92nd MP Battalion to inactivate

By Mrs. Shatara Seymour (Leonard Wood)February 5, 2016

92nd MP Battalion to inactivate
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92nd MP Battalion to inactivate
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In an effort to be transparent, the 92nd Military Police Battalion command team held a town hall Jan. 27 concerning the inactivation of the battalion.

With an Oct. 15, 2016 scheduled inactivation date for the official ceremony, the battalion will lose more than 700 Soldiers.

This loss will not be immediate, but will occur by the end of 2016. These reductions were announced in July of 2015 and were covered in the Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment.

The battalion has been preparing for some time now, readying Soldiers and Family members for their transitions and furling of the battalion's colors this fall.

"Everyone in this room will be in a different unit within the next 12 months -- retired, ETSed (Expiration of Term of Service) or out of the Army," said Lt. Col. Chad Goyette, 92nd MP Bn. commander.

If not already, over the next several weeks 92nd MP Bn. Soldiers are slated to receive their assignment instructions.

"Soldiers have already started receiving assignment instructions, and that process will continue until all eligible Soldiers have received their follow-on assignment, which is expected to be early March," said Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Flom, 92nd MP Bn. command sergeant major.

In the meantime, Goyette said that it is the battalion leadership's goal to complete this transition with as much compassion, concern and care they can possibly give to the Soldiers and Families.

Goyette reassured the Soldiers that they have their best interests at heart.

"We will work each personnel action and relocation individually, taking into account all Soldier and Family needs while meeting the needs of the Army," Goyette said.

Meeting their needs will require assistance from across the installation.

Several Fort Leonard Wood organizations are supporting the battalion during this transition.

"There will always be a need for Soldiers in the Army," said Mike Martin, Military Personnel Division chief. "We will provide prompt, efficient and friendly assistance (to you all)."

But, the Soldiers have a necessary part in making their transitions smooth, as well.

"Attend the levy briefing; be proactive, and register and update PCS (permanent change of station) information in the Army Career Tracker to facilitate assignment of sponsor," Martin said.

The success of this process is going to take communication, cooperation and collaboration, Martin said.

"We have assured Soldiers and Family members that we will do our best to see they receive assignment instructions in a timely manner, and the timeline of their move is inline as best as possible with the specific situation of the Soldiers," Flom said.

"For example, Families with school-age children can generally expect not to have to move their kids while school is in session," he added.

Once the 92nd MP Bn. inactivates, only its 252nd Military Police Detachment and 180th Military Working Dog Detachment will remain.

The 252nd MP Detachment, in conjunction with the 180th MWD Det., will continue to provide specialized law enforcement to the Fort Leonard Wood community, in support of the Directorate of Emergency Services, to include but not limited to traffic accident and military police investigators, physical security specialists and military working dog support, Flom said.

Together, these two units will have about 60 Soldiers.

"Our community will transition to a pure civilian Law Enforcement and Security Guard (Access Control) force," Goyette said.

"The 92nd MPs will remain in place as a bridging strategy to assist the new team members as they arrive; however, these personnel will be subject to relocation, as well," he said.

The 92nd MP Bn. arrived to Fort Leonard Wood from Fort Benning, Georgia, in 2008. Its mission is to deploy worldwide to provide Military Police Support to Unified Land Operations, and conduct continuous policing operations in support of the Fort Leonard Wood military community.

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