Well I have a good idea what MPs do on base and when deployed to a warzone but am wondering what are the bad experinces MPs go through like the kind of stuff the Army does not advertise as selling points and stuff like that. What are the worst MP jobs?
I was on duty at Ft Myer, Va the day Air Florida Flight 90 hit the 14th Street bridge.(Jan 13, 1982) 78 people died less than two miles from where we were standing. There was nothing we could do. We had to watch recovery efforts on tv.
A roll over accident on the autobahn that killed two dependent wives and four kids. It occurred 1/4 mile in front of the patrol car I was in. The vehicle was fully engulfed in flame in the seconds it took us to arrive. We couldn't get close to it. All 6 died. Then, the vehicle sat in the PMO parking lot for two months.
Mine doesn't compare to Gumby's; but since the question was put out there:
My worst experience by far was being assigned to the 58th MP CO in Hawaii. Hawaii was great, 58 sucked balls. Bad leaders, no morale, spineless NCO's....it just didn't get worse. I am surprised everyone came back from A-Stan alive.
What Former Embassy Marine said. Spent 3 months TDY to the 284th MP Co. working 95C, confinement in Long Bihn Jail. Absolutely the worst duty I ever pulled. Low morale, attitudes, and that was among us. I don't even want to think about the convicts. Couldn't get out of that unit fast enough, gave up my early out rather than stay in it.
Worst duty (long time ago)...confinement duty, especially after working post patrol. I volunteered for Vietnam to get out of there. The 1SG got me into MPI instead- real good duty. Also knew guys who worked security (Nike sites, secure installations, tower rats, etc), was told that was boring and not what MPs wanted to do.
Worst duty???? Sentry dog handler...., walking & walking around & around again, weather no matter!!!! Sometimes scared of the dogs more than anything, though terror when dog did alert!!!
My worst experience was attending the MP transition course @ FT Hunter Liggett in 2004 as an enlisted.
I was a SSG at the time and already had two other MOSs.
Disclaimer prior to my venting:
This course did have a few competent and professional instructors- The crew from New York, the two guys from Maricopa County SO and a couple others were squared away....they know who they are and we told them so.
This MP transition course was run by the village idiots for the most part. Most of the instructors were arrogant, incompetent and had some kind of wierd superiority complex. Several were so incompetent that they literally read the course material from slides like Obama reads a teleprompter, but worse. These guys are supposed to actually know what they are talking about.
In the weapons PMI, the instructors for the MK19 were basically lay people and were not competent in the peculiarities of the weapon. For example; while teaching how to disassemble/reassemble, they read it right out of the book and figured it out on the fly. They fumbled thru it and we were openly laughing at them.
The arrogance and berating got so out-of-hand that our class literally gave these jerks the silent treatment in class. We only spoke unless ordered to. They got even more pi $$ed because of this. Our class leader (MSG) told them why we were behaving this way and they basically said it was their perogative to act any way they saw fit and no change was to be expected.
The school was academically very easy and the field training basic at best. The hard part was to put up with the lack of professionalism on the part of the training cadre. It essentially became a course in "anger management." I have been to a lot of schools in my 20 year career and this is the only one where I genuinely nearly lost my military bearing.
When we did mounted land nav, the SFC (cadre)they assigned as our squad leader got us lost on a movement that was only 5k meters and only had two turns. After 2 hrs I got so sick of driving past our turns a hundred times that I convinced him I could get us there. I did in 15 minutes. What a freaking loser that one was.
Naturally when we finally did roll into our AA, the lead instructor started ripping into me for taking 2 hrs for a 15 min movement. I yelled back that her "stupid instructor who cant land nav" got us lost and that I was the one who got his sorry butt here. He needed the counseling, not me.
The class was so POd about how the whole month went that at our graduation, everyone refused to recite the MP Creed...that was priceless.
This just gives the reader an inkling of the stupidity.. for me to go any further I will get angry all over again...ha
What a freaking joke this class was.
Hands down this was the worst school I have been to in my entire career.
This school was run by the 104th division and as far as I know, still is.
Well having your BN CO get shot, a squad leader die from an RPG, a team leader die from a GSW, two other soldiers die from a motar. I've seen a lot and it's not pretty at times.
Welcome Devilish. It's nice to see some new faces on this forum.
I can only imagine.
I served during the cold war and it was very differant. Between the MP Corp and Civilian LE I've seen my share of mayhem. I was luck I guess, timing, fate who knows.
Just arrived in FRG after BCT/AIT in late '78, and all of a sudden we were getting shots, wills drawn up, powers of attorney, and then started practicing the platoon- and company-size stomp and drags with fixed (but sheathed) bayonets outside our barracks. Were poised to go to Iran to evacuate the non-combatants (closest and largest MP Bn to Iran), but were stood down. That was an eye-opener...
Don't know if this is a "worst experience" but it was one to make you think.
Was in the 101st MP Co. Received the all too regular 0200 knock on the door with CQ yelling "pack your ****". Loaded up on a C-141, Jeeps down the middle Platoon in the troop seats. Refueled at Pope AFB, headed SE at warp whatever a 141 would do. Several hours over the Atlantic we turned around and via Pope returned to base. As ussual we were given very little info.
When we returned we learned the Navy and AF had bombed Kadafi.
Not sure what the plan for us was but it was one of those that make you think.
I posted a couple other experiences in the Honduras forum as well but it's kinda long.
Worst experience had to have been 2 years in the PRP at a NATO site. Well not all bad but generally sucky duty for a long time.
Saw plenty of carnage & the worst of people, -part of the job.
101MPRAT-Yes, I also caught Operation El Dorado Canyon (Bombing of Kadafi) went on Full alert about 0200 & was dispatched to the Fulda Gap with full draw of War gear. I was NCOIC of 3 man MP fire/jeep team. Set up LP/OP to observe Russian Armor movements. Was told that if the sh*t hit the fan to engage. Yeah, like a mouse ****ing up an elephants toe. Glad the Bear didn't react & cross the border!
