is mp considered asa non combat unit?

scorpioz SG

due to an injury i m recommended to non combat unit. i was thinking if military police is a non combat unit. MP nid to do soc or not. coz i cant do soc wid a problematic shoulder. coz i m interested in being a military police

mhcampboy SG

service combat…

scorpioz SG

can someone tell me more bout MP?

mhcampboy SG

u cannot be mp.

scorpioz SG

why?

moca SG

During field excercise, a Provost platoon or company will provide security for, say, the Brigade HQ.deployed in the rear.

When moving as a convoy, MPs armed with AR escort the convoy.

Once HQ is deployed, MPs will prepare sandbag positions, dig trenches, string barbed wire and man checkpoints and GPMG for the HQ security.

HQ personnels don't have to do any of this other that the responsibility of their respective jobs within the HQ.

So are the MPs combat or "combat service" ... I dunno. But they're all pr.cks. Mr. Green

Arapahoe SG

to guard POW. so i think it is considered combat unit.

beavan SG

nah, they get half combat pay only

moca SG

During my NSF time there was a fatal shooting in the Provost camp.

Some other rank guy, probably NSF, shot a WO or SSG point blank with an M16 in his office. My friend who was a regular MP was at the scene afterwards. He saif brains were all over the place, the back of the head opened up.

In another unrealted incident, I was once on loan to the CO of the Provost camp to help him do some work. Before he had time for me, I witnessed him dressing down 5 or 6 MP lined up in front of his office. Then he ripped off all their corporal ranks.

wonderamazement SG

That’s really tragic… care to elaborate more?

moca SG

I don't have the story of how, why, etc. MY friend was at the investigating scene, the story not out yet when he told me. He just liked to talked about the gory details. This was sometime between 1984 - 90. Some of you not even born yet.

It was reported briefly in ST, though.

soulwinner SG

good question but i not sure myself…

OldBird69 SG

sorry, double post.

OldBird69 SG

I think it happened about 1-2 years before I went thru School of Provost at Mowbray Camp in Ulu Pandan (now closed), so this incident must have been roughly 1985. So long ago, I can't remember the details - I think it was a disgrunted (probably mentally unstable) sub-ordinate who shot the sergeant (the CSM, I think) for 'tekan'ing him. This is about all i remember.
In the 1970's there was an MP who didn't check that he removed all 5 rounds from his revolver (he had 1 round still chambered in the .38 ) and shot and killed his buddy, thinking his revolver was not loaded. This was at the old Tanglin Mindef HQ across from Botanic Gardens and Gleneagles hospital. The bullet passed thru his buddy's body and ricocheted off a table (and left a deep mark) - hat table was still around when I served in the late 80's. The guy had to serve his time in DB until trial 2 years later and then more time in civilian jail. Our CSM told me this story as he was there.
Back to orig. post. When I was in NS, MPs were 'combat support'. Their wartime duties have been mentioned above already - security for Brigade/Div commander, guarding checkpoints along supply routes, rounding up stragglers (and send them back to frontline units) and guarding POWs. Although they are not combat units, MPs have come under fire in recent wars (famous one was during Tet Offensive in Vietnam).
Peacetime duties vary, depending on the unit posting and your clearance (check family background) - silent precision rifle drill, motorcycle cops, Detention Barracks, Istana guards, honour guards for visiting VIPs, guarding vital installations (such as Mindef HQ and certain hush-hush secured areas), and working for SIB. Working at Mindef HQ, I got to meet many govt ministers (except LKY), SAF and foreign generals (incl. Chair of US Joint Chiefs) and foreign dignitaries (George H. Bush, the father, when he was VP) when they visited.

Arapahoe SG

oh yes i remember the shooting incident in Provost unit. I was doing my NSF.

there was another incident where a SAF soldier took out a rifle and held girl friends hostage in Ang mo kio. in the mids 80.

Fingolfin_Noldor SG

Provost officer is considered a service vocation (or Combat Support if you prefer) if I recall correctly. So it is a non-combat unit.

moca SG

So you must be familiar with the term "running dogs"? Mr. Green

No (real) offense intended as I do have a 3 very close friends whom were MPs. One of them was the guy who was at the scene of the shooting. He is a Sikh, was a regular and a sergeant. Another one went over to the other side of the law after ROD He always had this long DB baton which he stole and kept under his car seat.. Mr. Green

It was during this 84 or 85 that I was on loan to your PROVOST CO for a couple of days and I saw that incident where 5 to 6 MP's got stripped of their ranks by CO personally. I can't remember his name but I think he was a Major, Chinese and in his 40's. He was furious and he used great strength to rip off the ranks of the MPs assembled before him. Some had tears in their eyes. Any idea of that incident or what it was about?

OldBird69 SG

Haha, "running dogs" is mild, MPs have been called worse, like "male prostitutes". But in retrospect, IMHO most of us were just doing our jobs and not going overboard with our powers. Only those guarding DB were a bit more "ngiao" and less forgiving because some of the detainess were perpetual/habitual offenders - some were there for 10+ years (they come out, then AWOL from their unit and kenna charged and send back again repeatedly).

No (real) offense intended as I do have a 3 very close friends whom were MPs. One of them was the guy who was at the scene of the shooting. He is a Sikh, was a regular and a sergeant. Another one went over to the other side of the law and became a smuggler of alcohol and cigarettes from Indo to SG after ROD He always had this long DB baton which he stole and keeps under his car seat.. Mr. Green

If you know please don't reveal my unit but I was in your neighbouring camp from 84 to 85.[/b]

I was at Provost 87-89. In fact after School of Provost, I was posted to Mindef HQ (another command) and came back only periodically, so my NS period didn't overlap with yours. Yes, baton is very useful, including for self-defense. Hmm, I don't think I know your Sikh friend. Only Sikh I know was the CSM at Mindef HQ. Last time I checked, he (Amar Singh) is the current RSM of Provost. He can speak fluent Hokkien, whenever he tried to spot check on sentries at duty post (usually at 4 or 5am to see if we 'eat snake'), we said on our walkie-talkie "Bayi lai liao" or "Bao Tao lai liao" to warn the sentries. But he understood every time and the person sending the warning kenna extra duty.

It was during this time I was on loan to your PROVOST CO and I saw that incident where 5 to 6 MP's got stripped of their ranks by CO personally. I can't remember his name but he was furious and he used great strength to rip off the ranks of the MPs assembled before him. Some had tears in their eyes. Any idea of that incident or what it was about?[/b]

Sorry, I don't know that incident. I do know many senior officers at Mowbray have police/CID connections because the same camp also housed police dog and other investigation units. I remember being warned that the CO was very strict about law-breakers under his command. If anyone in the camp commit crime outside and kenna sentenced in civilian court, he swore he would throw the culprit into DB afterward after they return (double punishment). The CO was the most feared person in our camp, more than OC, CSM or even RSM.

moca SG

My friend was a "modern Singh" no bao tao and - yes, just about every other Indian or Punjabi person I know speak Hokkien like natural. Something to do with an inherent gift of the gab.

By 89 or so I think my friend had opted to leave the service. His whole family was in law enforcement. He just signed on as a matter of fact and then realized it didn't suit him.

Our camp always got surprise spot checks by the SIB and the dog units. There was another MINDEF department that spot checked one night and found a map I hid inside the lightbox table instead of locking it up as was required.

There were some warnings but no action taken. I can't remember what that department was, something to do with security but not SIB.

OldBird69 SG

No kidding, if you had blindfolded me, i'd have thought he was a Chinese Hokkien. Very Happy

There were some warnings but no action taken. I can't remember what that department was, something to do with security but not SIB.[/b]

Probably MSD (Mil. Security dept - I think they have separate branches for each of the services). While I was at Mindef HQ, they frequently conducted spot checks at night (when everything should have been locked up), on anything that could lead to security breach - computer with sensitive material not turned off, file cabinets (w/ confidential stuff) not locked etc. Always had to have an MP as witness so the accused can't say the evidence was planted. Boy, it's hard to imagine this was nearly 20 yrs ago (reminds me I'm old). Very Happy