III Corps

Sky Watch Patrol In 1976 members of the 720th MP Battalion volunteered for duty with the night Sky Watch Patrol, provided by the 6th Air Cavalry Brigade (Air Combat) "Silent Thunder," located at Fort Hood. The patrol mission was to conduct over flights of the remote and restricted areas of Fort Hood in a Bell "Huey" UH-1H Helicopter. The over flights enhanced the speed and coverage area of their surveillance previously conducted by ground transportation. There were from two to four flights during a night shift.

        The MPs were assigned to operate the high powered search light, and the MP net radio. The patrols would concentrate their surveillance in the dark isolated areas  that civilians were known to enter in the northern sector of the post near Gatesville. They often trespassed into the artillery range impact areas to cut up old Armored Personnel Carriers and Tanks that were used for targets, to recover the scrap metal. The patrols were also available to assist in lighting up traffic accidents being investigated by the MP ground patrols in the more remote areas of the post.

Training & Alert Duty The Battalion companies were performing on rotation, sixty days on line duty followed by thirty days Training and Alert duty.

        The platoons would rotate on duty in the Alert Shack for 24 hour periods. The shack was located to the left of the Battalion Headquarters building. Like the HQ building it was of wooden framed WW-II vintage. The building had one floor divided into two sections. A barracks side and latrine side. In the rooms with the heaters you sweltered while sleeping, and in the others you froze while sleeping. The mattresses on the bunks were all stained and smelly. We watched training films while there. We wore out the one one VD training film, it was real graphic and made you want to swear off sex. SGT David W. Sullivan (MAJ Retired) 401st MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas, February 1974-September 1976.

89th MP GP