CPT/MP - Operations Officer
3rd Regiment Royal Military Police
Please choose from one of the below section titles or scroll through the page for information.
Description of duty position and work environment
- ESTABLISHMENT TITLE: OPERATIONS OFFICER
- RANK OR GRADE: CAPTAIN
- RESPONSIBLE TO (RATER): COMMANDING OFFICER 3RMP
General Responsibilities: Primary duty is Regimental Operations Officer, with secondary duties as:
- Regimental Training Officer.
- Intelligence Officer.
- Regimental Sports Officer.
Detailed Responsibilities - Operations Officer:
- Coordinate the deployment of individuals and sub units on operations.
- Lead role on all operational (G2/G3/G7) planning and training issues within 3 RMP.
- Draft and implement CO 3 RMP’s Training Directive.
- Draft all operational staff work for CO 3 RMP, including the management of commitments.
- Monitor and report on the operational capabilities of sub units, including input to the Measurement of Fighting Power (MFP) reporting process.
- Forecast Regimental commitments by the production of a monthly Forecast of Events (FOE).
Detailed Responsibilities - Training:
- Co-ordinate and direct individual and collective training within 3 RMP, including the production of training programmes.
- Co-ordinate the execution of all individual and collective training.
- Draft and implement CO 3 RMP’s Training Directive and related policies.
Detailed Responsibilities - Intelligence Officer:
- Dissemination of relevant intelligence within 3 RMP, covering both domestic threats and information pertinent to all current operational theatres.
Detailed Responsibilities - Sports Officer:
- Promote the participation in representative sport within 3 RMP.
Numbers under Command or Staff Controlled:
- Military WO2 x 1 (Ops WO)
- Civilian Nil
- TOTAL : 1
Qualifications Required: US Army or UK equivalent qualifications:
· UK Junior Officers’ Tactics Course (JOTAC).
· UK Military Police Officers’ Course (MPOC) / US MPOBC
· UK Military Knowledge 1 Course / US Captain’s Career Course
· UK Unit Training Officer / US Combined Armed Services Staff School
· UK Unit Intelligence Officer.
Knowledge and Experience Required:
- Essential: 2IC (XO) of a MP Company or Brigade Provost Officer.
- Desirable: Recent operational experience or a training appointment / US Army MP Company command
Security Vetting: NATO SECRET (SC)
Operational Appointment: S3 (Ops Offr) 3rd Regt RMP
Physical Training
The Operations Officer in the role of Training Officer is responsible for ensuring all members of RHQ are provided oppertunities to complete their PFT and BCFT and collecting all PT statistics for the Regiment. All RHQ PT is done at the individual level. There are several gyms at Bulford Camp / Tidworth Camp and the surrounding training areas provide outstanding running sites. British soldiers take two PT assessments every year consisting of two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups and a 1.5 mile run. Everyone must also pass annually the Basic Combat Fitness Test - an eight-mile road march carrying approximately 25 lbs. in two hours.
Housing
Housing is coordinated through a British agency called Defence Estates. The local DE, based in Warmintster, has been cooperative and helpful when dealing with the US Army Military Police Exchange Officer position in Bulford. The section below deals with aspects of the assigned quarter.
A. Assigned quarter. The US Army Military Police Exchange Officer is assigned a quarter on Bulford Camp, Salisbury SP4 9__. The quarter is will be Type 4 accomodaton designated for the rank of captain. A floor plan and digital photos of the quarters will be sent to the next MP Exchange Officer designee but are not published here for security reasons.
(3) Key appliances/items to leave in the US. The following items should be left in storage: refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer, dishwasher, stove, microwave, electric clocks and personally owned firearms.
Medical and Dental Care
A. Medical. Exchange officers and their families have several options regarding medical treatment while in the UK. The Military Police Exchange Officer will still enroll with TRICARE Global Overseas Remote upon arrival in the UK. Exchange officers and their dependants are eligible for treatment at the medical and dental facilities on the US bases such as RAF Croughton and RAF Lakenheath. However, based on the fact that the Military Police Exchange Officer will be located more than 50 miles from any of these facilities, he or she will not receive any TDY pay or reimbursement for travel to these facilities. The program called TRICARE Global Remote Overseas (TGRO) covers active duty service members and their families living overseas in remote locations. TGRO is a partnership between TRICARE and International SOS, the largest remote site health care service in the world. International SOS coordinates and provides quality health care services from credentialed providers. This ensures military members and families receive quality health care, regardless of their location. And finally, Britain has a free health service called the National Health Service (NHS) that exchange officers and families can and should enrol in while in the UK. The Military Police Exchange Officer and dependants will typically use Tidworth Garrison Hospital or Salisbury Hospital for emergencies, the local NHS for flues, colds and similar illnesses and US military facilities or International SOS for other than basic or routine health care. Below is a list of important facilities and the contact numbers:
(1) National Health Service (NHS).
(a) Bulford Medical Centre, Bengal Road, Bulford Camp, 01980 672204
(b) Barcroft Medical Centre, The Centre, Amesbury, 01980 623983
(c) Avon Valley Practice, 77 Bulford Road, Durrington, 01980 652378
(2) TGRO/International SOS. Information regarding this program can be found at the following website: www.europe.tricare.osd.mil/benefit/remote and by emailing TDP@europe.tricare.osd.mil..
(a) RAF Croughton Medical Clinic, 01280-708-737
(b) RAF Lakenheath Hospital, 01638-521-847
(4) Emergency Services.
(a) The emergency phone number in the UK is 999.
(b) Salisbury District Hospital, Odstock Road, Salisbury, 01722 336262
B. Dental. All exchange officers and dependants are advised to get all pending dental work completed prior to PCSing to the UK. Dental work conducted in the UK should be carried out at one of the dental clinics located at RAF Croughton or RAF Lakenheath. Military members can use TGRO/International SOS. Family members are authorized to use TGRO; however, they will be responsible for upfront costs and the submission of a claim. The contact numbers for US dental facilities are listed below:
Post Office, Commissary and PX Facilities
A. Mail. Mail can be sent to your home address on Bulford Camp, SALISBURY, Wiltshire SP4 9__. However, an APO/FPO box will be established for the exchange officer at RAF Fairford (one-hour away). Mail sent to this US post box will cost less and there are no customs rates applied to items sent from the US to this post box. It takes approximately 10 days for mail to reach the APO box from the States and approximately five days when shipped via International Mail to the quarter.
B. Shopping. Salisbury, which is approximately 20 minutes away, has all the standard shops regarding clothes, books, music etc. This section focuses on shopping for food and American comfort items.
(1) Groceries. There is a small Londis shop on Bulford Camp. This shop is similar to a PX shoppette and has the basic food items. There is also a larger Co-Op food store 10 minutes away in Amesbury. At least once every three weeks we will shop at the commissary a RAF Fairford for most of our groceries. Smaller and more frequently consumed items are purchased each week from Tesco in Salisbury. For weekly grocery shopping, a trip to one of the large supermarkets listed below is available:
(a) Tesco (24 hour), River Way, Andover, 01264 820400
(b) Waitrose, The Chantry Centre, Andover, 01264 355515
(c) Tesco (24 hour), Southampton Rd, Salisbury, 01722 317400
(d) Waitrose, Churchill Way West, Salisbury, 01722 329429
(2) US Military Exchange Services.
(b) RAF Mildenhall/Lakenheath. These two US Air Force bases are about 150 miles (4-5 hour drive) from Bulford Camp and represent “Little America”. There is a large BX and large Commissary on RAF Lakenheath as well as most facilities found on a larger bases in the States (care care center, clothing & sales, movie theatre, etc). RAF Mildenhall has the Four Seasons store and a food court with all the usual fast food outlets (Robin Hood/Anthony’s Pizza/Taco Bell/Burger King). RAF Lakenheath also has the largest US medical facility remaining in the UK. Surgery and upper level dental work is performed at RAF Lakenheath. We currently take a trip to RAF Lakenheath / Mildenhall once a quarter or every four months to purchase any larger items or ‘hard to find’ items from the BX and to complete a number of other items such as car oil changes, etc. There is accommodation at the Liberty Lodge on Lakenheath (01638 526700) or Gateway Inne on Mildenhall (01638 542407) for about $32 per night for a single room.
Religious Services
There are two churches at Bulford Camp. Churches of other denominations can be found in Salisbury and Andover. The information and timings for the local churches are listed below.
(1) St George’s Garrison Church. This is a Church of England (Anglican) Church. Sunday services are at 1100 hrs. The phone number is 01980 672881.
(2) Our Lady Queen of Peace RC Church. This is the local Catholic Church. Sunday services are at 1015 hrs. The phone number is 01980 672427.
Banking
A branch of The Community Bank is located at RAF Fairford. Additionally, a branch of the Community Bank is located at nearly all of the military bases throughout England. The bank provides for a “Sterling” account for British Pounds Sterling (BPS) that includes British checks, a check guarantee card and an acceptable exchange rate beyond normal banking services. The account works with US dollars being deposited with a US check or cash and that money being converted into BPS in the account. Checks are then written in pounds to pay for local bills and expenditures. BPS can be directly deposited into the account also. The only issue with this bank is that the debit card can only be used at ATMs that are on the RAF posts. We currently also have a Lloyd’s bank account at the local bank in Andover which gives us the ability to remove cash throughout the UK.
Schooling
(1) Primary Schools (Elementary – Ages 4 to 10). There are two primary schools very close to Bulford. The Kiwi Primary School is less than one mile from the exchange officer’s quarter. The two schools with contact information are listed below:
(a) Bulford Kiwi Primary School, Hubert Hamilton Road, Bulford Camp, 01980 632364
(b) Bulford CE Primary School, John French Way, Bulford, 01980 632309
(2) Secondary Schools (Junior High/High School – Ages 11-18). Because there is a distinct difference between the US and British educational systems at the Junior High and High School levels, all older children should attend the US High School (London Central High School) at RAF Dawes Hill, High Wycombe. Located about 85 miles from Bulford Camp, it is a boarding school run by the DOD schools. In addition to an American curriculum, they offer the equivalent sports and extra-curricular activities as a school in the US. Bulford Camp is sufficiently distant from High Wycombe to qualify the student to board during the week. Students that attend the school on a command-sponsored basis, do so free of charge.
POV
POVs should be shipped to the Brandon UK Vehicle Processing Centre: Brandon, Suffolk, England GBR. Once POVs have arrived in the United Kingdom, they must receive minor modifications to be converted to United Kingdom standards. This costs approximately $225 and must happen within the first 72 hours following delivery of the vehicle to the owner. Also, cars have to pass an inspection called the Ministry of Transportation Test (MOT) to ensure the vehicle is road worthy. The initial MOT costs £40.75. Further MOTs will be conducted annually for all vehicles over 3 years old. Additionally, an annual road tax of £165 is required for all vehicles. Once the road tax is paid, the driver will receive a tax disc that must be displayed inside the vehicle windshield.
The US Government will ship one POV to the UK for exchange officers. Some of the important issues relating to the shipment and use of American vehicles in the UK are listed below:
(1) Insurance. Automobile insurance is mandatory in the UK. The British Government has authorized some American insurance companies to provide coverage in the UK. USAA is one insurance company strongly recommended for use by exchange officers. They are authorized to operate in the UK and have an office in London.
(2) Driver’s License. Service members stationed in the UK can drive on their valid US State Driver’s License. Dependants are permitted to drive on their US State Driver’s License for 12 months from their last entry into the UK as determined by their passports.
(3) Fuel. Gas can be purchased on the economy, but is very expensive ($9.00 per gallon). Fortunately, there is a gas station at RAF Fairford, a US Air Force base, approximately one hour away and at nearly all US military bases throughout England. Additionally, fuel coupons can be purchased at the RAF Fairford gas station and at most US installations across England. These fuel coupons are accepted at most UK petrol stations. Since some stations do not accept fuel coupons, exchange officers should always confirm that they are accepted prior to pumping fuel. There is a Shell petrol station at the Countess Roundabout (about three miles away) that accepts fuel coupons.
(4) Road Tax. The British Government charges an annual road tax of £165 per year per vehicle. Service members are exempt from paying the tax during their first year; however, they must pay the tax during their second year in the UK.
(5) Vehicle Modifications. All American vehicles must receive some basic modifications to prepare it for use on British roads. These modifications include adding front and rear fog lights, adjusting the direction of the headlights and changing the color to amber of the rear turn indicators. Currently, exchange officers will pick up their vehicles from RAF Fairford once requested to be shipped over from the Brandon VPC. There three garages outside RAF Fairford that can do the required modifications with a prior appointment. The cost is typically between $275 and $300.
(6) Ministry of Transport (MOT) Test. All vehicles in the UK require an annual MOT test before it can be operated on British roads. Vehicles over three years old require a full MOT, while newer vehicles require a modified version referred to as the DMOT. Local garages will do MOTs and they typically charge approximately £40 for the DMOT and more for the MOT.
(7) Registration. POVs must be registered within 72 hours of arrival in the UK. There is a registration offices at RAF Fairford that is extremely helpful and will work with the incoming exchange officer to complete the car registration in a timely manner.
Miscellaneous
Military Administration.
A. Awards and OERs. Exchange officers must be much more active and involved in their own awards and OER process than during previous assignments. The responsibility for generating support forms, helping the British rater understand the US Army evaluation system, ensuring proper counselling happens and that OERs and awards are generated on time and sent to the US Embassy lies with the exchange officer. OERs and awards will be sent via email or post to the US Embassy for corrections and review. The embassy will return the final draft for signatures and the exchange officer will return the form to the embassy with the required signatures and arrange a date for final counselling with the senior rater.
B. Leave. 3 RMP takes block leave three times a year. Typically, they take a two-week block leave at Easter, a three-week block leave in July/August and a two-week block leave at Christmas. Passes can also be taken for long weekends and if you are not leaving the UK during these, there is no requirement to submit a DA 31 to the embassy. You can take leave at other times if the Commanding Officer approves and signs the leave form. The form is then sent to the embassy for approval by the senior rater. It is important to note that any time an exchange officer leaves the country (i.e. Ireland, France or any other part of Europe) a leave form must be submitted. This even applies to weekend trips out of the country.
C. Uniforms. The daily uniform for the exchange officer at 3 RMP is the Army Combat Uniform (ACU). There will be other occasions when the wear of the Class A uniform is required. The exchange officer will also wear the Dress Blue Uniform and Mess Dress for more formal occasions. All uniform items required for field training exercises are also required to include: Gore-tex jacket and trousers, LBE/LCE, Kevlar helmet, and cold/wet weather gear. It is also recommend that the exchange officer brings the black overcoats for Class A and B uniforms.
D. MPEP Conference. The annual MPEP conference is mandatory for all exchange officers and is normally held during the mid to late summer in London. The conference usually lasts three days and is intended to provide exchange personnel and their families an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and experiences. The conference provides a unique forum to discuss important issues, receive presentations from agencies that support the exchange program and to learn from one another. Additionally, there is free time allocated to experience London. The MPEP conference is very informative and beneficial, especially for first year PEP officers.
Personal Administration. This assignment is unique due to the fact that exchange officers have a much greater responsibility for their personal administration throughout the assignment. This responsibility begins as soon as the officer has been notified that he or she has been selected as an exchange officer. This section details some of the areas that must be managed both before and during the assignment.
A. Passports and Visas. The exchange officer requires an Official (Red) Passport for this assignment. Dependants accompanying the exchange officer must have a Tourist (Blue) Passport. The Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) allows service members to reside in the UK with assignment orders in lieu of a visa. However, the new UK immigration law requires dependants to request and obtain a visa prior to arrival in the UK. The requirements, forms and costs can be found on the following website: www.ukvisas.gov.uk. The fee is reimbursable and will be included with the travel voucher upon arrival in the UK. In addition to the Official Passport, a Tourist Passport is also required for the service member for use when travelling to other countries while on leave.
B. Civilian clothing. In addition to the military clothing items discussed earlier, exchange officers must bring two or three business suits and a tuxedo. Numerous functions will be held as “black tie” events (tuxedo). Spouses should bring several formal dresses and “Sunday Church” type dresses. As a general rule, the British tend to dress up more than Americans.
C. Shipment of Household Goods. Exchange officers must thoroughly consider which items to carry with them, which items to send in their hold baggage and which items to have sent with their household goods. This section covers all aspects of the shipment of household goods.
(1) Items to carry. The exchange officer should hand carry all PCS paperwork to include orders, all passports and visas, money, credit cards and military IDs. Additionally, depending on the events in the first month the exchange officer will need to hand carry at least one suit and some ACU uniforms. At a minimum in the unaccompanied baggage you must bring at least two business suits, ACUs, Mess Dress, Class A uniform and a tuxedo.
(2) Unaccompanied Baggage. Items such as towels, pots and pans, plates, cutlery, glasses, ironing board and iron, kitchen and bathroom rugs etc. should be sent unaccompanied baggage. The exchange officer’s quarter can be furnished with temporary furniture (if desired), but comfort and daily use items will need to be sent in advance with the hold baggage. It takes approximately 45 days for hold baggage to arrive in the UK.
(3) Household Goods. The full JTR authorization of household goods may be shipped into the UK for exchange officers. It takes approximately 60 to 70 days for household goods to arrive in the UK. The CONUS transportation officer must be informed that the exchange officer’s duty station is Bulford Camp, Wiltshire, England, to ensure that household goods get sent to the correct location. Coordination with the Transportation Officer (Inbound) at the Air Force Transportation Office at RAF Fairford (phone: 01285 717110) will be required to schedule delivery of hold baggage and household goods once they arrive in the UK.
OER Support Form
Duty Description: The United States Army Military Police Corps Regimental Exchange Officer serving with the British Army as the Operations Officer, 3rd Regiment Royal Military Police, Bulford Camp, England; the United States Army equivalent of a Battalion S3 Officer. Responsible for the planning and execution of operations and training within the Regiment. Coordinates and directs all individual and collective training and has the lead role on all G2/G3 issues within the unit. Drafts and implements the Commanding Officer’s Training Directives and Operations Orders. Coordinates all deployments and commitments within the Regiment. Additionally, serves as the Intelligence Officer and Regimental Sports Officer.
Fully and capably represent the United States Army and Military Police Corps to all members of the British Forces both professionally and socially. Always lead by example-physically, mentally and ethically.
Execute all duties to the highest standard in accordance with directives provided by the Commanding Officer, 3rd Regiment Royal Military Police.
Establish functional training management principles in the Regiment utilizing company training schedules, forecast of events and routine training meetings.
Instil Regimental pride and the warrior ethos throughout the Regiment.
Successfully manage and direct all operational and training commitments within the Regiment.
Ensure the companies are aware of all future commitments and are always set up for success.
Encourage maximum participation in all sports and competitive events ensuring the Regiment is represented in the majority of events. Lead by example by being personally involved in adventure training, sports and athletics.
Parallel with my military objectives, maintain my family as the top priority. Take care of my family and ensure that they have the best possible experience in England.
HAVE FUN!
Point of Contact
POC for this information can be gained through contact with the US Army Attaché office in London or the United States Military Police School. Contact can be made with the current exchange officer via his AKO e-mail at any time.
This page is current as of June 1, 2007.
|
 |
