A History of Service in Monroe: The 178th MP Company

By Major William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

Imagery of the 178th MP Company in 2016 and its predecessor unit in 1916. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Early History

The Monroe, Georgia-based 178^th Military Police Company has a long history and tradition of service. The earliest Georgia National Guard unit from Monroe was the Walton Guards which was established in 1874 in honor of the Walton Guards which had served in the American Civil War. This unit was redesignated Company H, 2^nd Georgia Infantry Regiment in 1907, and in 1916 was mobilized with the regiment to the Mexican Border.[1] Company H was stationed at Camp Cotton in El Paso, Texas, where its Soldiers conducted patrols of the border until March 1917 when the 2^nd Georgia redeployed to Georgia. Remaining in federal service, the unit was redesignated Company H, 121^st Infantry Regiment October 1, 1917. Mobilized to France in 1918, the Walton Guards arrived too late to participate in combat operations.

 

The Walton Guards in 1902, Capt. Cliff Walker, commanding. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Inter War

The Monroe unit was reorganized as the Howitzer Company of the 121^st Infantry Regiment May 12, 1925, under the command of Capt. Augustus E. Williamson. [2] Williamson had enlisted in the Walton Guards and served with them on the Texas border in 1916. Nominated for the Distinguished Service Cross while serving as a noncommissioned officer with the Georgia National Guard’s 151^st Machine Gun Battalion in World War I, Williamson commanded the Howitzer Company for seven years during which the Monroe unit received numerous accolades.[3] Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1932, Williamson was appointed property and distribution officer, forerunner of today’s United States Property and Fiscal Officer, for the Georgia National Guard. His brother, Donald Williamson, succeeded him and led the Howitzer Company until October 1, 1939, when it was reorganized as Battery B, 214^th Coast Artillery Regiment.[4] Williamson stayed on as commanding officer as did junior officers, 1^st Lt. George Hearn and 2^nd Lt. Ralph Caldwell.[5]

 

World War II

Insignia of the 214th CAR.
Georgia National Guard Archives.

On Nov. 25, 1940, the Monroe unit was inducted into federal service. Deployed to the
Pacific Theater, the unit was reorganized and redesignated Nov. 10, 1943, as Battery B, 528^th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion. After combat service in the Guadalcanal and New Guinea campaigns the unit returned to the United States and was inactivated December 28, 1945, at Camp Stoneman, Calif.[6]

 

Cold War

With the post-World War II reorganization of the Georgia National Guard, the unit was redesignated as Battery B, 950^th Antiaircraft Automatic Weapons Battalion. Reorganization and federal recognition followed May 29, 1947, and on October 1, 1953, the unit was redesignated Battery B, 950^th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion.[7]

 

The Monroe-based 950th AAAWB at Camp Stewart, Ga. in July, 1952. Georgia National Guard Archives.

In 1959 the unit was consolidated with the Medical Detachment, 950^th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion and the 48^th Replacement Company and redesignated Battery A, 3^rd Automatic Weapons Battalion, 214^th Artillery.[8]

 

As part of the April 16, 1963 reorganization of the 48^th Armored Division, the unit was converted and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4^th Battalion, 121^st Infantry Regiment.[9] With the inactivation of the 48^th AD January 1, 1968, the unit was converted and redesignated as the 178^th Military Police Company, a unit of the 170th MP Battalion.[10]

 

In July 1968, the Georgia National Guard conducted an airlift exercise involving more than 400 Soldiers of the 170th and 176th MP Battalions. Seven Georgia Air National Guard C-124 Globemaster aircraft flew the Soldiers and 35 military vehicles from Fort Stewart to Dobbins Air Force Base July 9, 1968. Arriving at Dobbins, the MPs conducted riot control training designed to simulate a response to civil unrest.[11]

 

Military Police participate in an airlift exercise July 9, 1968. Georgia National Guard Archives.

On November 10, 1968, the Monroe armory of the 178^th MP was dedicated in honor of Maj. Gen. George Hearn who served 14 years in the Monroe unit.[12] Hearn, who had enlisted as a private in the Walton Guards, was appointed to serve as Georgia’s Adjutant General in 1954. He served two non-consecutive terms as adjutant general for a total of 15 years and retired in 1971 having served the longest of Georgia’s Adjutants General.

 

The Monroe Armory was dedicated November 10, 1968, in honor of Maj. Gen. George Hearn. Georgia National Guard Archives.

In August 1969, the 178^th and 190^th MP Companies provided security and traffic control for the American Legion parade in Atlanta.[13] For the MPs, it was the first hands-on experience at large crowd control operations.

 

In the early years of their existence, units of the 170^th and 176^th MP Battalions conducted civil response training at Hard Labor Creek State Park. The weekend of January 17-18, 1970, brought the 178^th MP Company to the park where more than 100 Monroe-based MPs took to the woods for riot control exercises in full gear.[14]

 

Annual training at Fort Stewart in 1986 provided the first exposure of the 178^th MP Company to the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System.[15] Later that year, Soldiers of the 178^th were part of an effort to ensure public safety for marchers in Forsyth County. In 1988, military police were put on standby to augment security at the Democrat convention in Atlanta. Then, in 1990, the 178^th  joined hundreds of Georgia Guard Soldiers in providing security during tense demonstrations in which white supremacists and civil rights advocates faced off at the state capitol and Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta.[16] Despite escalating tensions, the demonstrations ended peacefully.

 

Twenty volunteers from the 178^th MP Company mobilized with the 190^th MP Company in September 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield.[17] The MPs were among the first Georgia Guardsmen deployed overseas where they were stationed in Saudi Arabia.

 

Specialist Andy Koundourakis, Georgia National Guard Soldier of the Year for 1991 (center) with 1st Sgt. Cliff Peters of the 178th MP Company.
Photo courtesy of the 178th MP Co. 

Throughout its existence, the 178^th MP Company has been recognized for collective and individual achievement. Captain Timothy Britt, commander of the 178^th MP Company, was the 1991 recipient of the William Few Award,[18] and in 1991 Spc. Andy Koundourakis of the 178^th was the Georgia National Guard Soldier of the year. In 1992, Sgt. Koundourakis was designated noncommissioned officer of the year.[19] Koundourakis followed up these feats in 1994 by achieving a new Winston P. Wilson match record for assembly and disassembly of the M-60 machine gun during the competition at Little Rock, Ark. Koundourakis broke the record with a time of 3:34 while blindfolded.[20]

 

The 178th MP Co. assists law enforcement in Bainbridge, Ga. in July 1994 following Tropical Storm Alberto. Georgia National Guard Archives. 

In July 1994, Tropical Storm Alberto caused widespread flooding across South Georgia. The 178^th MP Company was dispatched to Bainbridge, Ga. where floodwaters crested on July 15. Two days later, the 178^th were redeployed to assist the people of Albany. Throughout their mission, the MPs stood 12-hour shifts in 90-degree heat and humidity.[21]

 

During the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the 178^th, along with the 190^th MP Company and Company H, 121^st LRS, constituted Team Hotel, the task force charged with security of the Olympic Village. Assisting civil law enforcement, Team Hotel ensured the safety of more than 15,000 athletes and their family members.[22]

 

Soldiers of the 178th Military Police Company provided security during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Photo courtesy of the 178th MP Co.

The 178^th MP Company with 182 personnel was ordered to active federal service in support of Operation Noble Eagle February 11, 2002.[23] The 178^th provided MP support to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and augmented security at installations in Georgia. The 178th was released from active-duty December 17, 2002,[24] but was again ordered to active federal service February 23, 2003[25] for 12-month deployment in support of ONE.[26]

 

On November 19, 2008, the 178^th MP Co. was ordered to active federal service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit returned home and was released from federal service December 23, 2009.

 

The 178th MP Company in Haiti in 2011.  Photo courtesy of the 178th MP Co.

2011 was a busy year for the 178^th. In January the 178^th assisted stranded motorists following winter storms.[27] The 178^th fielded the M-1117 Armored Security Vehicle,[28] and in June, Monroe MPs conducted an overseas training event in Haiti to provide humanitarian assistance.

 

Soldiers of the 178th Military Police Company traveled to the country of Georgia in 2019 for exercise Agile Spirit.  Georgia National Guard Archives.

The 178th would again be called to assist following Winter Storms Pax and Leon in 2014 and provided personnel and equipment in response to hurricanes Matthew Irma, Michael, and Dorian. Personnel of the 178th mobilized to the country of Georgia for Exercise Agile Spirit 19 in the summer of 2019.

 

A convoy of vehicles from of the 178th Military Police Company enroute to Savannah following Hurricane Matthew October 8, 2016.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Perry.

In March 2020, MPs from Monroe were among the first Georgia Guardsmen called to active duty in support of Georgia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From May 2020 through 2021, the 178^th MP Company supported law enforcement officials and augmented security at key response to civil demonstrations, the contested 2020 election and subsequent presidential inauguration.

 

A Soldier of the 178th Military Police Company observes a protest in Atlanta May 30, 2020.  Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

Soldiers of the 178th mobilized with the 170th Military Police Battalion to sites in Atlanta on January 27, 2023, to support civil authorities and protect citizens and property after Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in response to threats of violence against the city of Atlanta. The Soldiers departed the Decatur Armory and staged at the World Congress Center. Military police provided security at the capitol and judiciary center. The Soldiers began returning to Decatur at 8:00 am Sunday morning and had completed their mission by 4:30 pm.

 

On October 20, 2023, the 178^th MP Co. mobilized to Kuwait in support of Operation Spartan Shield. The Soldiers returned from the Central Command area of operations August 6, 2024. Less than two months after their return, Soldiers of the 178^th MP Company were activated in support of Hurricane Helene response operations where they assisted law enforcement and humanitarian relief supply distribution.

The 178th MP Company returned from deployment to Kuwait August 6, 2024. Photo courtesy of the 178th MP Co.

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[1] Official Register of the National Guard of Georgia for 1917, Atlanta: Jan. 1, 1917, 88.

 

[2] Center for Military History. “30^th Infantry Division (States of Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina).” April 19, 1924.

 

[3] Robert G. Burton to Mrs. P. F. Burton October 18, 1918.

 

[4] Military Department, State of Georgia, “General Order No. 14,” September 27, 1939.

 

[5] Military Department, State of Georgia. Pictorial Review of the National Guard of the State of Georgia. Atlanta: 1939, 56-57.

 

[6] The Center for Military History. “Lineage and Honors, 178^th Military Police Company.”

 

[7] NG AROTO 325.4, April 12, 1956.

 

[8] RA 73-59, June 10, 1959.

 

[9] RA 57-63, March 21, 1963.

 

[10] RA 71-67, December 14, 1967.

[11] “Ga. Emergency Operations Headquarters Conducts Successful Airlift of MP’s,” The Georgia Guardsman, May-Aug 1968, 4.

[12] “Major General George J. Hearn Honored in Naming of Armory in Monroe Dedicated by Governor,” The Georgia Guardsman, September December 1968, 2.

 

[13] “Army and Air Guardsmen Support American Legion Parade,” The Georgia Guardsman, July December 1969, 14.

[14] “State Park Site No Picnic for 178^th MP Co.,” The Georgia Guardsman, January March 1970. 11.

 

[15] “Going MILES at AT,” The Georgia Guardsman. August September 1986, 11.

 

[16] “Guard Defends Rights Twice in 1990,” The Georgia Guardsman. Spring 1990, 1.

 

[17] “Guardsman’s Letters Describe Desert Duty,” The Georgia Guardsman, Winter 1990, 15.

 

[18] “Awards and Honors,” The Georgia Guardsman, Fall 1991, 16.

 

[19] Mattie Jones, “178^th has Georgia’s Top NCO,” The Georgia Guardsman, June 1992, 23.

 

[20] Eric Johnson, “178^th MP Breaks Record,” The Georgia Guardsman, March 1994, 16.

 

[21] “The Flood of 94,” The Georgia Guardsman. September 1994, 5.

 

[22] Fred Baker and Thomas Meeks, “Locked and Loaded. Team Hotel Protects Olympic Athletes,” The Georgia Guardsman, Summer 1996, 19.

 

[23] DA PO 35-9.

 

[24] DA PO 345-1.

 

[25] DA PO 48-12.

 

[26] DA PO 68-23.

 

[27] “Patriot Winter 2011,” The Georgia Guardsman, January 2011, 3-4.

 

[28] Roy Henry. “Christmas Comes Early for MPs.” The Georgia Guardsman. June 2010, 2-3.

History of the 170th MP Battalion

By Major William Carraway

Historian, Georgia National Guard

 

Left: The colors of the 170th MP Battalion during a July 16, 2022 change of command ceremony. Right: Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 122nd Infantry
Regiment participate in a machine gun drill with an M1917A1 water-cooled machine gun in 1939. Georgia National Guard Archives. 

Formation and Early History[1]

The predecessor unit of the 170^th MP Battalion was organized and federally recognized March 5, 1924 in the Georgia National Guard in Atlanta as Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion and Company C, 200th Infantry. On June 9, 1924, the unit was redesignated as Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, and Company C, 122d Infantry Regiment.

 

On July 1, 1939, the unit was converted and redesignated as Headquarters Battery and Combat Train, 1st Battalion, and Battery C, 179th Field Artillery. One year later the unit was reorganized and redesignated  July 1, 1940, as Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 179th Field Artillery.

 

Collar discs and unit insignia of the 179th Field Artillery Battalion, and its predecessor, the 122nd Infantry Regiment, are flanked by source books
used in the writing of this chapter. Photo by Maj. William Carraway.

World War II[2]

The 179^th FA was inducted into federal service February 24, 1941, in Atlanta. After one week at home station, the 179th was sent to Camp Blanding near Jacksonville, Fla. along with their newly issued 155 Schneider Howitzers to begin initial training.[3] Upon arrival at Camp Blanding, the 179th, under the command of Col. Thomas Alexander, was assigned to the 74th Field Artillery Brigade, IV Corps.[4] Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 179th was employed as part of the coastal defenses near Jacksonville.

 

The 179th remained at Camp Blanding through the winter of 1941, and in March 1942, moved by truck to Camp Shelby, Miss. The trip took the battalion three days to complete.[5] During their stay at Camp Shelby, the 179th participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers and conducted firing drills.

 

Technical manual that belonged to Staff Sgt. Charles
Turner, 179th FA. Georgia National Guard Archives.

On February 8, 1943, the 179th Field Artillery Regiment underwent its most dramatic transformation since its conversion from the 122nd Infantry Regiment four years previous. The second battalion was designated the 945th Field Artillery Battalion while the 1st Battalion was designated the 179th FA Battalion. The former regimental headquarters constituted the 179th FA Group.[6] The predecessor units of the 170th MP Battalion were reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters Battery and Battery C, 179th Field Artillery Battalion.

 

On March 7, 1943, the 179th FA relocated to Fort Sill, Okla. with the 945th FA arriving the next month. Shortly after arrival, the battalions participated in the Tennessee Maneuvers. At the conclusion of the maneuvers in March 1944, the battalions returned to Camp Gruber where their howitzers were upgraded to the M1 155 mm Howitzer.[7] Shortly thereafter, the units received their mobilization alert.

 

After a four-day train ride, the battalions reached Camp Myles Standish, Mass. In the last days of June.[8] On July 2, the battalions boarded the USS Brazil, a converted luxury liner, and set sail for Scotland the next day.[9]

 

After ten days sailing over rough seas, enduring cramped quarters, the Soldiers arrived in Gourock Scotland, the same port in which the Georgia National Guard’s 230th FA Battalion had arrived nearly five months earlier.[10] The next day the battalions travelled by train to Warwickshire, England. There, the battalions received their full allotment of combat equipment and vehicles and calibrated their howitzers for accurate fire. In preparation for movement to France, the battalions were assigned to the Third Army, 182nd Field Artillery Group.

 

In the late hours of August 12, 1944, while German armor was withdrawing from Mortain, the 179th FA arrived off the coast of Utah Beach along with the Georgia National Guard’s 945th Field Artillery Battalion. Although their landing occurred more than two months after the D-Day Landings of June 6, 1944, the night sky was alive with tracer fire and artillery. From the landing ships, the Soldiers could observe a U.S. Navy destroyer engaging some inland target which was illumined only by the impact of rounds against the black mass of the French countryside. The Artillerymen would soon send their own rounds against German targets in the effort to liberate the continent.

 

Headquarters Battery, 179th FA. Georgia National Guard Archives.

The battalions moved off the beach and encamped near St. Mere Eglise on August 13 where they spent a jittery first night in a war zone. The battalions continued on to Le Mans where they rendezvoused with XII Corps. Having linked up with Patton’s Army, the battalion had its first brush with the enemy when German stragglers, attempting to reach their own line, blundered into contact with the battalion. Though shots were fired, no casualties were reported on either side.[11] were poised to participate in the campaigns of the Third Army crossing France, participating in the Battle of the Bulge and proceeding on to Germany.

 

After their brush with the enemy, the 179th was attached to the Fourth Armor Division, XII Corps, 177th Field Artillery Group which had just wrapped up operations in the St. Lo breakthrough. Rendezvousing with the Fourth Armor at Chevilly, the battalion continued on to Montargis where, on August 22, they established firing positions and fired their first shots of the war. In their first action, the 179th accounted for 14 enemy artillery pieces and more than 400 German casualties.[12]

 

The 179th continued its eastward drive with the Fourth AD through Vaucoulers, where the Georgia National Guard’s 151st Machine Gun Battalion trained before its employment in the trenches of the Western Front in 1918. Resupplied, the division continued eastward on September 10 and established a bridgehead over the Moselle River. Effecting the crossing, the 179th advanced to Luneville, France, where the 151st had entered the trenches in March 1918. Turning west, the division met stubborn German resistance at Fresnes en Saulnois where the 179th traded artillery fire with the enemy for five days.[13] For their actions, the 179th was recommended for the Presidential Unit Citation.

 

Battery C, 179th FA. Georgia National Guard Archives.

From September 28 to November 1, the 179th was held in a defensive position to await the buildup of combat power for an offensive operation. Moving out, the battalion reached Lanfroicourt where a tremendous artillery barrage occurred along a 55-mile front.[14] The ensuing infantry assault drove the German lines back and the 179th pursued with the 4th AD to Fenetrange where they linked up with the Seventh Army.

 

By December, the division had reached Rimling where the battalion fired on objectives across the border in Germany.

 

Reassigned to the Third Army, the battalion rushed to Belgium December 20 following German advances. By the 24th of December, the 179th, in support of the 26th Division, had established firing positions near Nagen, Belgium where they engaged German forces on the left flank of the enemy breakthrough.

 

On January 1, 1945, then assigned to the III Corps in support of the 35th Division, the battalion continued to hammer German forces near Boulaide, Luxembourg firing up to 1,000 shells a day despite desperately cold weather. On January 8, the battalion, following the 4th AD moved to relieve the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne.

 

After establishing holding positions in Luxembourg, the 179th was again attached to the 4th AD on February 24 and crossed into Germany at Vianden. Breaking the Siegfried Line defenses, the division drove on to Bitburg and Coblenz. Bypassing Coblenz, the division maneuvered south through Worms nd reached the Rhine, where the 179th FA became the first unit of Third Army to fire a shot across the river preparatory to crossing the Rhine March 24.  Advancing on the Main River, the 179th fired on Frankfurt before crossing the river five days later. Reaching the Autobahn, the division’s advance accelerated. Attached to the 90th Division, the 179th reached Leipzig. On May 4, again attached to the 4th AD, the 179th advanced to Berchtesgaden. Ordered to proceed to Prague, the 179th was in motion when the cease fire was announced.

 

In 266 days in Europe, the 179th fired nearly 49,000 rounds earning seven Silver Stars and 118 Bronze Star Medals. After serving in the European Operations, the 179^th FA was inactivated December 9, 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Va.

 

Post WWII Reorganizations

Upon the reorganization of the Georgia National Guard in July 1946, the 179^th FA Battalion was assigned to the 48th Infantry Division.[15] The 179^th was reorganized and federally recognized May 2, 1947, in Atlanta.[16] On November 1, 1955, the 48^th was reorganized as the 48th Armor Division and the 179^th was redesignated as Headquarters Battery and Battery C, 179th Armored Field Artillery Battalion.[17]

 

ATLANTA, April 21, 1955 Two- and-1/2-ton trucks of the 179th Field Artillery, 48th Armor Division, move out from
the Atlanta Armory during Operation Minuteman. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Subsequent reorganizations in 1959[18] and 1963 established the unit as Headquarters Battery and Battery C, 1st Rocket Howitzer Battalion, 179th Artillery and Headquarters and Service Battery and Battery D, 1st Battalion, 179th Artillery, respectively.

FORT STEWART, Ga.  1959 - Two 8-inch self-propelled howitzers of the 1st Rocket/Howitzer Battalion, 179th Artillery from Atlanta, Ga.
during annual training of the 48th Armor Division at Fort Stewart, Ga.  Image courtesy of the National Guard Educational Foundation, Washington D.C.

 

A reorganization of the 48^th Armor Division January 1, 1968, consolidated Headquarters and Service Battery and Battery D. The consolidated unit was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 170th Military Police Battalion.[19]

 

Unit Insignia of the 170^th MP Battalion.

On February 24, 1971, the US Army Institute of Heraldry approved the distinctive unit insignia of the 170^th Military Police Battalion. The colors green and yellow represent the Military Police. The gothic arch symbolizes the areas comprising the Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns and is used to represent the unit's participation there as the 179^th Field Artillery Regiment during World War II. Red and green refer to the French Croix de Guerre awarded the unit for action along the Moselle River represented by the wavy beam. The fleur-de-lis is symbolic of France and refers to both the Normandy and the Northern France campaigns. The black disc simulates a cannon ball and together with the colors scarlet and gold (yellow) alludes to artillery, the unit's former designation. A doorway implies protection and barrier, and with the scale of justice, refers to the overall mission of the organization. The unit motto, first in peace and in war is inherited from the 122nd Infantry Regiment which was redesignated the 179^th Field Artillery Regiment in 1939.[20]

 

The 170th MP Battalion was initially comprised of a headquarters detachment and the 178^th and 190^th MP Companies.. The 178^th was organized in Monroe where it is currently stationed. Originally organized in Atlanta, the 190^th relocated to Kennesaw in 1997 after a brief stationing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.[21]

On September 30, 1999, Headquarters Detachment, 170^th MP Battalion was consolidated with the 190^th MP Company. The 190^th MP Company carried forward the lineage and heritage of the 170^th.[22]

 

Soldiers of the Monroe-based 178th Military Police Company march onto the parade field during the opening ceremony for Agile Spirit 19
at Vaziani Training Area on July 27, 2019. Photo by Spc. Isaiah Matthews.

Modern Era

The 170th was reorganized in Decatur September 1, 2007,[23] and on September 1, 2019, the 190^th MP Company was consolidated with Headquarters Detachment. The lineage of the original 170^th MP Battalion was thus restored to the 170th.[24] As of this date, the 170th MP Battalion with the 178th and 179th MP Companies were assigned to the Marietta-based 201st Regional Support Group.

Georgia National Guard Infection Control Teams from the 265th Chemical Battalion and the 170th Military Police Battalion assist personnel
of the Saide G. Mays Health and Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta, Georgia, to disinfect the facility in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus,
April 5, 2020. Photo by Major Charles W. Westrip.

Units of the 170th have mobilized repeatedly in support of overseas operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and have supported training missions overseas, most recently in the country of Georgia. The 170th has assisted with security operations following natural disasters such as Hurricanes Irma, Michael, Dorian, Ida and Helene. In 2020 and 2021, the 170th MP Battalion was heavily involved in the state’s coordinated response to the Coronavirus pandemic and in civil unrest responses in Georgia and Washington DC. In January 2023, the 170th was mobilized to Atlanta in anticipation of possible civil unrest.

 

Soldiers of the 170th Military Police Battalion stage in Atlanta in anticipation of possible civil unrest January 27, 2023. Photo by Capt. Robbie Russell.

2024 was a busy year for the 170th MP Battalion. The 178th MP Company mobilized to Kuwait in October 2023 and returned August 6, 2024. The 179th Military Police Company, 201st RSG mobilized 160 personnel to Drawsko Pornorskie, Poland for Exercise Immediate Response 24 from April 27 to May 21, 2024. In August 2024, Soldiers of the 170th MP Battalion assisted the 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment with civil response training. The unit was activated in response to Hurricanes Debby and Helene in September and October 2024. 

Composite: Left to right: The command team of the 170th MP Battalion visits Soldiers of the 179th MP Company in Poland May 23, 2024. The 178th MP
Company returned from Kuwait August 6, 2024. Soldiers of the 179th MP Company, 170th Military Police Battalion, partner with the Augusta Fire
Department to distribute cases of water and bags of ice in Augusta, Georgia October 1, 2024. Photo by Sgt. Thomas Norris.

---

[1] Center for Military History. “190^th MP Company Lineage and Honors Certificate.”

[2] Center for Military History. “190^th MP Company Lineage and Honors Certificate.”

[3] Historical and Pictorial Review 179th Field Artillery. The Army and Navy Publishing Company, Nashville 1941, 18.

[4] 74th Field Artillery Brigade, U.S. Army, Camp Blanding, Fla., 1941.

[5] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 1.

[6] War Department, General Order #1, March 3, 1943.

[7] William M. Cosgrove, Time on Target: the 945th Field Artillery Battalion in World War II, (W. M. Cosgrove III, 1997), 39.

[8] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 4.

[9] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 4.

[10] William Carraway, “First to Fire: The Georgia National Guard’s 230th Field Artillery in Normandy” June 27, 2019 http://www.georgiaguardhistory.com/2019/06/first-to-fire-georgia-national-guards.html

[11] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 11.

[12] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 11.

[13] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 13.

[14] History and Battle Record of 179 F.A. Bn., 1857-1945, (Regensburg, Germany: Frederich Putset, 1945), 14.

[15] Center for Military History. “190^th MP Company Lineage and Honors Certificate.”

[16] Center for Military History. “190^th MP Company Lineage and Honors Certificate.”

[17] National Guard Bureau, NG AROTO325.4 October 17, 1955.

[18] National Guard Bureau, RA 73-59 10 June 1959.

[19] National Guard Bureau, RA 71-67 December 14, 1967, effective January 1, 1968.

[20] The Institute of Heraldry. “Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 170^th MP Battalion.” https://tioh.army.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=7011&CategoryId=3937&grp=2&menu=Uniformed%20Services&from=search.

[21] National Guard Bureau, OA 199-97 August 22, 1997, effective September 1, 1997.

[22] National Guard Bureau, OA 252-90 October 11, 1990 effective September 30, 1990.

[23] National Guard Bureau, OA 97-05 October 28, 2005, effective September 1, 2007.

[24] National Guard Bureau, OA 337-19 November 18, 2019 effective September 1, 2019.