A Day in the life of the Military Police
By Jelia Hepner
Paraglide
On a typical day, Military Police (MP) start off with a check list of things to do before they start their shift including drawing weapons, inspecting their vehicles and any necessary updated training.
After inspecting their vehicles, officers patrol various areas throughout Bragg. Each MP has dispatch equipment for the purpose of communicating with 911 emergency responders and each other. Emergency responders play a vital role in the safety of Fort Bragg because they inform the officer of where, when and what the situation is. This allows the MPs to respond to the situation in an appropriate and timely matter.
When officers are not responding to dispatch calls, they are out patrolling the installation. By doing this they are letting the community know that they are safe and help is always nearby. Visible MPs also provide a reminder to follow posted speed signs. According to officer Olmsted, lunch time is the busiest time for traffic. An average of five accidents occur every day on base. Speeding is a factor in many of these accidents.
MPs not only have to deal with issues including traffic stops and citations, but they also have to respond to more serious situations like drug investigations, DUIs, domestic violence or car accidents.
“I have seen where individuals lost limbs in bad car accidents,” said patrol commander Cpt. Seth D. Webb.
He recalls different situations in which he had to respond to,that would shake any human being emotionally. He discussed a domestic violence situation he had to respond with gruesome details.
“I pull up to the house and walk in; there is blood everywhere. Looks like a scene from a horror movie, blood on the walls, floor, just everywhere. A woman accused her husband of infidelity and cut him up pretty bad,” said Webb.
MPs have to deal with these types of situations day in and day out.
“With my job I do have to say Bragg is great with getting us help when needed. They have chaplains on hand if any of us need it or counseling.” said Webb. “If a situation is too hard for a MP then we would give them the rest of the day off. This job can get to you if you let it, so having these resources is good.”
In addition to patrolling, officers also have paperwork responsibilities to which they must adhere. If they give an individual a ticket or an individual gets arrested, they have to fill out information on that particular incident. Everything must be properly logged information into the computer system.
These officers not only protect the community, but they serve their country as well. Outside of their jobs, these men and women must perform Soldier duties including training and field exercises. They also must be ready for deployment on short notice. With this job they deal with issues from speeding tickets, traffic accidents, domestic violence incidents and more.
Working as a MP officer can be one of the most highly stressful and complex jobs on Fort Bragg. It can be very dangerous but also rewarding and fulfilling.
“It’s a rewarding job and sometimes can be stressful,” said Sgt. Kyle Olmsted, military police. “I make sure that I never take my job home. You have to keep everything separate, but I love what I do.”
“I enjoy what I do. My mother was a MP, so I followed in her footsteps. Coming to work every day you just never know what will happened on your shift,” said Olmsted.
