History The 212TH MP Company was constituted on Jan. 1, 1942, and activated on May 15, 1942, at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Between May 15, 1942, and Feb. 19, 2010, it was activated and inactivated eight times. Between 1950 and 1953, the unit was allotted to the regular Army where it served honorably in the Republic of Korea earning the Republic of Korea Presidential Company Citation. After the Korean conflict, the unit was relocated to Japan and was inactivated on June 24, 1958. The unit then activated on April 15, 1960, in Italy before being inactivated August 16, 1965. On Jan. 10, 1966, the unit was reactivated to provide K9 support in the republic of Vietnam. Prior to being inactivated on Nov. 8, 1972, the unit was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its actions in Vietnam. On Oct. 21, 1977, the unit was activated in Wuerzburg, Germany, and settled in Kitzingen, Germany, where it performed Military Police Combat support in Support of V CORPS. The unit deployed to Southwest Asia on Dec. 4, 1990, in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, during the Gulf War, the unit performed Internment and Resettlement Operations in Kuwait and Iraq. Since Dec. 29, 1995, the unit has deployed to various Baltic Regions including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Macedonia, and Albania. The unit returned June 15, 2000, from Kosovo after supporting Task Force Hawk and Task Force Falcon. The unit deployed to Poland in support of Operation Victory Strike from Sept. 13, 2001, until Oct. 20, 2001. The unit then deployed to Kosovo from Nov. 25, 2002, until July 18, 2003, in support of Operation Joint Guardian from March 2008 until May 2009, the unit deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit was then inactivated in Germany on Feb. 4, 2010. Feb. 19, 2010, marks the activation and restationing of the 212TH MP Company at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Description
The United Nations authorized an international force – the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) – with a mandate to help the Afghans maintain security in Kabul and surrounding areas. Operating under U.S. General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., ISAF included soldiers from 46 countries, with U.S. troops making up about half its force. ISAF was initially established as a stabilization force by the UN Security Council on 20 December 2001, to secure Kabul. Its mandate did not extend beyond this area for the first few years. On 11 August 2003, NATO assumed political command and coordination of ISAF. On 31 July 2006, ISAF assumed command of the south of the country, and by 5 October 2006, of the east.
Following a Loya jirga, tribal leaders and former exiles established an interim government in Kabul under Hamid Karzai. U.S. forces established their main base at Bagram airbase just north of Kabul. Kandahar airport also became an important U.S. base. Outposts were established in eastern provinces to hunt for Taliban and al-Qaeda fugitives.