503rd MP Bn. Commences Mission Rehearsal Exercise

The 503rd MP Bn., a battalion in the 16th MP Brigade, headquartered at Fort Bragg, kicked off their week long mission rehearsal exercises (MRX) Monday simulating mission scenarios at the Mission Training Complex (MTC) on Fort Bragg. 

Members of the 503rd MP Bn. are ramping up in preparation for a late spring deployment to Afghanistan. They must meet the objectives in the MRX to validate for the deployment and prove to the command team that they are mission ready.

The 503rd MP Bn. is a subordinate battalion at Fort Bragg, but the majority of the 16th MP Brigade are not located here alongside the brigade headquarters. The brigade has Training and Readiness Authority (TRA) over the 91st MP Bn. at Fort Drum, N.Y.; the 716th MP Bn. at Fort Campbell, Ky.; and the 385th MP Bn. at Fort Stewart, Ga.  

The 16th Military Police Brigade operations section began the planning and coordination process 90 days prior to each event. The planning began by understanding and developing the brigade commander’s training guidance. Each subordinate battalion commander then developed their own training objectives and the staff prepared goals for their section.

"An MRX is an invaluable opportunity for battalions and higher formations to validate leaders and staff in preparation for deployment," said Capt. Douglas Ray, 16th MP Bde. Public Affairs Officer. "Although frequently used for stability and support operations, the MRX can be used to validate a staff to command and control any mission set."

Stay tuned this week for live coverage from the Fort Bragg Patch team.