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US Army Protective Services Battalion (CID)
Protective Services Battalion (CID)
Protective Services Unit

The mission of the US Army Protective Services Battalion (CID) is to provide world-wide executive-level protection to the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chairman and Vice Chairman, Joint Staff, the Secretary of the Army, the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, their foreign counterparts on official visits to the United States and other Department of Defense High Risk Personnel as directed. Further, the Battalion provides executive level protection for Senior U.S. Army Commanders during war-time and contingency operations as directed.

The organization's mission began when the 1st Military Police Detachment (CID) was given the mission of protecting the nations' highest Department of Defense (DoD) civilian and military leaders in the late 1960s during heightened unrest caused by the Vietnam War. In 1971, subsequent to the establishment of the US Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC) as a major Army command, the Protective Services Activity (PSA), USACIDC, was established within HQ USACIDC to manage DoD protective missions.

During the build up to the 1991 Gulf War, the PSA (CID) was reorganized as the Protective Services Unit (PSU) (CID), as the unit was continually assigned more protected "principals" due to higher threat situations around the world.

The PSU, an element of the 701st Military Police Group (CID) provided personal security services, much like the US Secret Service, for key Department of Defense and Department of the Army officials wherever they traveled around the world. The unit also provided security to certain foreign dignitaries visiting the United States.

The Commander, 701st Military Police Group (CID) was the USACIDC proponent for policy involving protective services operations for the Department of the Army and acted as senior advisor to the Commander, USACIDC on all aspects of protective services. As such, the Commander: Conducted protective services operations for designated officials and tasks other CID elements to support operations worldwide; develops tactics, techniques and procedures in conjunction with the US Army Military Police School's doctrine for protective service operations; provided for protective services for military and civilian personnel as directed by the Director of the Army Staff; provided for a USACIDC representative at committee meetings, working groups or other meetings related to protective services; reported on the evaluation and recommends approval of training courses necessary to prepare USACIDC special agents for protective service details; maintained liaison with the US Secret Service (USSS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), the US Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, and other intelligence and enforcement agencies on personal security matters of mutual concern; and provided trained personal security personnel and equipment to USACIDC Groups requiring subject matter experts during contingency operations.

The PSU deployed its agents to Baghdad, Iraq protecting senior US State Department Ambassador level executives in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I-III. In October 2005, the unit was again reorganized as the Protective Services Battalion (CID), due to its ever increasing mission. In October 2007, the unit underwent another reorganization and became the US Army Protective Services Battalion (CID). The Battalion continued to deploy Personal Security Officers (PSO) protecting Senior Army Commanders in Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.