Approved on 6 August 1973, the 205th Military Police Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI), also called a “unit crest,” pays homage to the Battalion's origins not as a law-enforcement organization, but rather a missile battalion. This is most notable in the shield portion of the insignia, where a cloud formation with a pair of crossed arrows is an allusion to the unit’s background as an element of a missile battalion (see 3rd Missile Battalion below).
Superimposed on the clouds is a green annulet, or circle, that symbolizes control, justice and protection. A single blue star with a golden border is a symbol of independence and recalls the city of Independence, the site where the unit was first organized; a star is also a symbol of authority. The unit motto of “Serve And Protect” encapsulates the core responsibilities of the Military Police mission.
Distinctive Unit Insignias are worn by all Soldiers (except General Officers) in units that have been authorized to be issued the device. It is worn centered on the shoulder loops of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) and the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU, Enlisted only) with the base of the insignia toward the outside shoulder seam. More guidance on wear of the DUI is found in DA Pamphlet 670-1, Section 21-22, "Distinctive unit insignia" and 21–3(d) and (e), "Beret" and "Garrison Cap," respectively.
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The 205th Military Police Battalion is one of two MP battalions in the Missouri National Guard, with both of them under the command and control of 70th Troop Command. Originally organized and Federally recognized as HQ Battery, 3rd Missile Battalion, 128th Artillery, the Battalion would not be become a part of the Military Police branch until March 1969, when it was converted and redesignated as HQ and HQ Detachment, 205th Military Police Battalion, a designation it has retained for four decades.
In 2010, the 205th Military Police Battalion was tapped for deployment to Afghanistan to work with the Afghan National Police and serve as a police-mentor team with four military police companies and one Air Force flight under its command. On 25 September 2013, the Battalion’s work was rewarded with the announcement that its HQ and HQ Detachment was the recipient of a Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Battalion’s first military decoration.
As of Autumn 2023, the 205th Military Police Battalion remains an active unit in the Missouri Army National Guard. It has been assigned to the 35th Military Police Brigade since 2020.