CONTENTS
793RD MP Battalion
Spartans
As of January 25, 2012
The 545th MP Company is soon to
join this famous MP Battalion and more information will be added to this
page once this even occurs. Information in this page provided in part
by the 793rd MP BN Association.
HISTORY OF THE
793RD MILITARY POLICE
BATTALION
“ACHIEVEMENT WITH HONOR”
The 793rd Military Police Battalion was
activated at Camp Maxey, Texas on 26 December 1942, and has been
continuous active duty since that day.
In February 1944, the
Battalion departed the United States for a period of retraining in
Scotland and was then transferred to France in August 1944. From August
through December 1944, the Battalion performed traffic security duty on
the Red Ball Highway.
From December 1944 to June 1945, the
Battalion was charged with the protection of the Port of Antwerp,
Belgium. It was during that period that the Battalion was awarded the
Meritorious Unit Citation and was cited in the Order of the Belgian
Army.
In June 1945, the Battalion moved to France to prepare for
deployment to the South Pacific, but the end of the war resulted in its
being assigned port security in Marseille. In January 1946, the
Battalion entered Germany for duty with the Third United States Army at
Bad Toelz until April 1946, when it moved to the Nürnberg-Fürth area.
Attached to the 26th Infantry Regiment, First Infantry Division, the
Battalion was assigned security duties at the Nürnberg War Crimes
Trials.
In February 1947, the 793rd Military Police Battalion
moved to William O. Darby Kaserne, its present location. They again
moved to Monteith Barracks, then to Pinder Kaserne. Finally, in
September 1948, they returned to William O. Darby Kaserne, where the
Headquarters Detachment, 793rd MP Battalion and a platoon from the 30th
MP Co and the 218th MP Co are presently located.
In 1953, the
793rd Military Police Battalion began to spread out and cover a vast
area of Bavaria. The MP Station was moved from the Palace of Justice to
William O. Darby Kaserne on 24 June 1953.
In 1968, the 793rd
Military Police Battalion and the Feldjäger Battalion 760 were
designated as partnership units which created a closer working
relationship. This relationship has flourished throughout the years and
was recognized by the Commander-in-Chief, United States Army Europe in
1970 and in 1991 with the USAREUR Project Partnership Award.
During the months of September and October 1972, elements of the 793rd
Military Police Battalion were placed on additional security for the
Olympic Games in Munich and possible terrorist attacks from Middle East
countries.
In September 1979, the 793rd MP Battalion was awarded
the Department of the Army Community Award for excellence in support of
the Community Relations program. It was in recognition of the unit’s
assistance to the residents of Katzwang, Germany during the flood
disaster on 26 March 1979.
On 16 November 1980, the three line
companies were reorganized. This reorganization increased the combat
power of the Battalion. Most significant was the authorization of one
M60 machine gun and one M203 grenade launcher per vehicle.
In
1985 the Battalion was assigned to the 14th Military Police Brigade and
received the 595th and 981st MP Companies which ere Lance Missile
Security companies. With the phasing out of the Lance Missile from the
Army inventory, these two units were scheduled for deactivation in 1990.
In November 1990, the 793rd Military Police Battalion was alerted
for deployment with the 14th MP Brigade to Saudi Arabia in support of
Operation DESERT SHIELD. Elements from the battalion were among the
first units from VII Corps to arrive in the Middle East and were the
first to move out of the port into the desert. Reminiscent of its
support to General Patton’s Third Army along the Red Ball Express in
World War II, the battalion provided battlefield circulation control for
the thousands of vehicles moving from the ports into their staging
areas. When Operation DESERT STORM commenced, the battalion provided
battlefield circulation control, area security and enemy prisoner of war
support to the 1st Armored Division and the 3rd Armored Division in
their historic sweep across Saudi Arabia, north across Hussain’s barrier
and deep into Iraq. During this time the battalion captured or processes
7000 enemy prisoners without sustaining any loss of life or serious
injury. At the conclusion of the war, the battalion moved into Rafa to
protect the refugee operations and remained there for over a month until
it redeployed in May 1991.
This was brought with it a monumental
mission for those units which remained in Germany; the protection of
soldiers, families, and facilities from terrorist attack. Here also, the
battalion responded magnificently and with considerable assistance from
out partners in Feldjäger Battalion 760, successfully deterred any
attacks.
With the drawdown of forces in Europe, the 793rd was
reassigned to the 18th Military Police Brigade, V Corps on 16 March
1992. During the reorganization the battalion picked up three MP
companies, lost three MP companies, and reflagged 21 platoons to arrive
at its end state configuration. The reorganization permitted the
battalion to realign its platoons to provide better training
opportunities and enhance its deployability.
The 793rd Military
Police Battalion continues to participate in an active partnership
program. The participation in training, athletic and social activities
has developed a close personal and professional relationship between the
793rd Military Police Battalion and the German Feldjäger Battalion 760.
The partnership program is culminated annually, with a march composed of
teams from both battalions from Fürth to Munich.
The Battalion
currently has four line companies spread throughout Bavaria: the 212 the
MP Company (Kitzingen and Giebelstadt); the 218th MP Company (Augsburg,
Fürth, and Bamberg); the 615th MP Co (Ansbach, Schwaebeisch Hall,
Crailsheim, and Illesheim) and the 630th MP Co (Bamberg, Erlangen,
Fürth, and Schweingurt).
The Battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia
in December 1990 in support of VII Corps during Operation Desert
Shield/Storm. The Battalion advanced into Iraq and Kuwait in February
1991 at the start of the ground offensive in support of the 1st Armored
Division, where it conducted extensive Enemy Prisoner of War operations.
In April 1991, the Battalion supervised the evacuation of thousands of
refugees from Iraq to Saudi Arabia.
The Battalion was awarded the
Meritorious Unit Commendation – DESERT SHIELD/STORM and campaign
streamers – DEFENSE OF SAUDI ARABIA 1990-1991, LIBERATION AND DEFENSE OF
KUWAIT 1991, and SOUTHWEST ASIA CEASE FIRE, for military operations in
Southwest Asia.
The Battalion redeployed from Saudi Arabia to
Germany in May 1991, and was subsequently reassigned to the 18th MP
Brigade, V Corps.
The Battalion deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in
December 1995 in support of Task Force Eagle (1st Armored Division) and
Operation Joint Endeavor. For almost eleven months, soldiers of the
Battalion performed a wide variety of missions including circulation
control, area and route security operations, VIP security, and critical
site security. During the Bosnian National Elections in September 1996,
the Battalion provided around the clock support to nearly 200 election
sites and counting houses in the Tuzla Valley. Upon the successful
transfer of Military Police functions to the covering force of the 1st
Infantry Division in November 1996, units of the Battalion redeployed to
Germany, bringing an end to the second major deployment of the
“SPARTANS” outside of Germany since 1990.
The colors green and
yellow are the colors of the Military Police Corps. The heraldic bend
charged with the red torteauxs symbolizes the Battalion’s route security
and circulation control mission on the famous Red Ball Highway across
France, Belgium, and into Germany during World War II. The two torteaux
represent campaign honors awarded for operations in World War II.
Lt. Col. Keith Oberlander, the commander of
the 793rd Military Police Battalion, and Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Hodges,
the battalion’s command sergeant major, case their units colors as the
Spartan battalion makes its final preparations in its move to Ft.
Richardson, Alaska, in May 2010. After the casing of the colors, Command
Sgt. Maj. Hodges passed responsibility to Command Sgt. Maj. Richard
Epps.
(U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Adrienne Killingsworth, 18th Military
Police Brigade, PAO)
Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Epps, the command
sergeant major of the 793rd Military Police Battalion, is passed a sword
from Lt. Col. Keith Oberlander, the battalion’s commander, as a symbol
of the responsibility being passed to him from Command Sgt. Maj. Rick
Hodges during a ceremony Dec. 8 at the Freedom Fitness Facility on
Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany. The battalion also cased its colors
during the ceremony in preparation for its move to Ft. Richardson,
Alaska, from its current station in Bamberg.
(U.S. Army photo by Cpl.
Adrienne Killingsworth, 18th Military Police Brigade, PAO)
Col. Thomas Evans, the commander of the 18th
Military Police Brigade, speaks to the friends, family members and
Soldiers in attendance at the dual Colors Casing and Change of
Responsibility ceremony for the 793rd MP Battalion at the Freedom
Fitness Facility on Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany, Dec. 8.
(U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Adrienne Killingsworth, 18th Military Police
Brigade, PAO)
On 14 May, 2010 on Pershing Field located at Fort Richardson Alaska the famous 793rd MP Battalion was reactivated for the final time in this new US Army MP Corps realignment. The Battalion colors, having been brought from Germany where the unit was last stationed were brought on to the field and uncased to great fan fare!
Arrival of the 793rd MP Bn Colors in Alaska. The Soldier represents the era when
the Battalion was first activated, WW II.
The Uncasing and Activation of the 793rd MP Bn at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Col Barry Williams, CDR 3rd MEB, LTC David Oberlander, CDR 793rd MP Bn, and CSM Richard Epps, CSM 793rd MP Bn.
Battalion COmmand Team with new Unit Guidons.
The 793rd MP Bn on Line for the ceremony. The 472nd and 545th MP Company's are
represented by the cased guidons and are currently deployed to Irag.
The 793rd Military Police Battalion, home in Alaska.
The 793rd Military Police Battalion, Artic Spartans, 14 May 2010.
Click on the Banner to Enter the Association
Sam Reinert
CPT MP USAR (Ret)
Founder
545th Military Police Company Association
626 1/2 South
9th Street
Richmond, Indiana 47374 USA
(765) 962 4627 phone & FAX
http://545thmpassn.com/
 |
 |