KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – As part of the ongoing transformation of Department of the Army criminal investigative functions, two military police units, one in Germany and one in Texas, recently cased their colors.
On May 1, 2024, 2024, Lt. Col. Ricardo” Richie” Cruz and 1st Sgt. Robert Wasielewski cased the colors of the 5th Military Police Battalion (CID) in Kaiserslautern, Germany. At Fort Cavazos, Texas, Lt. Col. Brian D. Reynolds on May 16 cased the colors of the 11th Military Police Battalion (CID). Both battalions have histories that date to service in World War II.
“Being a part of the 5th, whose storied history began at Normandy in World War II, was truly an honor,” said Lt. Col. Cruz. “The 5th MP Battalion now joins the lineage of inactivated units in Europe whose colors still adorn our conference room today,” Cruz said. The history of many of these units “now lives on in the Army CID Europe Field Office.”
'Being a part of the 5th, whose storied history began at Normandy in World War II, was truly an honor'
The 5th Military Police Battalion (CID) was originally constituted in December of 1942, and activated in January 1943, as the 5th Section, Criminal Investigation. After moving from their post of activation, Fort Custer, Michigan, to Europe and being redesignated as the 5th Military Police Criminal Investigation Detachment, they were finally inactivated in March of 1949, in Germany. Following inactivations, activations, and redesignations the 5th Military Police Detachment finally returned to Germany in October 1983, and in September 1996 was redesignated as Headquarters, Headquarters Detachment, 5th Military Police Battalion (CID).
The unit has participated in the Normandy, Northern France and Rhineland Campaigns of World War II, Vietnam Counteroffensive-Phase VI, Consolidations I and II, and Cease Fire, and contributed to the Global War on Terrorism. Unit decorations are the Meritorious Unit Commendation and Southwest Asia 2011-2012 streamer.
The 11th Military Police Battalion (CID) was founded on August 12, 1943, as the 11th Military Section Criminal Investigation. Throughout its history the unit supported missions in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, the Defense of Saudi Arabia, the Liberation and Defense of Kuwait and Cease Fire, Iraqi Governance and National Resolution, and more recently Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The battalion has earned four Meritorious Unit Commendations and an Army Superior Unit Award.
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