709th Military Police Battalion
The 709th Military Police Battalion has served with honor and distinction in the European
Theater since it landed at Normandy in 1944. Stationed in Hanau Germany as part of the "Ever Vigilant" 18th Military Police Brigade the battalion provides community law enforcement and force protection within ten communities while training for future operations and contingencies in support of V Corps.
On order, 709th MP Battalion rapidly deploys and conducts military police operations to ensure success for the 18th Military Police Brigade and V Corps in the EUCOM/CENTCOM AORs for war and contingencies.
The 709th Military Police Battalion has served with honor and distinction in Europe for over 56 years. Activated at Camp Niantic, Connecticut on April 9, 1942. The detachment trained for immediate service in World War II. At the height of the submarine menace, the battalion received the critical mission of securing portions of the New England coast against potential saboteurs while providing on-site security for various, radio stations, defense plants, and war material shipments. The battalion was tasked in early 1943 to guard German POWs shipped from North Africa to US ports and to escort prisoners from these ports to internment facilities. In October, the battalion consolidated at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, where it underwent six months of intensive training. On July 25, 1944, the battalion departed Boston Harbor enroute for Liverpool, England, thus marking the last time it was in the Continental United States. The Battalion landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy, and on 29 August 1944, the battalion entered Paris. As the sole MP unit in the city, the unit operated the Paris Detention Barracks and provided installation security and traffic escort for supply movements in the war torn city.
In October 1945 the battalion moved to Frankfurt, Germany, assuming military police duties in another major city devastated by war. In March 1953, the battalion assumed all Military Police service support throughout the newly created Northern Area Command. In October 1977, the battalion expanded its support mission throughout the V Corps area. During the height of the cold war the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment provided command and control, intelligence, administrative, logistics and maintenance support to five companies providing military police combat support to V Corps and peacetime law enforcement to twelve communities. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the battalion played an important role in securing rail cars and convoys designated for ports of embarkation and also providing continuous law enforcement and personnel security missions for communities within Germany.
In 1991 the Battalion deployed to Northern Iraq in support of operation Provide Comfort where they provided humanitarian relief to Kurdish refugees. In September 1994, the battalion moved its headquarters from Frankfurt, Germany to it's present location in Hanau, Germany.
In December 1995 the battalion deployed to Croatia in support of operation Joint Endevour where they provided security and traffic circulation control support to the initial bridge building operations over the Sava. In early January 96, the Battalion crossed the Sava River as part of the lines of the communication opening force, preparing the way for eventual entrance of Task Force Eagle units into Bosnia-Herzegovina. Missions conducted in Bosnia included: river crossing operations, main supply route security, traffic circulation control, area security in and around U.S. base camps, convoy escorts, VIP escorts, law enforcement operations, civil disturbance operations, and eventually Bosnian election support. The Battalion returned to Germany in October 1996. Within the last two year the Headquarters and Headquarters detachment has deployed three companies to Bosnia Herzegovina and two companies and the Battalion Headquarters to Kosovo. The third company, the 527th Military Police Company deploys to Kosovo in November in support of the 1st Armored Division and the Multinational Brigade East.
