202nd Military Police Group (CID)

On 17 May 2013, the 202nd Military Police Group (CID) was inactivated, along with the 1002nd Military Police Battalion (CID). Responsibility for CID functions in Germany was subsequently passed to the 5th Military Police Battalion (CID). The Group had supported felony crime investigation operations on 3 continents, Europe, Africa and Asia, for 14 years. In that time, both soldiers from the 202nd Military Police Group and 1002nd Military Police Battalion had conducted multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. The soldiers of these units had conducted more than 800 investigations a year.

The 202nd Military Police Group (Criminal Investigation Division), located at Kleber Kaserne, Kaiserslautern, Germany, provides command and control over primarily tactical CID units in Europe. Elements of the 202nd Military Police Group (CID) provide thorough, timely and quality criminal investigative support to commanders and military communities of the US Army Europe, and support contingency operations throughout the European, African, Middle East and Southwest Asian areas of responsibility.

The 202nd Military Police Group Group (CID) was initially responsible for the area east of longitude 30 degrees west, including the Azores Islands, excluding Greenland, and extending to longitude 90 degrees east, which included Iceland, Scandinavia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Afghanistan and Pakistan and, excluding the area of Asia east of the borders of India, China and Mongolia, and east of longitude 90 degrees east. The 202nd Military Police Group (CID) later assumed investigative responsibility for the countries of Russia and Greenland. Headquarters, 202nd Military Police Group (CID) would make the determination as to who would respond to matters within its area of responsibility.

While the 202nd Military Police Group (CID) was activated in 1999, it traces its history through the Second Region, United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC). Second Region was organized in March 1972 as a provisional unit. The Region was formed from the Headquarters and Field Detachments of the 9th Military Police Group (Criminal Investigations) that were operating in support of United States Army Europe (USAREUR) and Seventh US Army. In May 1972, Second Region was officially integrated into USACIDC and assigned the mission of providing criminal investigative support to US Army and other US military and civilian law enforcement agencies. The Region's area of responsibility extended to the North and South Poles and encompassed the Azores in the West to India in the East. Second Region's missions included general and economic crimes, drug suppression operations, protective services, crime prevention, and counter terrorism.

As a result of the reduction in US Army forces in Europe, Second Region, USACIDC, was inactivated on 16 September 1993. Its mission was assumed by the 5th Military Police Detachment (CID) (Corps Support Element), which served as a subordinate district of the 3rd Military Police Group (CID), Fort Gillem, Georgia.

6 September 1996 marked the reactivation of Second Region, with headquarters in Mannheim-Seckenheim, Germany. The Region provided command and control for the 5th Military Police Battalion (CID), in Kaiserslautern, Germany, the Bavaria CID Battalion in Bamberg, Germany and the European Special Investigations and Fraud Field Office, in Mannheim-Seckenheim, Germany. The Region, through its 2 subordinate battalions, encompassed a total of 20 USACIDC Resident Agencies (RA) and Branch Offices (BO) in support of military communities in Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. Major subordinate company-level organizations included the 262d Military Police Detachment (Corps Area Support Element), in Bamberg; the 481st Military Police Detachment (CASE) in Kaiserslautern; and the 515th Military Police Detachment (CASE) in Hanau.

On 17 September 1999, Second Region, USACIDC was reflagged as the 202nd Military Police Group (CID). On 24 September 1999, Colonel George W. Smith, Deputy Commander, USACIDC, and Colonel Randy Garver, Commander, Second Region, USACIDC presided over a reflagging ceremony, conducted with all traditions and honors being observed. The color guard escorted the Second Region's colors forward to the official party. Command Sergeant Major William F. Merrill furled the colors and cased them for the last time. He then passed the colors to Colonel Garver who turned and passed them to Colonel Smith. He then returned the colors to CSM Merrill for safekeeping. The cased colors were removed from the parade ground for the last time to take their place in history, representing a major command that contributed greatly to the resurrection of a free Europe.

After the Region's colors were removed and secured, the new 202nd Military Police Group (CID) colors were marched onto the field and presented to Colonel Smith. He handed them to Colonel Garver, entrusting him with continuing the proud tradition of the unit. Colonel Garver passed the still-cased colors to CSM Merrill, who unfurled them as the narrator read the order officially reflagging the Second Region as the 202nd Military Police Group (CID).

The Group had more than 200 Soldiers and civilians who were dedicated to accomplishing the Group's multitude of missions on a daily basis. The 202nd Military Police Group's subordinate headquarters commanded and controled the 23 CID Resident Agencies (RA) and Branch Offices (BO) who supported the military communities in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. The Group provided direct combat support to USAREUR, EUCOM, SHAPE, AMF, V Corps, the 1st Infantry Division, the 1st Armored Division, and the 21st Theater Support Command. The Group's area of responsibility included all of Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Persian Gulf. While the majority of the Group's investigative elements were located within Germany, offices were also located in Italy and the Netherlands. Also, soldiers from the Group deployed in Bosnia, Hungary, and Kosovo supporting Task Force Eagle and Task Force Falcon.

In October of 2002, with the expansion of the EUCOM area of operation, the 202nd Military Police Group (CID) assumed investigative responsibility for the countries of Russia and Greenland. Special Agents supported protective service operations in over 30 separate countries and routinely conduct investigative operations throughout Europe. The 202nd Military Police Group (CID) deployed personnel in support of both Operation Joint Guardian and Operation Joint Forge, conducting investigative operations in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In June 2009, the 202nd Military Police Group (CID) moved from Stem Kaserne, Germany to Kleber Kaserne.