The 716th Military Police Battalion is a military police battalion of the United States Army based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. It is a subordinate unit of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

Organization The battalion is subordinate to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and receives Training and Readiness Oversight from the 16th Military Police Brigade. It is headquartered at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

History World War II Constituted on 10 January 1942 in the Army as the 716th Military Police Battalion, it was activated during the Second World War at Fort Wadsworth, New York on 15 January 1942.

1950s and 1960s In September 1962 the battalion, then based at Fort Dix, Trenton, New Jersey, was deployed together with the 5th and 17th Field Hospitals, a public information section and a composite intelligence detachment as Task Force Charlie, part of the Federal military forces deployed to support the enrollment of James Meredith at the segregated University of Mississippi. Arriving at the university on the morning of 1 October the battalion was used to secure the campus in the aftermath of the overnight rioting. A company from the battalion would remain deployed at the university until 23 July 1963.

Vietnam War

In March 1965 the 400-man battalion arrived in Saigon, South Vietnam.

Company C, 52nd Infantry Regiment arrived in South Vietnam on 1 December 1966 and was assigned to the battalion.

By late 1967 the battalion's mission was security and law enforcement in the Saigon/Cholon/Tan Son Nhut metropolitan area, South Vietnam. Specific security missions, involving approximately 83% of the military police/security guard resources of the battalion, included the US Embassy, the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Complex, VIP and General's quarters, Bachelor Officers’ Quarters (BOQ's), Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ's) and critical US facilities and installations throughout the city. This security mission was primarily aimed at deterring terrorist acts. The law enforcement mission involved normal military police functions in a metropolitan area, to include criminal investigations. The battalion supported the requirements of the provost marshal, US Army Headquarters Area Command (USAHAC), for military police/security guards within the resources available.

During the Tet Offensive of January–February 1968 the unit played a major role in the defense of Saigon against Vietcong (VC) attacks, in particular the attack on the US Embassy, battle of Cholon and Phu Tho Racetrack and the attack on the Joint General Staff Compound. At the start of the Tet Offensive the battalion was configured to perform traditional military policing roles, however it soon found itself engaged in urban combat for which it was ill-equipped. The battalion was to provide support for USAHAC in the conduct of disaster recovery operations by providing security, damage control and prevention of pilferage. The concept of operations envisioned a disaster or VC destruction such as the blowing up of a US billet (similar to the Victoria BOQ bombing in April 1966) by VC personnel. After confirmation of a disaster by the provost marshal, the battalion was to dispatch a 25-man alert force to the affected area. The team was organised into a control and cordon team which would seal off and clear the damaged area of all unauthorized personnel; a rescue team which would evacuate casualties from the building and a search team to assists explosive ordnance personnel in locating other bombs or explosives. There was no provision in the plan for use of battalion military police as fighting units. This concept was applied in response to the initial attack on the Joint General Staff Compound which was believed to be an attack on BOQ-3 and the alert force was ambushed by VC resulting in 17 MPs killed.

Companies A and B were based at the Capitol BEQ 107 Dong Khanh St (now Hem 107 Tran Hung Dao) (), Cholon while Company C was based at MACV headquarters annex.

Companies A, B and C were inactivated on 29 March 1973 in South Vietnam.

Post-Cold War The unit served in the Gulf War (1990–91), Iraq War (2003–4 and 2007–8) and the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), West Africa Ebola Response (2014–2015)

Battalion Crest and Coat of Arms Shield: The baton, or truncheon, was borne of high officers in monarchial establishments of the Middle Ages as a badge of authority and who were originally charged with military duties. Thus, this is symbolic of the functions of the organization in the just administration of the essential principles of justice.

Crest: The stylized scale signifies the mission of the unit to administer authority and justice. The scale consisting of bamboo and traditional carrying pole with two baskets denote the unit's area of service, Vietnam. The bamboo, consisting of seven segments, also symbolizes the decorations awarded to the unit for service in Southeast Asia. The sixteen spears symbolize military preparedness and readiness and their sixteen campaign credits.

Motto: "Lex Et Ordo" translates to "Law and Order". Background: The coat of arms was originally approved on 27 Aug 1942. It was amended to add a blazon on 1 Oct 1942. On 17 January 1975, the coat of arms was rescinded. The coat of arms was reinstated for the 716th Military Police Battalion on 4 June 1992. The coat of arms was amended to add a crest on 20 May 2020.

Honors Unit decorations Ribbon Award Year NotesPresidential Unit Citation (Army)1968Saigon Tet OffensivePresidential Unit Citation (Navy)2003IraqMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)American TheaterMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)1966for service in VietnamMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)1968for service in VietnamMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)1968–1969for service in VietnamMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)1990–1991for service in Southwest AsiaMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army) 2003–2004 for service in IraqMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2004–2005for service in AfghanistanMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2007-2008 for service in IraqMeritorious Unit Commendation (Army)2012for service in AfghanistanNavy Unit CommendationRepublic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm 1965–1968for service in VietnamRepublic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm 1968–1973for service in Vietnam

Campaign streamers Conflict Streamer Year(s) Vietnam War Vietnam Defense Vietnam War Counteroffensive Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase II 1966–1967 Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase III 1967–1968 Vietnam War Tet Counteroffensive 1968 Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase IV 1968 Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase V 1968 Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase VI 1968–1969 Vietnam War Tet 69/Counteroffensive 1969 Vietnam War Summer–Fall 1969 1969 Vietnam War Winter–Spring 1970 1970 Vietnam War Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1970 Vietnam War Counteroffensive, Phase VII 1970–1971 Vietnam War Consolidation I 1970 Vietnam War Consolidation II 1971 Gulf War Defense of Saudi Arabia 1990 Gulf War Liberation and Defense of Kuwait 1990 Gulf War Cease-Fire 1991 Operation Iraqi Freedom Liberation of Iraq 2004–2005 Operation Iraqi Freedom Transition of Iraq 2006–2008 Operation Iraqi Freedom Iraqi Surge Operation Iraqi Freedom Iraqi Sovereignty

References

External links 716th MP Battalion Vietnam website