What happens when Navy MPs are ordered to arrest a Navy SEAL?
Mark Stinson, 14 years with Special Forces. Commo-18E, Team Sergeant 18-Z.
Answered September 13, 2018 · Upvoted by Joseph LaVigne, HM at United States Navy (2018-present) and Allen Wong, USMC sergeant '95-'99
I can’t write about SEALS but can tell you what happened when two MP’s arrested three MACV-SOG CCN Green Berets in IV Corps. A CCN Team was sent to IV Corps to conduct a Top Secret mission inside Cambodia. I saw SGT King in the Alamo Lounge located at the C-4 compound. I shouted out his name and he came over and put his finger against his lips and went SHHHHHHH. He said seriously I’m not here. I smiled and said I thought you were someone else, we both laughed. A few days later I heard that three of the team members were picked up by the MP’s for being out after curfew, wearing civilian clothing and not supplying proper ID. CCN on such a mission carry a card that explains that the bearer can not be detained. The MP’s didn’t take it seriously and took them to the MP Station. Allowed to make a call they contacted their CIA contact. The CIA guy went directly to the MP Station and started to go ballistic. The CIA guy held a GS rating that outranked everyone in the MP Station. He had all the MP’s lined up against the wall from a captain, CSM to E-4’s and chewed them out for a possible comprising of a Top Secret Mission. Before he left with the three guys he told the Captain that his career is over.
I’ve seen these cards and they look so ‘James Bondish’ and one could understand why the MP’s were reluctant to take them serious. The CCN guys were meeting with a double agent in downtown Can Tho to be briefed about the Snach Mission.
It’s always been a problem when conventional Army mixes with Spec Ops. It’s much better today but back in the 60’s it was all new and the conventional Army refered to us as undesirable, undisciplined cowboys. We loved it and made life miserable for the regular solders. For example when a regular soldier takes a jeep out of the Motor Pool he must have a trip ticket, a log book, a green covered 314 and authoritarian. Not us for we removed all US markings and painted Cambodian letters on our jeeps. This way we would simply get in a jeep and drive away. Once we were at the end of a long line of military vehicles stopped by a MP road block. The SF guy driving pulled out of the line and drove up to the barricade and the MP waved us through. The whole time we were passing the other vehicles that were waiting in line they were yelling at us and the SF NCO driving simple raised his left arm in the air and shot the bird to all of them.
There are so many stories about the constant conflict especially with conventional officers; I don’t want to bore you with the details.
OK, one more example. When on an A-Team (now called ODA’s) we were always out of uniform. We wore no rank, no unit patch, no name tag, no US ARMY tag and very rarely headgear. This fact drove the MP’s crazy and they would issue us a ticket which we would turn over the the B-Team CSM and laugh. I had a leg POG/REMF in a starched uniform with spit shinned boots chew me out for running across his small patch of grass. As he was yelling at me he was looking all over my Tiger Stripe uniform looking for the usual patches and rank. I had just returned from a 30 day mission and he also wanted to know when was the last time I had shaved. I responded 30 days ago sir, then added that I didn’t have time for this bullshit and continued on my way. You’ll find that there is a huge riff between front line combat soldiers and the POGS/REMF (Rear Eschelon mother F%#&ers). Why you ask, well the REMF’s get three hot meals a day, work in an A/C office, sleep in a real bed with sheets and a pillow and we don’t.