43rd Military Police Brigade (United States)

Within the Rhode Island Army National Guard, the 43rd Military Police Brigade commands the 118th Military Police Battalion, to which the 115th and 169th Military Police companies are assigned. In addition, the brigade exercises administrative control over 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery. The headquarters of the 43rd Military Police Brigade is located at the Warwick Armory in Warwick, Rhode Island. ==History==

The 43rd Military Police Brigade was constituted 4 March 1959 and allotted to the Rhode Island Army National Guard as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 103d Replacement Battalion. Organized and Federally recognized 1 April 1959 at Providence. Converted and redesignated 18 March 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 43d Engineer Group. Converted and redesignated 1 May 1968 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 43d Military Police Brigade. Reorganized and redesignated 1 May 1976 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 43d Military Police Brigade. One of the next major state activations came in 1978. The "Blizzard of '78" crippled the state and forced all units to be called to duty from 6–16 February 1978. The 43rd organized traffic control to allow engineers to perform snow removal. MP's were stationed throughout the downtown area to prevent looting. There had not been a statewide call up since the "Hurricane of '38", thirty-nine years earlier. The unit had control of detention operations along with the Afghan National Police at Bagram Airbase. They returned home to Rhode Island on 7 March 2012. In October 2012 elements of the 43rd MP Brigade were mobilized following Superstorm Sandy to conduct security and traffic control operations. In early 2017, about 60 personnel from the Headquarters Company of the 43d MP Brigade deployed to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba to provide staffing for the headquarters element of Joint Task Force Guantanamo. ==Shoulder Sleeve Insignia==

The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved on 16 May 1969, consisting of a green shield with a yellow wall of two crenelles above three green wavy bars, issuing from base and surmounted overall a white pike all within a yellow border. The fortification above the wavy bars alludes to the wall surrounding the 15th-century city of Rhodes, capital of the island of Rhodes in the eastern Mediterranean after which Rhode Island was named. The wavy bars also represent Narragansett Bay and the many waterways of the state. The pike, any early weapon used by guards symbolizes the 43d Military Police Brigade's ability to give protection and strong support. ==Commanding officers==

• Brigadier General John Kane, 1966–1968 • Brigadier General Harold Read, 1968–1970 • Brigadier General Morphis Jamiel, 1970–1972 • Brigadier General Thomas Cordner, 1980–1985 • Brigadier General Andre Trudeau, 1985–1987 (Adjutant General of Rhode Island, 1990–1995) • Colonel Ralph H. Lataille, 1987–1988 • Colonel Francis Holland, 1988–1990 • Brigadier General Richard Valente, 1990–1995 • Brigadier General James Dunn, 1995–2000 • Brigadier General James Reed, 2000–2001 • Brigadier General Richard Baccus, 2001–2003 • Brigadier General Kevin R. McBride, 2003–2008 (Adjutant General of Rhode Island, 2010–2015) • Brigadier General James E. Keighley, 2008–2010 • Brigadier General Charles Petrarca, 2010–2012 • Brigadier General David Mederios, 2012 • Colonel Thomas P. Clark, 2012–2014 • Colonel Javier Reina, 2014–2019 • Colonel Craig R. Maceri, 2019–present ==References==