Welcome Home 209th Heroes!

For the past year, Fort Polk's 209th Military Police Company has been serving our country in Afghanistan and this weekend there are coming home! According to Army officials they will be arriving at Alexandria International Airport.

Welcome Home and "Thank You"

Here's what they've been doing over there:

Our men and women of the 209^th having been training and assisting the Afghanistan National Police and helping the Afghans to take over the duties of law enforcement in their country.

Although there have been changes in personnel, the 209^th has been serving since 2001.

Great job, ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome them home as the heroes they are!

Here is a bit of the proud history of the 209^th:

The 209^th Military Police Company was activated at Fort Lewis, Washington, on 25 January 1940.  The unit served in Japan and the Philippines and was inactivated at Camp Kobe, Japan, on 13 May 1995.

The unit was reactivated at Fort Meade, Maryland on 1 November 1970.  Since its reactivation, the unit has conducted tactical and peace keeping operations deployments.  These deployments include:  Republic of Panama for JUST CAUSE and PROMTE LIBERTY; Saudi Arabia for OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/STORM; two deployments to Cuba; Florida for OPERATION ANDREW; Atlanta in support of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games; Kuwait for OPERATION DESERT THUNDER; Hungary for TRAINING TASK FORCE WARRIOR.

In August 1992, the unit was restationed from Fort Meade to Fort McClellan and assigned to the 701^st Military Police Battalion.  In June 1998, the unit was assigned to U.S. Army Garrison Troop Command, Ft McClellan, Alabama. Currently the 209^th MP Company is assigned to the 519^th Military Police Battalion, Ft Polk, Louisiana.

The unit has been awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (3OLC), Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation (3OLC), Army Superior Unit Award, Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation, and Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation Citation.