A Soldier’s Entity

By Lisa McCoy

Looking back on the past years of my military career only makes me smile. It’s been a long, hard, rewarding experience. In my own opinion, I believe that everyone should serve for a few years out of his or her lifetime because the U.S. Army has been my mentor and I think that it could be a great mentor for someone else as well. It’s taught me how to live and live the right way.
The seven Army values have been introduced to me early on and I take pride in abiding by them every day. Those seven values are: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. This is the basic make- up of a Soldier and Soldier is what I am.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669862109

Book preview

CONTENTS

Epilogue

Murphy’s Law Of MP’s

Chapter 1    Leaving Home

Chapter 2    Phase One

Chapter 3    Phase Two

Chapter 4    Phase Three

Chapter 5    Phase Four

Chapter 6    Phase Five

Chapter 7    Hometown Recruiting

Chapter 8    Ft. Bliss, Texas

Chapter 9    Life as a Dependent

Chapter 10  The 447th MP CO Detachment 1

Chapter 11  My Last Unit

Photographs

Author’s Page

EPILOGUE

Looking back on the past years of my military career only makes me smile. It’s been a long, hard, rewarding experience. In my own opinion, I believe that everyone should serve for a few years out of his or her lifetime because the U.S. Army has been my mentor and I think that it could be a great mentor for someone else as well. It’s taught me how to live and live the right way.

The seven Army values have been introduced to me early on and I take pride in abiding by them every day. Those seven values are: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. This is the basic make- up of a Soldier and Soldier is what I am.

MURPHY’S LAW OF MP’S

•Your brassard and your badge won’t stop bullets.

•If it’s stupid but works, it isn’t stupid.

•Don’t look conspicuous- it antagonizes officers.

•When in doubt, empty your shotgun.

•Never share a patrol car with anyone braver than you.

•Not wearing body armor attracts bullets and knives.

•If your response goes well, you’re at the wrong barracks.

•Your patrol supervisor will show up when you’re doing something really stupid.

•The time it takes to respond to an emergency is inversely proportional to the importance of the call.

•The warrant you don’t read is the one you’ll serve at the wrong quarters.

•No matter how you write it, the Desk Sergeant will want it changed.

•If you charge in all alone, you’ll be shot by your own officers.

•The diversion you’re ignoring is the actual crime.

•The important things are always simple.

•The simple things are always hard.

•The easy ways are always blocked.

•The shortcuts are always under construction by the post engineers.

•Anything you do can get you in trouble- including doing nothing.

•When you’ve secured a crime scene, don’t forget to tell the brass.

•Using the siren and light to clear traffic- attracts traffic.

•It only becomes a riot right after you show up.

•If you take out the newest patrol car, you’ll have an accident.

•No street-wise unit ever passed inspection.

•No inspection- ready unit ever makes it on the streets.

•The thing you really need will be left back at the MP station.

•Radios will fail as soon as you need back-up desperately.

•Flashlight batteries always die out, just when you really need light.

•Military working dogs attack anything that moves- including you.

•The helicopter will always be low on fuel, as soon as you need it.

•You’ll find the suspect you want, when you’re off -duty and unarmed.

•If you respond to more than your fair share of calls, you’ll have more than your fair share of calls to respond to.

•The suspect will escape, just before you set up a good perimeter.

•The dependent who screams loudly when you don’t show up quickly, also screams loudly when you do.

•The weight of the dead body you’ll have to carry is proportional to the amount of stairs you’ll have to climb.

•Fatalities always occur at the end of shift- or when it rains and snows.

•Your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.

•Contrary to popular belief- general officers don’t get tickets.

•You won’t get called to a court martial- unless it’s your day off.

•Take off your hat and the MP Duty Officer shows up.

•Empty guns- aren’t.

•Your two-minute back-up is always actually ten minutes away.

•The alley you sprint down is the wrong alley.

•Tasting suspected drugs works- but only on TV or in the movies.

•Suspects always hide in the last place you look.

•Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six.

•Professional criminals are predictable, but the world is full of amateurs.

•Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof- then blame a Private.

•Don’t stand if you can sit, don’t sit if you can lay down- if you can lay down, you might as well take a nap.

•Contrary to popular belief O.C.*IS* an area affect weapon.

Sent by D. Pierce

CHAPTER 1

Leaving Home

My life- altering decision officially took place on September 15, 1998. It’s been twenty-four years since then, but I remember it like yesterday, right down to the tiniest of details.

I woke up that morning feeling beside myself. I was lying in my