16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne)

The mission of the 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) is to be ready to support the XVIII Corps (Airborne) and respond to any worldwide contingency mission. Located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) provides law enforcement and force protection to the Fort Bragg Community and continues training in the combat support mission.

The 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) dates back to the Vietnam conflict. The 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) was first constituted on 23 March 1966 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 16th Military Police Group. It was activated pm 20 May 1966 at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. During the conflict in Vietnam, the 16th Military Police Group participated 13 campaigns: Counteroffensive Phase II, Counteroffensive Phase III, Tet Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phase IV, Counteroffensive Phase V, Counteroffensive Phase VI, Tet/69 Counteroffensive, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter-Spring 1970, Sanctuary Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phase VII, Consolidation I, and Consolidation II.

On 16 July 1981, the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 16th Military Police Group was reorganized and redesignated as the 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), part of XVIII Corps (Airborne). Soldiers of the Brigade deployed to Miami, Florida for the Cuban refugee relief effort from May to June 1980. Between July and October 1983, elements of the Brigade responded to civil disturbances at the Seneca Army Depot, New York during Operation Athena. In October 1983, elements of the Brigade deployed as part of the XVIII Corps (Airborne) to the island of Grenada in support of Operation Urgent Fury. Elements of the Brigade deployed with the Multinational Force and Observers to the Sinai, Egypt and provided security for Operation Quality Dragon in Honduras during the 1980s. Elements of the Brigade marched in the 1984 presidential inauguration ceremony.

In March 1988, the Brigade was sent to the Republic of Panama for 5 months as a security augmentation force in support of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Then in September 1989, the Brigade was again alerted and deployed to St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, to restore law and order and protect public and private property following the devastation of Hurricane Hugo as part of Operation Hawkeye. Brigade soldiers were again deployed to Panama in December 1989 for Operation Just Cause.

In August 1990, Brigade soldiers were among the first deployed during Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia. Outstanding leadership, hard work, high moral and the best soldiers in the world contributed to the overall success of the operation, with elements of the Brigade subsequently participating in Operation Desert Storm. The Brigade was later recognized for its hard work with a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

In September 1992, the Brigade participated in Operation "Andrew" during disaster relief operations following Hurricane Andrew in Florida. In September 1994, the Brigade was sent to Haiti to support Operation Uphold Democracy. Elements of the Brigade were deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo during the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. Elements of the Brigade also supported operations to resettle Kosovar-Albanian refugees.

By 2000, the primary mission of the 16th Military Police Brigade was to provide combat ready military police support to the nation's only Airborne Corps, XVIII Corps. The second mission was to provide law enforcement and force protection support to the soldiers, family members, and visitors to XVIII Corps (Airborne) and the Fort Bragg community. Subordinate units included the 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne), the 122nd Military Police Detachment (Prisoner of War Information Center), and the 42nd Military Police Detachment. It also exercised operational control over the 3rd Military Police Battalion (Provisional) at Fort Stewart, Georgia; the 10th Military Police Battalion (Provisional) at Fort Drum, New York; the 519th Military Police Battalion at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and the 716th Military Police Battalion at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. It was also aligned with the 317th Military Police Battalion, US Army Reserve.

Following the events of 11 September 2001, elements of the Brigade deployed to Washington, DC in support of Operation Noble Eagle and to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In January 2004, the Brigade deployed for one year to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. There elements of the Brigade were responsible for detainee operations and convoy security. The Brigade was awarded another Meritorious Unit Commendation for its accomplishments in Iraq.

With the beginnings of the transformation of the US Army to the modular force structure in 2004, the 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne) was also reorganized. The 10th Military Police Battalion (Provisional) was inactivated in 2005, and the 3rd Military Police Battalion (Provisional) was inactivated in 2006. These were replaced with the 91st and 385th Military Police Battalions respectively, which were placed under the operational control of the 16th Military Police Brigade. With the activation of the 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade at Fort Polk in 2006, the 519th Military Police Battalion was reassigned to that unit.

In August 2006, the Brigade deployed again to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom to conduct detainee operations for Joint Task Force 134. After its arrival in Baghdad, the Brigade and the Joint Task Force merged staffs in an effort to streamline operations.

In July 2009, the Brigade deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, again to conduct detainee operations. With the change in mission in Iraq in 2010, elements of the Brigade have been deployed in support of Operation New Dawn.