At the start of the year the battalion’s organic units HQ & HQ Detachment, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Company, being lead by a temporary interim commander who has yet to be identified, was headquartered subordinate to III Corps, U.S. 4th Army, 1st Logistics Command at Fort Hood, Texas.

20 January The battalion’s 23rd Anniversary (date of activation). Celebrations of the event were not mentioned in any available official records.

24 January The following battalion personnel were appointed by the commander: 1LT John A Kochenour of HQ & HQ Detachment as Alternate Intelligence Officer, SGT Otto H. Uebel of Bravo Company as Intelligence NCO, PFC Richard C. Anderson of HQ & HQ Detachment as Enlisted Intelligence Assistant, and PFC David L. Boone of Alfa Company as Enlisted Intelligence Assistant .

30 January GEN Duong Van Minh was ousted from power in a bloodless coup led by GEN Nguyen Khanh who became the new leader of South Vietnam.

6 February The interim commander assigned to replace LTC Earl B. Milburn passed command of the Battalion to LTC Albert R. Escola.

25 February The battalion’s unit-anniversary day (date of activation) of 20 January 1942 was officially designated by Letter AKPHO-720-18.

3 March  Eighty-five personnel of Able Company qualified at the range with the .45 cal. Pistol. Sixteen qualified as Experts; Twenty-eight as Sharpshooter; Forty-one as Marksman. All but one of the troops that qualified were PVT's E1, the exception was a PFC, so it is believed that this group contained newly assigned replacements as well as the class cycles of the Battalion MP School.

4-10 March  Forty-one personnel of Able Company familiarized themselves with the M-60 Machine Gun, and three with the .45 cal. Pistol. This group is also believed to contain newly assigned troops and members of the battalion’s MP School class.

13 March SFC Dent Rohrbough of Bravo Company and PFC David Lee Boone of HQ & HQ Detachment were temporarily assigned Special Duty status and attachment to HQ Detachment, HQ Company, USAG as part of the Fort Hood Rifle and Pistol Team. PFC Boone had the distinction of being the Battalion Pistol Champion in 1963.

20 March  LG Carl H. Jark, 4th U.S. Army commander who arrived on post 19 March to inspect a number of facilities scheduled the battalion cantonment this morning with his command inspection team. After meeting with battalion command, he traveled directly to the Alpha Company area where he conducted a walk-through of the Advanced Individual Training (Battalion AIT MP School) barracks, day room and mess hall, and throughout the Bravo Company supply room.

21 March The first cycle Class I graduated from the Battalion MP Advanced Individual Training (AIT) School and received their certificates at a ceremony held at 0900 hours at the Fort Hood Little Theater to recognize the 39 new military policemen. CPT Landrum (unit unknown) performed the introduction followed by opening remarks by LTC Escola. The guest speaker was COL Bieri (unit unknown) followed by the awarding of certificates and honors by LTC Escola.

     The 1st Honor Graduate was PFC Bobby J. Nix, the 2nd was Charles J. Zuberbueler. The remaining graduates were: John W. Allen; Pedro Alvarez, Jr.; Bobby R. Blake; Jessie W. Blaylock; Jerry D. Cameron; Clifton E. Carter; Bobby J. Coslin; Robert N. Cureton’; Derris L. Davenport; Ohaness H. Dellakian; Fortuino Escoredo; Brian P. Flynn; James K. Foster; Antonio Gallardo; Lynn R. Griffin; Lyle L. Gurnsey; Kenneth W. Hickman; Samuel E. Holloway; Carroll W. Jahn; Saul Jimenez; Carl V. King; Charles L. King; Troy L. Lester; Richard R. McGee; Matthew Ned; Robert G. Parker; Thomas G. Perez; Gary A. Ragsdale; James W. Ramsey; John W. Rhodes; Roland N. Riffe; Parrioio Rivera, Jr.; Donald P. Schuchert; George W. Showalter; John W. Weeks; Clyde A. Wright; and Charles E. Wrinkle. Upon graduation all personnel were assigned to the Battalion’s organic units.

21 April    A group of 30 cadets of the National Defense Cadet Corps unit at Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas toured Fort Hood on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st, accompanied by their commandant and assistant commandant. On Monday they had breakfast at the NCO and Specialist Academy, followed by an introduction to the post by the assistant training officer for III Corps who also escorted the group on their tour. The 720th MP Battalion cantonment was among the units and facilities they visited on Tuesday .

24 April   Five Fort Hood lieutenants who were high school classmates in Walla Wall, Washington seven years ago discovered they we all serving in units on the post. In addition, four of their wives also discovered they were classmates. Of the five officers one was Paul R. Troech, Jr. of the 720th.

29 April  Elements of the battalion and III Corps Headquarters departed Fort Hood to participate in Exercise DESERT STRIKE. The battalion advanced party departed with III Corps Headquarters by motor convoy with the bulk of the battalion, ten officers and 200 enlisted personnel traveling by rail transport. At least a dozen other support units from the post also deployed. The 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions also deployed on 9 and 19 April, respectively.

     A 75-troop rear detachment of the battalion remained behind to provide continued post security.

     From 9 April through 4 May a platoon of twenty-two MPs from Bravo Company commanded by 1LT Fernando Zalduondo and SSG Adrian Karp were responsible for the 24/7 escort of 22 truck convoys containing from 43 to 527 vehicles from Fort Hood through Coppas Grove along Highway 190 to the traffic circle in Lampasas, through the city and northwest for 16 miles to a final checkpoint where they continued on their own under each convoy commander for the final 1,300 mile journey to the war games site.

     The escorts were a joint venture with assistance rendered by the Fort Hood Provost Marshal operations officer, and traffic control in Coppas Grove and Lampasas by civilian police counterparts from the Texas Highway Patrol, Lampasas City Police, and the County Sheriff. In all, the Bravo Company platoon escorts and the convoy trucks amassed a total of 280,000 miles without an incident.

      1LT Zalduondo said, “No only did our MPs do a fine job, but without the teamwork and fine support of the civilian authorities, the move could have not gone so smoothly.”

10 May   The large-scale joint Army & Air Force U.S. Strike Command two-week (17-30 May) training exercise began. It was held to test the initiation of tactical nuclear warfare, control of escalation, and tactical operating on the nuclear battlefield. It was the largest maneuvers held since World War-II.

     Over 100,000 troops were deployed for the war games, along with hundreds of tanks, aircraft and over 7,000 other military vehicles. The battlefield was split between two opposing countries, one on the east and the other the west side of the Colorado River.

     The area encompassed a total of seven southwestern states. The west side of the river was named “Calonia“ that included the sates of Oregon, California and 2/3 of the western half of Nevada. The east side of the river was named “Nezona” and included the states of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and the remaining 1/3 of eastern Nevada.

The exact exercise missions of the battalion elements assigned is unknown. It is believed they participated in headquarters security, traffic control and enemy POW transport and control.

28-30 May   To recognize and honor those veterans who have given their lives in defense of this nation, the flag at III Corps Headquarters was flown at half-staff on the 28th, 29th and raised on the 30th at noon to full-staff to celebrate Memorial Day. The honored assignment for the flag raising at Reveille and at noon on Memorial Day was given to the 720th MP Battalion Honor Guard.

18 June   Fifty-eight new personnel with the rank of Private E2 were administratively attached to the battalion’s HQ & HQ Detachment for a period of 60 days, twenty-one to Bravo Company and 36 to Able Company. All were assigned to ration at the Bravo Company mess. Although unverified, it is believed they were the next cycle class of the battalion’s MP School.

     On the same orders PVT Bobby J. Nix was reassigned from Bravo Company (training) permanently to HQ & HQ Detachment, and PFC Jerry W. Murray of Alpha Company was assigned from MOS 111.10 (infantryman) permanent to 951.10 (military police) secondary.

23 June The III Corps Headquarters monthly G4 Green Thumb Contest for seven categories of troop barracks and housing lawns was announced. The areas included are Troop Housing, McNair Village Housing, Chaffee Village Housing, Patton Park Housing, Pershing Park Housing, Walker Village Housing and Wainwright Heights Housing. The selection committee judges are the presidents of the Officers and NCO wives clubs. The lawn of SFC D. Rohrbough of the 720th was the winner for Walker Village.

16 September 1LT Jimmy N. Bates of the 501st MP Company, 1st Armored Division was transferred to Bravo Company.

     Yet to be identified organic elements of the battalion participated in Joint Exercise GOLDFIRE-I, a joint Army and Air Force close ground support exercise held in Missouri. To support the exercise, a platoon from Bravo Company commanded by Platoon Leader 1LT John A. “Jack” Kochenour, was assigned routine MP duties at Walnut Ridge Air Force Base, Arkansas.

     The Air Force concept was tested in October and November 1964 in exercise GOLD FIRE-I at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri involving elements of the 1st Infantry Division and C-230 transports and fighter-bombers from the Tactical Air Command.

9 November PFC’s Clifford C. Glatzig and Wayne R. Aranaz of Able Company were promoted to Acting Corporal, and 2LT William E. Thomas and SFC Clarence W. Bryant, Jr. of Able Company were appointed to the Unit Fund Council.

26 November The following appointments, promotions, and MOS changes were made by A Company, under Unit Orders #48:

SGT James T, Webb, Jr. as Reenlistment NCO (Vice: SGT Manuel P. Madueno); CPT Donald J. Landrum as Reenlistment Officer, Unit Saving Officer, and Education Officer (Vice: 2LT Larry S. Edwards); 2LT Larry S. Edwards as Supply Officer, Fire Marshal, and Insurance Officer (Vice: CPT Donald J. Landrum); 2LT William E. Thomas as Maintenance Officer, Material Readiness Officer, Athletic & Recreation Officer, Claims Officer; Communications Officer, Voting Officer, and Utilities Conservation Officer (Vice: CPT Donald J. Landrum).

     Promotion from Private E2 to Private First Class E3: Edward H. Gaumont, George J. Kurkowski, Jr., David H. Lofthouse, Guillermo Vidal-Rivera, John W. Wade, Jr., and Robert A. Wilson.

     MOS change: PFC Robert N. Curston from MOS 941.10 to 951.10: PFC Edward F. Murray from MOS 631.10 to 951.10.

2 December SP/4 David Lee Boone of HQ & HQ Detachment was appointed as the Alternate Custodian of Secret and Confidential Documents and/or Materials.

     The following personnel were assigned to the battalion: SP/4 Gween H. Rumbaugh of the 525th MP Company, Ft. McPherson, Georgia to Alfa Company, SGT Lewis J. Northern of the 670th Transportation Company, Fort Hood to HQ & HQ Detachment, PFC Harold W. Ford of HQ & HQ Battery, 6th Battalion, 92nd Artillery, 2nd Armored Division to Alfa Company.

     PFC Alfred F. Meyer, Jr.’s primary MOS was changed from P951.00 to P630.00 .