Combat Police
U.S. Army Military Police in Vietnam
by
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The military police in the Vietnam War were first and foremost tasked with the support of tactical unit commanders whose mission was to defeat the enemy on the field of battle. In prior wars the actual arena of combat was usually shallow and on a linear front. In Vietnam, an unprecedented problem of combat action constantly occurred: Safe "rear areas" of previous wars soon became the target of enemy guerrilla forces attempting to affect American ability to conduct the war. This disruption of rear area operations by the Viet Cong eventually forced the United States Army to re-think its previous doctrine of military police employment. Ultimately, the military police were ordered into a direct combat role as often they were the only immediate or available combat-ready United States troops to counter such attacks. Thus, in addition to "normal" police duties of former wars... military policemen in Vietnam also fought as combat soldiers against enemy "rear area" aggression... In summary, the military police role during the Vietnam Conflict was defined in the scope of sixteen, specific-mission police operations. Victory or defeat hinged on the successful integration of each of these operations into the overall war effort... Yet the No Front war of Vietnam often placed military policemen in the role of combat soldiers as they fulfilled their police missions. This forced military police commanders to continually review personnel and equipment resources in order to ensure their proper and effective use not only in support of combat units, but also in support of themselves as they too engaged in combat to defeat the enemy.
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About the Book
In the early 1970's, the U.S. Army published a set of monographs on the Vietnam War entitled "Vietnam Study Series." This series covered most of the major aspects of the conflict from airmobile operations to financial management, but did not include the activities of the military police. Combat Police completes the series by presenting a systematic analysis of military police organization and operations during the Vietnam War. Included are extensive Tables of Organization and Equipment, Orders of Battle, maps, and detailed tables of unit locations, strengths, and operational commitments. There are also a handful of personal accounts which provide an individual military policeman's "foxhole" perspective," as well as actual news articles from The Roundup, an official newspaper of the military police serving in Vietnam. These articles provide insight into how the military police viewed itself in its efforts towards winning the "war with no strategy." Structured similarly to the Vietnam Study Series format, Combat Police demonstrates how, in the guerrilla war with No Frontlines, military policemen were often thrust into situations where they had to be combat soldiers first and policemen second—truly a combat police!
About the Author
Allen Richard (Rick) Young served in Vietnam during 1968-69 as a military policeman initially as sentry dog handler, and then as a machine gunner on a river patrol boat and a Boston whaler, and as a rifleman of a two-man short-range riverine reconnaissance team.
Rick received an Associate of Arts in pre-law political science from Pasadena City College; a Bachelor of Science in Investigative Criminal Justice from California State University at Los Angeles; and a Masters of Science in organizational leadership from Philadelphia Biblical University.
He had been employed in civilian Federal law enforcement since November 1973 in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C., as a postal police officer, postal inspector, and (senior) special agent. In November 1999 he retired.