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| The 40th Military Police (MP) Company is an
Army National Guard unit based out of Los Alamitos, California (about
23 miles southeast of Los Angeles). The company is currently commanded
by Lieutenant Cassandra Harris and First Sergeant Steven Rodriguez. The 40th MP Company originated as an element from the 40th Infantry Division (ID), which was born on September 16th, 1917, in response to World War I. On October 27th, 1918, the Military Police Section of the 115th Train Headquarters, within 40th ID, was reorganized and redesignated as the 40th MP Company. In 1941, the 40th MP Company mobilized at Camp San Luis Obispo, California and remained with 40th ID throughout World War II. It was deactivated in October of 1955 after the Korean War, then reactivated in January of 1974. Campaigns of the 40th MP Company include Bismark Archipelago (1943 - 1944), Luzon (1944 - 1945) and the Southern Philippines (1945) during World War II. Throughought the Korean War, the 40th MP Company also served multiple tours (summer-fall 1952, winter 1951 - 1952, winter 1952 - 1953, summer 1953). Unit citations of the 40th MP Company include the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. The 40th MP Company falls under the command of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD), 185th Military Police Battalion in Pittsburg, California. The HHD, 185th Military Police Battalion mobilized on January 17, 1991 and was validated through its mobilization station at Fort Ord. They deployed to Saudi Arabia on February 7, 1991, was assigned to the 800th MP Brigade, 22nd Support Command and utilized as a command and control battalion. The 185th returned home on June 10, 1991.* The 185th Military Police Battalion is under the command of the 49th Military Police (MP) Brigade, which is composed of the following units: Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 270th MP Company of Sacramento, 649th MP Company of San Luis Obispo, 670th MP Company of National City, 870th MP Company of Pittsburg/ Eureka/ Sunnyvale, 330th MP Company of Ontario, and 40th MP Company of Los Alamitos.** The 49th Military Police Brigade is the Golden State's only Army National Guard MP Brigade and is based in Fairfield, CA. The 49th's primary role in California is to provide Defense Support to Civilian Authorities (DSCA) in the northern region of the state. As part of this mission, the 49th has assembled a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and is able to respond to an emergency in a matter of hours. As part of its federal mission, the 49th MP Brigade stands ready to deploy and respond to support missions around the world. For example, the 49th was immediately deployed forward in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in May of 2005. During its OIF tour, the 49th was tasked with the training of fledgling Iraqi Police force and maintained command and control over 3,000 soldiers in three military police battalions.*** |
|
Shoulder
sleeve insignia:
|
The patch is the original patch of the 49th Infantry Brigade, which drew it's origins from the 49th Infantry Division. The number alludes to the gold prospectors, or "49ers" of California. The blue color is for the infantry. The gold diamond represents a gold nugget and it's discovery at Sutter's Mill, on the Amercian River, in 1849. The red design again alludes to Sutter's Mill and also the California sun.**** |
|
Distinctive
unit insignia:
185th MP Battalion  |
Under the 49th MP Brigade, the 40th MP Company is under the command of the 185th Military Police Battalion. The distinctive unit insignia is worn on the black beret of the Army uniform. Service as infantry organizations in World War II in the Aleutian Islands and Europe is symbolized by the two blue swords, a polar star, and a fleur-de-lis. The star is further reference to the badge of the early law enforcement officers and refers to the basic mission of the organization. The gold roundel or bezant refers to the nickname of California known as the Land of Gold and home of the unit.***** |
|
* Information obtained
from the California State Military Department's "California Military
Museum" |
