43nd Military Police Brigade

Within the Rhode Island Army National Guard, the 43rd Military Police Brigade commands the 118th Military Police Battalion, to which the 115th and 169th Military Police companies are assigned. In addition, the brigade exercises administrative control over 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery.

The headquarters of the 43rd Military Police Brigade is located in Warwick, Rhode Island.

The 43rd Military Police Brigade was constituted 4 March 1959 and allotted to the Rhode Island Army National Guard as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 103d Replacement Battalion. Organized and Federally recognized 1 April 1959 at Providence. Converted and redesignated 18 March 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 43d Engineer Group. Converted and redesignated 1 May 1968 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 43d Military Police Brigade. Reorganized and redesignated 1 May 1976 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 43d Military Police Brigade.

One of the next major state activations came in 1978. The "Blizzard of '78" crippled the state and forced all units to be called to duty from 6–16 February 1978. The 43rd organized traffic control to allow engineers to perform snow removal. MP's were stationed throughout the downtown area to prevent looting. There had not been a statewide call up since the "Hurricane of '38", thirty-nine years earlier.[1]

Prior to 1986, the 43rd MP Brigade had two subordinate Military Police Battalions - the 118th and the 243rd. The 118th MP Battalion had the 115th and 119th MP companies assigned to it and the 243rd had the 169th and 1111th MP companies assigned to it. In 1986, the 243rd MP Battalion and the 1111th MP Company were deactivated with the 169th MP Company being transferred to the 118th MP Battalion. Other units under the 43d MP Brigade were the 1207th Transportation Company and Company D, 280th Signal Battalion (from 1986 until its deactivation in 1993).