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Marine Corps creates law enforcement battalions
Fox News ^ | July 22, 2012 | ap

Posted on 07/24/2012 10:54:31 AM PDT by re_tail20

The Marine Corps has created its first law enforcement battalions — a lean, specialized force of military police officers that it hopes can quickly deploy worldwide to help investigate crimes from terrorism to drug trafficking and train fledgling security forces in allied nations. The Corps activated three such battalions last month. Each is made up of roughly 500 military police officers and dozens of dogs. The Marine Corps has had police battalions off and on since World War II but they were primarily focused on providing security, such as accompanying fuel convoys or guarding generals on visits to dangerous areas, said Maj. Jan Durham, commander of the 1st Law Enforcement Battalion at Camp Pendleton.

The idea behind the law enforcement battalions is to consolidate the military police and capitalize on their investigative skills and police training, he said. The new additions come as every branch in the military is trying to show its flexibility and resourcefulness amid defense cuts. Marines have been increasingly taking on the role of a street cop along with their combat duties over the past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they have been in charge of training both countries' security forces. Those skills now can be used as a permanent part of the Marine Corps, Durham said.

The war on terror has also taught troops the importance of learning how to gather intelligence, secure evidence and assist local authorities in building cases to take down criminal networks. Troops have gotten better at combing raid sites for clues to help them track insurgents. They also have changed their approach, realizing that marching into towns to show force alienates communities. Instead, they are being taught to fan out with interpreters to strike up conversations with truck drivers, money exchangers, cellphone sellers and others.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: marinecorps

1 posted on 07/24/2012 10:54:38 AM PDT by re_tail20
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To: re_tail20

Bet they will look smart marching in the Homosexual pride parades


2 posted on 07/24/2012 10:57:45 AM PDT by Breto (The Establishment party is killing our country)
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To: re_tail20

Interesting that they have changed the role from military enforcement to civilian. If deployed in the USA it would be a constitutional crisis.


3 posted on 07/24/2012 10:59:30 AM PDT by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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To: re_tail20

A New World Order police department? I have all the respect in the world for our Marines but we don’t need to be putting them out there like this. Respond to threats to our country, not perceived threats.


4 posted on 07/24/2012 11:01:24 AM PDT by RC2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMeDmV0ufU)
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To: American in Israel
If deployed in the USA it would be a constitutional crisis.

How so? 3/1 was deployed to L.A. during the king riots.

5 posted on 07/24/2012 11:10:07 AM PDT by Michael Barnes (Obamaa+ Downgrade)
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To: re_tail20

Its a bastardization of the military.

It will lead to nothing good, either for the military or for American citizens overall.


6 posted on 07/24/2012 11:16:13 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: RC2
A New World Order police department? I have all the respect in the world for our Marines but we don’t need to be putting them out there like this. Respond to threats to our country, not perceived threats

It's all fun and games until they decide to turn the tools back onto us.

Wish more of these super hyper pro-military at any cost FReepers would figure that out.

7 posted on 07/24/2012 11:26:25 AM PDT by Yashcheritsiy (not voting for the lesser of two evils)
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To: re_tail20

No offense to the Corps, but Marines will make crappy cops just as cops wouldn’t make good Marines. Eroded combat skills in a standing force of under-utilized police. Great.


8 posted on 07/24/2012 12:16:53 PM PDT by Tallguy (It's all 'Fun and Games' until somebody loses an eye!)
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To: re_tail20
What a great idea, how has it not been tried before?

Shooting the enemy is so barbaric, let's just arrest them!

9 posted on 07/24/2012 1:03:24 PM PDT by ZOOKER ( Exploring the fine line between cynicism and outright depression)
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To: ZOOKER

We are not Democracy! Then what are we? We are a
“Representative Compound Republican Government”
with a Constitution. Its like a Corporation with a Charter.

Did you know that the States fired back at the Federal
Government, answering the question. You want to Tax
our Citizens, so they pay for the protection you provide.
OK then we will settle with this answer, and write it down.
You may Tax the State Citizens to pay for the protection
against all foreign aggression, perhaps a scuffle or two
between the States.

The Federal Government may collect Taxes for whatever
they need to protect the borders of this Country BUT;
about that tax -— you MUST SPEND 50% of the TAX
collected on your protective measures.

Why, you ask? It will keep the Federal Government small.


10 posted on 07/24/2012 4:28:08 PM PDT by KT5n4 (KT5n4)
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