This Whole MP Thingamajingy (Part 1)

My daughter graduated from OSUT this week.  For all of us civvies, that is "One Station Unit Training".  It's where rather than going to BCT (Basic Combat Training aka Basic Training) and then on to AIT (Advanced Individual Traning) in separate cycles, the solder stays within the same unit from start to finish.  It is about 20 weeks total.  She left for Fort Leonard Wood, MO back in the middle of August.

Part of me was surprised when I found out she was going to Military Police training. Part of me wasn't.  I think it's in her blood.  You see, my paternal grandfather was an MP and had a rather fascinating and interesting career.  He spent time in Vicenza and Gorizia, Italy right after WWII.  My grandma told stories about staying in an Italian manor/castle with servants, maids, and really, really cool stuff.  At another time, he was the Provost Marshal (head MP dude) in Stuttgart, West Germany.  From there he went on to Spandau Prison in Berlin as the American Commandant for a year.  I have a history of that time that my grandma wrote--fascinating read.  Totally fascinating.

When Grandpa retired, he was the Provost Marshal of the St. Louis Military District.

My dad was a naval aviator in World War II and he too had fascinating stories to tell.

When I married Kellie's dad he too was an MP.  In Germany.  Only at the time he was enlisted, rather than an officer.  We lived in Germany when Shorty (my nickname for my daughter) was born, though we moved home six weeks later.  I often found it really cool to think that I was going the same places my grandparents went over 40 years before.  The history of post-war Europe relating to MPs is  partly my family history too.

Her father did two tours of Germany and in-between, he was stationed at Fort Polk, LA, during the first Gulf War.  It was at Fort Polk that his duties included more police type work than the other two places (guarding nuclear weapons and customs).   I was also decidedly more social there as well.  I'm not really sure why, I just had more friends and knew more MPs there than I probably did in the other two places combined!  I had really, really good friends.  It truly was "the best of times and the worst of times" in my life.

I think my most favorite part of being an MP's wife was the annual MP Ball.  I got to go twice.  Once, right before my second son was born and the second time, a year later.  That first MP Ball, I rented a dress.  A tent of a dress because I was in my ninth  month of pregnancy.  I didn't feel it at the time, but was later told by one MP's wife, that I was the most beautiful woman there.  *scoff*  No, I certainly didn't feel it.  (I didn't destroy the original photo but I wanted to blur it...)

I loved being a part of the MP family.  Loved, Loved, loved it.

I just never expected that once that part of my life was over, I would return to it with my daughter.

Stay tuned for Part 2, my lil MP's graduation.