Quote Originally Posted by William F. Owen View Post
Personally I see MP and IS troops as two very different things. Military Police are enforce military discipline and perform traffic control etc.

IS troops are augmenters to civil police.
Totally correct and if as it appears, Slapout means use Host Nation MPs extensively in the COIN role, I'd disagree with him. If he means use MPs more extensively if we (the US) are doing the COIN effort, I'd agree because US MPs do have a field combat role as well as the duties you cite.

I also contend that since the US lacks a 'gendarmerie,' that some Guard and Reserve MP Bns could be simply and easily restructured and retrained (at far less cost and effort than building a new capability) to provide the advisers and trainers for Host Nation IS forces -- who should be, as you say, augmenters to the civil police (but I suggest as a totally separate and independent agency responding to the Home Office or Minister of the Interior of the nation and not directly to the Police who should have quite strong local control).