP Company, which has also participated in several World War II campaigns, was assigned to the 709th MP Battalion. The 59th furnishes port security and MP support to the port of Bremerhaven, which is the major port for those US government shipments which arrive or depart Europe by sea. The 59th enjoys the distinction of being the greatest distance from its battalion headquarters and the brigade headquarters than any other company in the 15th.

Confinement - A New Responsibility
The last of the major augmentations to the 15th MP Brigade occurred on 1 July 1969, when the four US Forces confinement facilities in Germany were assigned to the brigade. The four confinement detachments, the 43d, 50th, 51st and 77th MP Detachments, represented a whole new "bundle" of responsibilities -- and headaches -- for the brigade commander.

The four stockades in USAREUR had previously been under Theater Army Support Command (TASCOM). Located in Frankfurt, Dachau, Mannheim, and Nurnberg, each of the facilities was under a different support command, according to their geographical location.

Immediately upon acquiring the stockades, the brigade undertook a comprehensive program of reorganization and coordination. Because the four detachments had previously been under separate support commands, there was some duplication of effort among them. Each stockade had a prisoner population of men who were at various stages in the judicial system, and this made it necessary for each facility to administer numerous different correctional treatment programs. This resulted in less efficient use of personnel and funds.

Under the newly formed Brigade Confinement Section, responsibilities and resources were shifted among the four facilities to form a more efficient confinement system, rather than maintain four independent stockades.

The newest and largest US Army confinement facility in Europe, operated by the 77th MP Detachment, is at Mannheim. Under the brigade reorganization, the Mannheim facility became the major USAREUR stockade. The 77th received all those prisoners who had been convicted and were serving sentences in excess of thirty days. The remaining facilities were then to be used for those prisoners awaiting trial and for those serving sentences of less than thirty days.

This shifting of the prisoner population created more homogeneous prisoner populations in each facility, and allowed the detachments to conduct correctional programs based on the length of the prisoner's sentence. Mannheim was able to commit its resources to a long-term educational training program, together with a high quality psychiatric and physical treatment program, while the other facilities were to concentrate on shorter programs which the prisoners would be able to complete in their relatively short time in confinement.

The Brigade Confinement Section also undertook the full development of the recently instituted concept of the Correctional Holding Detachment. The prisoners at Mannheim were assigned to a correctional holding detachment and removed from their former units. The Correctional Holding Detachment makes it easier for the brigade to initiate clemency or elimination procedures with the prisoners, rather than only recommending such action to the soldier's unit. In addition, the Correctional Holding Detachment gives the newly released prisoner a "fresh start" in the Army. Rather than returning to his former unit, the ex-prisoner is sent to a new unit, where his past record is not generally known and he has a better chance of proving himself. In these and several other ways, the Correctional Holding Detachment has aided the confinement facility in administering a meaningful rehabilitation program.

The realignment of resources and the integration of facilities instituted by the brigade increased the efficiency of the confinement system to such an extent that it became possible to close one of the facilities. The Dachau stockade was accordingly shut down in the summer of 1969.

The reorganization of the USAREUR confinement facilities is still not completed. A new facility is being built in the Numberg area, and the 15th MP Brigade will take possession of this modern stockade sometime late in 1970. R-hen the new facility is open, the old Nurnberg and Frankfurt stockades will be closed down.

Into the 70s
The addition of the confinement facilities was the last major augmentation of the 15th MP Brigade, at least for the present. According to departing brigade commander, Colonel Herbert J. Michau, "As far as the immediate future of the brigade, we don't envision any additional missions for the next year or two. I think that the brigade as it is now, which gives us the geographical responsibility for the Federal Republic of Germany and the CID responsibility, practically speaking, for all of Europe excepting SHAPE Headquarters, is the way this brigade should operate."

The emphasis in the 1970s, as it was in the 60s will be on perfecting the brigade's performance of its present missions. Because these missions are so diverse and are always in a state of flux, this has been a continuing brigade goal since 1965.

Cooperation and Partnership
In accomplishing both the peacetime and the wartime missions of the brigade, cooperation with our European allies has always been of the utmost importance. Because of the very nature of military police work in Europe, the words "NATO Team" are much more than a cliche to the men of the 15th.

The need for close cooperation exists both in the combat support role and the peacetime role of the brigade. LTC Carl O. Swanson, Commander of the 709th, points out that "Our wartime mission brings us into close contact with civilian and military traffic of our host nation. Since the population and traffic flow within Germany is so dense, constant training is required by the 709th MP Battalion to insure that we are capable of performing effectively. We do this by working closely with the 740th Feldjaegers (German Military Police), headquartered in Mainz. In this way we are able to gain insight into the operational concepts of the German Military Police and the German Army and constantly improve our capabilities."

For the same reasons, the 793d MP Battalion has been working closely with the German Bundeswehr's 760th Feldjaegers since 1968. In August 1968, the 793d worked in conjunction with the 760th to establish and operate joint German-American posts to monitor the movement of approximately 1200 vehicles from the German Mountains Division during a training exercise. Since then, the 793d has participated in numerous Project Partnership activities with their German counterparts. In January of 1970, for example, several MPs from the 793d joined the German Mountains Division for four-weeks of special winter training.

The 94th and the 385th MP Battalions have also been quite active in Project Partnership. The 94th has instituted an exchange program with the Feldjaegers of the Bundeswehr 1st Airborne Division. In Project Arbeit (work), German and American MPs conducted joint patrols of the Kaiserslautern area, giving the men a chance to compare their police methods on a personal level. The MPs also participated with their German counterparts in joint training exercises. Airborne MPs from the 94th jumped with the 1st Airborne during a field exercise last year.

In July of 1969, the brigade participated in one of the most widely based Project Partnership programs ever undertaken in Europe. After an inter-battalion contest, one platoon of the 15th was chosen to represent the US Military Police at a NATO Military Police demonstration held at the German Feldjaeger training school in Sonthofen, Germany. The 385th won the honor of representing the United States at the NATO exercise, and went on to compare skills with other MPs from Great Britain, France and Germany.

Project Partnership is just as important in the brigade's day-to-day police work as it is in the combat training exercises conducted periodically. The military policeman on street duty in Germany must deal with foreign citizens and foreign police every day. Incidents such as traffic accidents which involve both American GIs and German nationals are very common, and require close cooperation between the MPs and the German police.

In the operations of the 9th CI Group, this cooperation is even closer. In order to perform efficient police work, the CI investigators must maintain continuous liaison with the police agencies of the host nations, as well as with the investigative agencies of the other Armed Forces elements serving in Europe, and related US government agencies.

CID investigators of the 9th MP Group work closely with their local counterparts and perform joint investigations in crimes in which both parties have an interest. The CI regularly provides assistance to the investigative agencies of the host nations, and also answers requests for assistance in matters ranging from identity checks of suspects, to fulltime involvement in investigations in which US Forces personnel are suspect.

Many of the 372 local nationals employed by the 15th MP Brigade work in the 9th Group's field offices as investigators and interpreters, assisting the CID investigators. Other local nationals work in the area provost marshals' offices and MP stations as interpreters and secretaries. They translate documents, act as interpreters for the MPs, and perform local liaison work. Many of the local nationals working in the brigade have been with the 15th since its inception, and some are celebrating their twenty-fifth year of employment with the US Forces this year. The assistance of these local national employees, not only in Germany but in all the countries in which the 15th operates, is invaluable in dealing with the local police and the civilian population.

Military law enforcement in the Federal Republic of Germany requires good relations with the local population as well as with the local police agencies. The military policeman, constantly present on the streets of Germany, is the most visible representative of the US in Europe. As such, the image lie projects is particularly important.

SGT Frank E. Jones, a patrol supervisor with Company B, 385th, says that "Duty here is like being a stateside police officer. The emphasis is on presenting the finest image possible as well as performing the military police functions of maintaining discipline, law, and order . . . It's just doing your job and striving for good relations with the public, just setting a good example while remembering all the things that the brassard represents."

SGT Ralph L. Byrne, Jr., of Co. A, 385th, feels the same way. "The Germans recognize an MP by his appearance and deportment, in or out of uniform," Byrne says, "I feel that I should set an example as an MP."

The attitude of Sergeants Byrne and Jones is typical of the MPs in Germany. The men of the 15th know that they are doing an extremely complex job and take pride in doing it well.

The MP in Europe
The military policeman's job in Europe is more complex than that of MPs in the United States because the military police responsibility in Europe is so much greater. The NATO Status of Forces Agreement commits the US to supporting the German government in all law enforcement matters pertaining to US troops in Germany. Because of this, criminal and accident investigation, routine patrolling of off-post areas, vehicle registrations, and many other law enforcement activities, which are normally the job of the civil police in the US are the responsibility of the military police in Germany.

These expanded responsibilities put corresponding pressure on the provost marshals and on the MPs who patrol the streets.

Administrative services to the military community are yet another function of the military police in Germany. These administrative services include registration of pets, personal firearms, and privately owned vehicles, and processing of reports on missing persons and lost items.

An Emphasis on Prevention
Crime prevention, rather than investigation, is the true goal of all military police work. And the provost marshals and MP unit commanders pursue this goal in several different ways.

The daily street patrols are the main preventive measure. These 24-hour-a-day patrols operate in all areas where there are concentrations of US troops, and are generally centered around problem areas which have been determined by the frequency of offenses previously committed in those areas. Special crime prevention patrols check the security of US facilities.

Physical security work is an important part of military police operations in Germany. Each year, 15th MP Brigade units make physical security surveys of thousands of activities, such as money-holding activities, critical item storage areas, drug storage areas, and whole installations, such as Army depots. Four military police detachments of the brigade, the 28th, the 69th, 76th, and 167th, provide physical security for major Army depots in Germany.

Education of the public is another crime prevention measure carried on by the units of the 15th MP Brigade. The Palatinate Area Provost Marshal's Office, for example, prepares traffic safety and accident prevention messages for the local AFN radio station. The 9th CI Group offers seminars and programs on drug abuse for law enforcement agencies, unit commanders, and American High Schools in Europe. Other provost marshals and unit commanders are similarly involved in education efforts.

Statistics show that the law enforcement job is being done well. In the Palatinate Provost Marshal Area, for example, the total complaint rate showed a 17% decrease in 1969, as compared to 1968. In Augsburg, within the South Bavaria Provost Marshal Area, the number of incidents involving American soldiers has declined by 50 percent since 1966. All the provost marshal areas in the 15th Brigade's area of responsibility have shown similar decreases in recent years.

"Duty, Justice, and Loyalty"
The success of the 15th MP Brigade in fulfilling an important role in USAREUR is due as much to the men of the brigade as it is to the organization. The brigade has brought new flexibility and efficiency to the military police role in Europe, but these benefits were only realized through the efforts of the men involved. In the five-year history of the 15th, the only thing "more constant than change" has been the continuing dedication of both commanders and men to the brigade motto, "Duty, Justice, and Loyalty."

I REALLY enjoyed your website and the history of the 15th. I was lucky enough to be assigned to the 537th MP Co, initially in Mannheim and then sent to the detachment at Finthen Army Airfield near Mainz. I arrived there in October 1968. We were at Finthen for a very short time before moving across the river to Hindenburg Kaserne in Wiesbaden.

Finthen was a hole. We were billeted in a helicopter hanger where they repaired Huey engines. We worked 12 on 12 off for 57 days straight because of lack of manpower. The mess hall there was the pits. We literally kicked the rats off the table. The mess sgt was selling the meat on the black market. When we moved across the river that all changed. I’ll never forget my first meal at Hindenburg. When the cook asked me how I wanted my steak my teeth almost fell out.

I worked as a patrolman with the 8th Inf Div MPs from Lee Barracks for a while until I took over the desk as desk sgt. In about May or June of 1970 I was called back to Mannheim where I worked as a patrol sup and desk Sgt. I also filled an E6 slot as a platoon leader.

We participated in Operation Front and Center as well as the MP competition mentioned in the history section. I served as the NCOIC of the war room for the 1970 Operation Front and Center games. The CO for the 537th was Cpt John Snodgrass. My best friend drove for the PM, a Col whose name escapes me.

I remember the riots at Coleman Barracks as well as some racial incidents at Turley Bks. I remember providing escort with our 1968 Chevy for missle movements on the autobahn and watching the Soviets trying to photo our cargo.

As you know this was a turbulent time in the history of the Army. We had all the druggies coming back from Nam on their way to the States. I don’t know if the Army deliberately sent them to Germany to dry out before going state side or what but we seemed to have our share of them. Because the Army had sent me to an intensive German school while stationed at Mainz (was at Lee Barracks) I was chosen to work with the CID unit in Mannheim on several operations where I bought drugs from GI’s. This was actually the start of what would become a 32 year career in law enforcement of which 25 would be in Narcotic Enforcement.

As you can see I really did enjoy Germany and am sad to see that all the facilities where I served - Finthen AAF, Hindenburg Kaserne, Turley Barracks - have all been closed. I guess it was destined to happen but it is sad.

Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Walt Kaiser