MPs gear up for regimental week
MP Regimental Week preview
By Kerstin Mitchell
GUIDON staff
FORT LEONARDWOOD, Mo. - This year marks the 68th Military Police Corps Anniversary, and events will commence today through Sept. 26.
"The MP anniversary is historically in September, and Warfighter traditionally kicks off the week," said Brig. Gen. David Phillips, Military Police School commandant.
The anniversary week schedule entails several events, such as conferences, a picnic, dedication ceremony, Hall of Fame induction, memorial tribute, regimental run, retirement ceremony, civilian luncheon, golf tournament and the regimental ball.
The Military Police Regimental Association will host the 2009 Military Police Anniversary and Regimental Conference Technological Solutions, today and tomorrow, at Nutter Field House. This event will feature approximately 60 vendors, said Regimental Command Sgt. Maj. Charles Kirkland.
It's a free, open-to-the-public event that will display the latest products and services for military police and law enforcement, Kirkland said.
The Regimental Conference, spanning over three days, will bring together National Guard, Reserve and active duty military police senior leaders from around the world to discuss the direction of the MP Corps, said Rebecca Higeons, Military Police School executive officer.
"It's a chance for senior leaders to wrestle with major issues regarding MPs and focus on the where, when and how to resolve those issues and achieve their goals," Higeons said.
The conference is primarily a strategic campaign-plan-building event that gives senior leaders a chance to solicit their input in order to develop how the MP regiment will look in 2020, Phillips said.
The 92nd MP Battalion will host the regimental picnic on Sept. 20 at Colyer Park. This is a chance for the military police community to come together and kick off regimental week, Higeons said. The picnic will have sporting events, food and plenty of activities for the children.
Monday will conclude the regimental conferences and give way to a variety of events for the coming week.
The Forensic Science Training Facility building will be renamed in honor of retired Maj. Gen. Paul Timmerberg at a dedication ceremony, Sept. 21.
Another significant anniversary event will be the regimental review on Gammon Field, Sept. 22.
"It's a pass in review ceremony in honor of our anniversary consisting of all the organic MP units on Fort Leonard Wood," Kirkland said.
Three individuals will be inducted in the Hall of Fame, and immediately following the induction ceremony and luncheon at the Pershing Community Center, the honorees and guests will make their way to the military police museum for the unveiling of the Hall of Fame photographs for each inductee.
Memorial Grove will be the site of the early morning memorial tribute, Sept. 23, to honor and memorialize 13 Soldiers who have lost their lives on duty or in combat during the past year.
In honor of the 68th MP anniversary, the four Fort Leonard Wood military police battalions, 92nd, 701st, 787th and 795th, will run throughout the night, Sept. 23, at Gammon Field for a total of 68 miles, said Sgt. 1st Class Albert Delamarter, noncommissioned officer-in-charge.
From 6:30 p.m. until 4:30 a.m. the next day, the battalions will cover a total of 64 miles. At 5 a.m. the entire military police regiment will run the remaining four miles around post, Delamarter said.
The public is encouraged to participate in the run. Contact Delamarter at 596.1119 for more information and times.
The retirement ceremony for Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Farley, European Command senior enlisted leader, is an NCO-run event at the Maneuver Support Center Plaza, and he wanted to retire here at the regiment, Kirkland said.
The 10th Anniversary luncheon will honor the civilians that made the transition to Fort Leonard Wood with the military police school in 1999, Higeons said. There are 29 civilians including her.
The regimental golf tournament will tee off at 10 a.m. at Piney Valley Golf Course, and Sellers-Sexton Ford is giving a Mustang to the person that can hit that ever-elusive hole-in-one.
Anniversary week will close out with the regimental ball at Nutter Field House, Sept. 26.
For more information on open-to-the-public events, times and locations, contact Capt. John Erickson, project officer, at 573.563.7898.
(Editor's note: Kerstin Mitchell is a photojournalist with the GUIDON, the Fort Leonard Wood newspaper.)
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