Law Enforcement Careers Available in the United States Army

Everyone has seen the commercials that the US Army has been airing. They talk about the over 100 ways you can be a soldier, but what does that mean. Very few people actually know what you can do for a job in the modern US Army. My goal is write a series of articles that will highlight some of the more popular jobs that Army has to offer.

Crimes can happen anywhere and the Army is no exception. It is for this reason the US Army has its group of dedicated soldiers to carry out law enforcement duties. Due, in part, to the size of the Army and many aspects of law enforcement there are three different Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) that make up the law enforcement career field. They are 31B Military Police 31E Internment/Resettlement and 31D Criminal Investigations. Although each of these MOSs falls into the law enforcement field they are unique careers in and of themselves.

Military Police, 31B, is probably the most commonly known law enforcement career known to the general public. Much like their civilian counter parts they are responsible for protecting lives and property on Army installations. This accomplished by enforcing military law, controlling traffic, preventing crime and responding to emergencies.

Every soldier is required to follow the laws that are set forth by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This set of laws covers everything from the traditional felonies (murder, rape, drug manufacturing, etc…) to something as simple as not showing up to work. When a violation of these laws is suspected the first people to receive the call are the Military Police. In addition to the set of laws that the military utilizes the standard traffic laws also apply. Military Police soldiers can run radar and respond to traffic accidents as part of their daily duties. In fact the Army has their own Traffic Accident Investigators. Military Police soldiers can also do community relation work. This can take the form of neighborhood watch programs for the housing areas as well as the D.A.R.E program that is in place nation wide. These programs are designed to help in the prevention of crime and to aid in the community's awareness of military police operations. As I said earlier crime happens everywhere, and unfortunately it cannot always be taken care of peaceably. It is for that reason the every military installation has a Special Reactions Team (SRT). These teams are made up of select soldiers that exhibit superior problem solving skills and physical ability. These specialized soldiers respond to barricaded subjects and possible terrorist threats made against military installations.

Internment/Resettlement (I/R) Specialist carry out a unique mission for the US Army. Their primary responsibility is the day to day operations in a military confinement/correctional facility. Some of the duties of I/R soldier include providing both internal and external security for facilities, custody and control of inmates/detainees, escorting of all security levels and response to inmate disturbances and emergencies.

It goes without saying that security is a very big part of I/R soldiers are responsible for. External security measures may include roving perimeter guards, stationary tower guards and even the monitoring of a facilities security camera systems. Internal security measures are little more in depth. They can include the simple act of an I/R soldier conducting a patrol of their assigned area or it can be as complicated as a detailed search of the facility itself. Custody and control is a term that refers to the bottom line task that all I/R soldiers must carry out. Custody is simply maintaining the proper security level for the correctional/detainee facility. Control refers to the accountability and movement of inmates/detainees with in that facility. In a perfect world there would not be any reason that an inmate/detainee would have to leave their place of detention. Of course that is not a reality. For this reason I/R soldiers are trained to escort inmate/detainees in a professional and direct manner. Whether it is a local escort (moving within the confines of military installation) or an external escort (outside the confines of military installation) I/R soldiers are taught to respond to any circumstance. Due to the nature of the individuals being confined there may be a time when an I/R soldier must respond to a situation that is not normal. In the event that an inmate/detainee is in need of emergency medical treatment the on call medical staff is brought in to do what they can. If they are not available the I/R soldier may have to provide first responder care. Not all emergency situations call for medical aid. In the event of a hostile inmate a specially trained team of I/R soldiers are called in. This is what is known as the Force Cell Move Team. This soldiers are trained to pacify the inmate/detainee using the minimum amount of force necessary. In the unfortunate event that more force is needed a facility commander can activate the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT). This is corrections equivalent to SRT. These soldiers attend the same school as their Military Police brethren but do additional training on non lethal arms.

The third and final MOS in this career field is 31D Criminal Investigations. This is not an entry level position for anyone interested in the Army. Those soldiers that wish to apply to become a 31D must have a minimum of two years military experience and it is preferred if they hold at least an associates degree. A positive credit score and no history of criminal/disciplinary action are also requirements.

This is not intended to be the be all and end all of what a law enforcement career in the Army is to be. There are plenty of other opportunities available to those individuals that wish to travel down this path. The bottom line is that US Army an excellent way to get your career of the ground whether you stay in the Army as a career or are looking for a stepping stone into the civilian law enforcement community.