A common theme during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the U.S. Army Military Police Regiment at Fort Leonard Wood was to look back and remember the history of the Military Police Corps while looking ahead to the future.
That theme resonated with the regiment as they honored their fallen Soldiers during the memorial tribute Sept. 19 at the Military Police Memorial Grove. Regimental Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Woodring called the history of the regiment "75 years of sacrifice with honor."
"For 75 years, the Military Police Corps has supported every conflict, war or named operation our Army has been involved in from our permanent status on Sept. 26, 1941 through today," Woodring said. "Never forget those who have given us the ultimate sacrifice."
Woodring added he is proud of the way the Army honors its history and the Soldiers who have given their lives in defense of this nation.
"There is not a U.S. Soldier alive today who doesn't know how we honor our fallen comrades," he said. "With that, I believe it gives him the additional courage, if necessary, to pay the ultimate sacrifice by knowing that they will never, never be forgotten."
The memorial tribute began with the ribbon cutting for the new Marechaussee Soldier statue in Memorial Grove.
The annual MP Regimental celebration continued with the Spouses Challenge, where MP spouses took part in a day of "training" Sept. 20 by participating in various activities their MP Soldiers do on a regular basis. The activities included the active-shooter trainer, unarmed self-defense, battlefield forensics and the Engagement Skills Trainer.
The Provost Marshal of the Army, Maj. Gen. Mark Inch, talked about honoring the past and looking toward the future during the Regimental Review Sept. 22.
"We look back on our history and understand why assist, protect, defend resonates so much with the Military Police Corps. It is because, from the very beginning, that is what we did," he said. "We are a branch whose purpose is assist, protect and defend others, it's why we exist."
Inch also directed attention to the formations gathered on Gammon Field and talked about the future of the Military Police Corps.
"What we are looking at is the future of our Military Police Corps," he said. "You can see with one glance that our future is in very good hands."
Brig. Gen. Kevin Vereen, chief, MP Regiment and U.S. Army MP School commandant, also looked toward what the military police will need to be in the future.
"We have to continue to be the sole provider of professional policing, corrections and investigations for the Army, and, in some cases, the Department of Defense," Vereen said. "Our military police Soldiers must strive to be versatile and adaptive in the future.
Other events during Regimental Week included a golf scramble, a regimental motorcycle ride, the MP Regimental Ball and concluded with a regimental run Monday.
In his closing remarks before the run, Vereen asked those in attendance to remember the 75 years of great history of the MP Corps, remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and think about the Soldiers currently in harms way.
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