102nd Military Police Battalion (United States)

The 102nd Military Police Battalion is a military policing unit of the New York Army National Guard, and one of the oldest national guard police units being formed in 1898. The battalion is currently sub-ordinated to the 53rd Troop Command, another NYNG unit.

Lineage

 * Constituted 21 March 1898 in the New York National Guard as the 16th Battalion and organised from existing companies in Utica, Malone, Watertown, and Ogdensburg
 * Re-organised and re-designated 19 April 1899 as the 4th Infantry Battalion
 * Re-organised and re-designated 1 May 1905 as the 1st Battalion, 1st (New York) Infantry Regiment
 * Mustered into federal service 5 August 1917
 * Re-organised and re-designated 4 January 1918 as the 1st Battalion, 1st (New York) Pioneer Infantry
 * Demobilised 13 July 1919 at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky
 * Consolidated 15 February 1922 with companies of the 10th Infantry Regiment, New York Guard (organised 3 August 1917 to replace units of the 10th (New York) Infantry in federal service), and consolidated unit re-organised in the New York National Guard as the 3rd Battalion, 10th (New York) Infantry (10th Infantry assigned 26 January 1927 to the 93rd Infantry Brigade.)
 * Inducted into federal service 15 October 1940 at home stations
 * Re-designated 11 December 1940 as the 3rd Battalion, 106th Infantry, as an element of the 27th Division (later re-designated as the 27th Infantry Division).
 * Inactivated 31 December 1945 at Fort Lawton, Washington (106th Infantry relieved 17 May 1947 from assignment to the 27th Infantry Division.)
 * Re-organised and federally recognised 30 October 1947 as the 336th Anti-Aircraft Artillery (Gun) Battalion with headquarters in Utica, New York
 * Ordered into active federal service 15 May 1951 at home stations
 * Released 14 March 1953 from active federal service and reverted to state control
 * Converted and re-designated 15 March 1953 as the 3rd Battalion, 101st (Armoured) Cavalry
 * Battalion re-designated 16 March 1959 as the 102nd Military Police Battalion (only HQ, remainder of battle separate lineage).

Organisation
The current organisation of the battalion is as follows;


 * 102nd Military Police Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Auburn, New York
 * 105th Military Police Company, Buffalo, New York
 * 206th Military Police Company, Latham, New York
 * 1st Detachment, Utica, New York
 * 222nd Military Police Company, Rochester, New York
 * 1st Detachment, Hornell, New York

Honours
Campaign Participation Credit


 * World War I: Aisne-Marne, Oise-Aisne, and Meuse-Argonne
 * World War II: Eastern Mandates (with arrowhead), Western Pacific, and Ryukyus
 * Headquarters Detachment (Utica) additionally entitled to:
 * World War I: Somme Offensive, Yprus-Lys, and Flanders 1918
 * World War II—EAME: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe

Decorations


 * Headquarters Detachment (Utica) entitled to Belgian Fourragere 1940
 * Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at the SIEGFRIED LINE
 * Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at ELSENBORN CREST

Heraldic Items
Distinctive Insignia


 * Description: A gold insignia consisting of a gold three-post porticullis bearing horizontally two blue fleurs-de-lis and pendant from its rings a green scroll bearing the inscription "Serving State and Nation" in gold letters.
 * Symbolism: Green and yellow are the colours used for Military Police. The porticullis is a medieval symbol of authority to traverse, guard, open, and/or close a gateway or door; it alludes to the unit's home state, New York, through the term "Gateway to the New World."  The three posts of the portcullis represent the Eastern Mandates, Western Pacific, and Ryukys campaigns in which the unit participated during World War II; the fleurs-de-lis refer to service in World War I.