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Thread: Advice for a New Military Policeman

  1. #11
    There are a number of good books for a new lieutenant, some have already been mentioned. If I could recommend only one, it would be Words for Warriors: A Professional Soldier's Notebook.

    https://www.amazon.com/Words-Warrior.../dp/1587368056

    COL Puckett is a national treasure when it comes to military leadership and I consider myself fortunate to call him a mentor.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Puckett

    Watching an 80+ year old man lay down on the cold ground with a machine gun team at 0200 on a cold winter's night to discuss the finer points of employing a machine gun- not because he has to, but because he wants to- is a special lesson in leadership. There are few better men to learn leadership from.
    C Class shooter.

  2. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Enel View Post
    My best friend's son just informed me he received Military Police branch as his assignment for when he graduates college/Army ROTC this spring.

    Any words of advice for a new officer in this branch as he starts his military career?
    AF Reserve MP (which we called Security Forces because the Air Force can't stand to be like any of the other branches), and I wholeheartedly agee with the bulk of what's been said. It's not easy being a butter bar, especially the new butter bar in a unit. Listen to your experienced NCOs and rely on that experience, make confident decisions based on good information. Most of all though, don't be a douche to your troops. Nothing kills a young officer's effectiveness faster than lording it over the enlisted troops, especially the junior elisted troops.

    The other thing I want to hit on was addressed as well, but I want to foot stomp it because it's important. Garrison MP work and deployed MP work are often two wildly different animals. In garrison is a lot like traditional law enforcement, right down to traffic stops and citizen complaints. Any large base is going to have a diverse population of civilians, military personnel, and dependents, so it's important to be able to manage those relationships well. In garrison it's also especially important to support your troops, which means making it clear to your senior enlisted personnel to support the junior NCOs who support the E1-E4 ranks. The number one complaint I hear from young Security Forces troops who want to get out is that "leadership sucked/were assholes/didn't support us" and things like that.

    And if all else fails, if he's ever in a dilemma just ask himself "what would Dick Winters do?"

  3. #13
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    Like in any other profession being able to admit fault or own one's own mistakes would be important. Don't tell lies. Don't be a dick.

  4. #14
    Most of the advice given previously is good. If he follows it, recognizes he is responsible for the safe return of young men and women who constitute the children of America, gets the mission done, takes care of his people, and continually strives to make himself better and more worthy of the charge he was handed, he will be fine. It is a challenging, but tremendously rewarding calling. He should be thankful. I wish him the best.

  5. #15
    Is it too late to reclass Infantry?


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