FM 3-39 MILITARY POLICE OPERATIONS APRIL 2019 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. This publication supersedes FM 3-39, dated 26 August 2013. Headquarters, Department of the Army Foreword Future operations will occur in complex, chaotic, violent, and uncertain operational environments against peer and near peer threats. These threats are significantly more dangerous in terms of capability and magnitude than those we faced over the last 17 years of conflict. Our Army will accomplish its mission by supporting the joint force through four strategic roles: shape operational environment, prevent conflict, conduct large-scale ground combat, and consolidate gains. The strategic roles clarify the enduring reasons for which the United States Army is organized, trained, and equipped. FM 3-39, Military Police Operations, describes the operational doctrine for the Military Police Corps Regiment. The revision of FM 3-39 reorients military police support to largescale ground combat while simultaneously supporting other types of operations around the world to prevent peer and near-peer adversaries from gaining positions of relative advantage. Our Army remains the strongest and best land fighting force in the world and the Military Police Corps remains critical to its success. The role of the Military Police Corps is to provide the Army with Soldiers who are professionals in policing, investigations, and corrections. Our military police disciplines of police operations, detention operations, and security and mobility support combined with our core competencies enables us to protect and preserve the force, enable maneuver, and shape the security environment both at home stations and in support of combat operations enabling commanders to apply maximum combat power in support of decisive action any place in the world–against any enemy. As Army professionals, our doctrine is designed to be our body of professional knowledge that guides how Soldiers perform tasks to fight and win our nations wars. Doctrine serves as the starting point for thinking about how to plan, direct, execute and assess our conduct of operations. Doctrine provides a coherent vision of warfare. Enhances our operational effectiveness. Provides a common frame of reference and cultural perspective to view. Provides a common professional language, which we must know. Highlights our Military Police contributions in support of the Army’s four strategic roles within Unified Action. All, while discussing the desirable character traits required in our Soldiers and leaders of today. We must not just read, but read and understand our doctrine. FM 3-39, Military Police Operations, is rooted in time-tested principles and fundamentals that accommodates for new technologies and organizational changes. Our Regiment is strong because of our people–the dedicated men and women across all of our formations, bases and base camps–and for that, I want to thank you for your commitment, dedication, and service to our nation and our Corps. But I also want to challenge you to really read and understand our professional doctrinal foundation FM 3-39. BRIAN R. BISACRE BRIGADIER GENERAL, UNITED STATES ARMY MILITARY POLICE SCHOOL COMMANDANT This publication is available at the Army Publishing Directorate site (https://armypubs.army.mil), and the Central Army Registry site (https://atiam.train.Army.mil/catalog/dashboard). *FM 3-39 Headquarters Field Manual Department of the Army No. 3-39 Washington, DC, 9 April 2019 Military Police Operations Contents Page PREFACE..................................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ vii Chapter 1 MILITARY POLICE AND THE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT ........................... 1-1 Military Police Overview ............................................................................................ 1-1 Operational Environment ........................................................................................... 1-3 Operational Variables ................................................................................................ 1-7 Mission Variables ...................................................................................................... 1-9 Policing Principles ................................................................................................... 1-10 Capabilities Across the Range of Military Operations ............................................. 1-12 Support Spanning the Levels of Warfare ................................................................ 1-13 Chapter 2 FOUNDATIONS OF MILITARY POLICE OPERATIONS ......................................... 2-1 Military Police Functional Organizations ................................................................... 2-1 Military Police Disciplines .......................................................................................... 2-3 Police Operations ...................................................................................................... 2-3 Detention Operations ............................................................................................... 2-16 Security and Mobility Support .................................................................................. 2-22 Police Intelligence Operations ................................................................................. 2-36 Chapter 3 MILITARY POLICE FORCES ................................................................................... 3-1 Section I – The Military Police Corps .................................................................... 3-1 Office of the Provost Marshal General ...................................................................... 3-3 United States Army Criminal Investigation Command .............................................. 3-3 United States Army Corrections Command .............................................................. 3-7 United States Army Military Police School .............................................................. 3-10 Section II – Military Police Formations ................................................................ 3-10 Military Police Headquarters.................................................................................... 3-11 Baseline Military Police Companies ........................................................................ 3-13 Specialized Military Police Units .............................................................................. 3-14 Section III – Military Police Force Tailoring ........................................................ 3-18 Brigade Combat Team ............................................................................................ 3-19 Maneuver Enhancement Brigade ............................................................................ 3-19 Higher-Echelon Headquarters ................................................................................. 3-20 Chapter 4 MILITARY POLICE SUPPORT TO ARMY OPERATIONS ...................................... 4-1 Section I – Army Operations .................................................................................. 4-1 DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. *This publication supersedes FM 3-39, dated 26 August 2013. FM 3-39 i Contents Unified Land Operations ........................................................................................... 4-1 Operational Framework ............................................................................................ 4-3 Section II – Military Police Support To Decisive Action...................................... 4-5 Offense ...................................................................................................................... 4-5 Defense ..................................................................................................................... 4-9 Stability .................................................................................................................... 4-13 Defense Support of Civil Authorities ....................................................................... 4-17 Support to Combined Arms Operations .................................................................. 4-19 Section III – Application of Military Police Support to Combat Power Through Warfighting Functions .......................................................................................... 4-20 Mission Command .................................................................................................. 4-21 Movement and Maneuver ....................................................................................... 4-25 Fires ........................................................................................................................ 4-26 Intelligence .............................................................................................................. 4-26 Sustainment ............................................................................................................ 4-30 Protection ................................................................................................................ 4-30 Other Considerations .............................................................................................