SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii (March 28, 2014) -- Being a member of the Military Police Corps is a difficult task.
Army cops face schedules that don?'t take holidays off; they respond to difficult calls that never seem to happen during regular duty hours.
Being a criminal investigator also adds the responsibility of analyzing crime scenes.
In the case of the 19th Military Police Battalion (Criminal Investigation Detachment), 6th MP Group, being a criminal investigator also meant conducting felony criminal investigations and mentoring the U.S. Central Command theater of operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
For their superior efforts, the 19th MP Bn. (CID) was recognized, Wednesday, with the Feher-Deavers Award as the best CID unit in the Army.
?"There?'s the J.P. Holland Award that represents our Military Police brethren, but the special agents didn?'t have an award to recognize their organizations," explained Capt. Daniel Rothenberger, commander, 19th MP Bn. (CID). ?"The Feher-Deavers Award started in 2012 to create a competition between the CID detachments spread around the world, and to be able to identify the best one the Army has."
Determining the award among the many CID detachments meant analyzing stats, weapons qualifications and continuing education, and determining what honors or off-duty activities (like charitable work) a unit?'s personnel accomplished, and more, said Rothenberger.
Being downrange didn?'t deter the 19th?'s personnel from self-improvement.
?"We had one Soldier get a doctorate degree and another get her associate?'s degree while on deployment. Pretty impressive!" said Rothenberger.
The award presentation at 8th MP Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, here, was hosted by Maj. Gen. David E. Quantock, commander, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. During the ceremony, several 19th MP Soldiers were designated the best of the best in CID.
?"We have the CID?'s best support Soldier, Staff Sgt. Velvet Dotson. She was identified as the best supply specialist in CID command," said Rothenberger. ?"We also have the best adjutant general Soldier in CID command and the best civilian special agent of the year for 6th MP Group, within our brigade."
All the different individual accomplishments culminated in recognition with the Feher-Deavers Award.
Dotson, CID?'s best supply specialist, is also the same warrior who completed her associate?'s degree while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
?"We convoyed a lot," said Dotson, then lead driver for the lead vehicle. ?"It was a different experience for me the first time I had to go outside the wire."
She admitted her time downrange earned a ?"few gray hairs," but that working with CID has been very positive.
?"I accomplished a lot working here. I have great commanders, good supporters, so it worked out for me," said Dotson.
A reception attended by friends and families immediately followed the ceremony.
Citation: For selection as the Best Military Police organization in the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC) for Fiscal Year 2013. The unit?'s superior representation of the Criminal Investigation Division and the Military Police Corps Regiment with specialized investigative operational support to commanders in both the US Army Pacific area of operations and the Afghanistan/Kuwait theaters of operation is unparalleled. The Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment?'s performance over the past yer reflects distinct credit on all members of the command, the 19th Military Police Battalion (CID), the 6th Military Police Group (CID), the Criminal Investigations Command, and the United States Army.
Background and criteria considered for the award: The Feher-Deavers Award was extablished in 2012 to promote esprit-de-corps and professionalism in CID detachments throughout the Army. The award is named in honor of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Andre C.R. Feher and Sgt. Maj. Herman L. Deavers, both of whom made significant contributions to USACIDC.
Social Sharing