115th Military Police Battalion (Combat Support)
Soldiers of the 115th Military Police Battalion were activated almost immediately after the attacks on September 11, 2001. Approximately 250 soldiers from the 115th began their deployment the next day at the Pentagon. Units HHC as well as the 200th and the 290th MP Companies all went to the Pentagon. By late October 2001, some members of the 1st Ba
ttalion, 115th Infantry were sent to support Fort Bragg, NC, and other federal installations. After helping with security at the Pentagon, the 115th was called up to go to Fort Stewart, GA, where the unit went through a validation exercise aimed at helping train soldiers of the 115th on how to perform force protection and refresh the soldiers' force protection skills. Once the exercise was over, soldiers of the 115th began putting that training to good use in force protection operations at Ft. While performing force protection at Fort Stewart, some soldiers of the 115th were, around December 10, 2001, called on again to go to the Pentagon. In early January 2002, approximately 82 soldiers from the HHC element of the 115th MP Battalion deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they were assigned to work for the Joint Detention Operation Group, as part of the U.S. military force that is guarding and caring for the al-Qaida and Taliban detainees at Camp X-Ray. The Maryland Army Guard soldiers were part of a battalion-size force of soldiers and Marines committed to guarding and looking after the multi-national detainees confined in separate, temporary cells at Camp X-Ray. While some of the Guard soldiers help guard the detainees within the compound, the Marylanders are principally responsible for keeping the detainees' personnel records. They were replaced in June 2002 by the 160th MP Battalion. In 2003 the Battalion Headquarters and HHC deployed to Iraq and established Camp Cropper named after SSG Kenneth Cropper of the 200th MP CO that passed away during post 9/11 duty at the Pentagon. The 115th established enduring detention operations and forged a lasting place in Military Police history. The Battalion deployed the 290th MP Company 2003-2004 comprised of Soldiers from across the Battalion ISO Operation Enduring Freedom
in Afghanistan, performing various base
security missions. In 2005 a Battalion Task Force was dispatched to the Gulf States in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In 2007-2008 the 290th MP CO again deployed comprised of Soldiers from the 200th and HHC ISO Operation Iraqi Freedom, performing EPW Detention Operations in Camp Cropper and Camp Ashraf. In 2011 the Battalion responded to a large activation in response to the impacts of Hurricane Irene on Maryland. In 2012-2013 the Battalion HHD deployed to Afghanistan to take command of security and police mentoring in the Kabul AO. The Battalion commanded actual battle space, a historical first for MDARNG during GWOT. In 2013-2014 both the 290th and 200th deployed company (-) elements to Afghanistan ISO of JSOC operations. In 2017 the Battalion dispatched the 200th on an over month long EMAC security assistance mission to the Virgin Islands in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. In 2020 the Battalion had a full scale activation in support of the COVID19 global pandemic, the largest single activation since WWII. The Battalion established one of the first large scale testing sites in the nation at FEDEX field and assisted with a variety of humanitarian assistance. In 2021 the Battalion was activated and sent to Washington DC on 7 January after protestors stormed the Capitol building, in what was called Operation Capitol Response. Throughout the mission, the Battalion provided security for the Senate, Capitol and House building complexes. After this mission was completed the Battalion provided a large task force for the Governors call to duty to assist civil authorities distribute COVID19 vaccinations.
