~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association History Project ~
1989 ~ Battalion Time Line
   Regardless of MOS if you recognize or participated in any of the events listed on this Time Line page and would like to contribute any information, personal stories, documents, media articles, photographs, or, if you can provide information on any events not listed, please take a moment to contact the History Project Manager at the Email Link provided for you on each page. Your contributions are important to the recording of the Battalion history and always welcomed here.
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    Send your photographs as .jpg via the Email Link at the top of this page. Scan them as large as you can, one to an Email and include as much information as you can. Direct any questions via the Email Link.
III
Corps
89th MP
Brigade
CLICK ON INDIVIDUAL RIBBONS FOR CRITERIA
Last Updated   6 March 2013
720th MP
Battalion
At the start of the year Battalion HQ Detachment and its letter companies were headquartered subordinate to the 89th MP Brigade, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas.

Duty with the 410th MP Company - Fort Hood SGT Brian T. "Sergeant Mac" McGlawn, Squad Leader, 1st Squad, 1st Platoon, 410th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Brigade, May 1989-February1990.

I knew I was in trouble - Fort Hood SGT Brian T. "Sergeant Mac" McGlawn, Squad Leader, 1st Squad, 1st Platoon, 410th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Brigade, May 1989-February1990.
 
May

Exact date unknown - Panama The oposition candidates were gaining popularity with the people, and as GEN Noriea and his PDF saw they might lose control of the government, he annulled the results of the presidential election and declaired himself the "head of state."
August
Operation PRAYERBOOK

Exact date unknown - Panama The 401st MP Company, under the command of CPT Steven S. Rathburn, was deployed to the Republic of Panama as part of a four month security rotation to support Operation PRAYERBOOK. The operation involved several sets of contingency plans under consideration to: provide security to U.S. personnel, dependents, and facilities in the Canal Zone; restore civil law enforcement authority to the people of Panama; replace military dictator Manuel Noriega with a return to democratic civilian leadership.

   The 401st performed law enforcement duties, manned static security posts, jungle patrol, VIP security and short notice Quick Reaction Force (QRF) operations. They also picked up armed mail escorts to Torrijos International Airport, and 24 hour patrols of primary routes between U.S. military installations. Before their deployment would end the 401st became an important part of Operation JUST CAUSE.
   WANTED: Information, photographs and personal stories relating to the following events: Operation PRAYERBOOK, HAWKEYE, Operation JUST CAUSE, and casualty PFC Roth. Please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.
September
Operation HAWKEYE - Joint Task Force 140

22 September - U.S. Virgin Islands As a direct result of Hurricane Hugo, 13-22 September, one of the most destructive weather systems ever recorded struck the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and portions of North and South Carolina and caused massive destruction. The governor of the Island of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands requested assistance.

     The 720th MP Battalion Headquarters Detachment ( 45 personnel ), 411th MP Company ( 111 personnel ) with a platoon from the 410th MP Company ( 23 personnel ), and attached units of the 258th MP Company from Fort Polk, Louisiana, 463d MP Company of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri were assigned to respond.
November
7-8 November - Fort Hood The HQ & HQ Detachment, 411th MP Company, and the platoon of the 410th MP Company redeployed to Fort Hood, Texas from Operation HAWKEYE.

     The 410th MP Company received national recognition for confiscating over 30 million dollars of cocaine during its mission assignment in the Virgin Islands.

We had stumbled on something unforeseen! SGT Brian T. “Sergeant Mac” McGlawn, Squad Leader, 410th MP Company, temporarily assigned to, 1st Squad, 5th Platoon, 411th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Brigade.
Exact date unknown - Fort Hood The Battalion switched from the 45. caliber semiautomatic Colts to the new Berretta 9mm semiautomatic. The Chrysler K-cars used on post patrol were gone, and replaced with the Chrysler Acclaim. The Acclaim's were silver, with no cage and old light bars.
December

15 December - Panama GEN Noriega was given the title of Chief Executive Officer of the government by his legislature and with their support declared Panama was in a state of war against the United States.

16 December - Panama PDF troops killed a U.S. Marine at a roadblock, and later that evening severely assaulted a U.S. Naval officer and his wife.
Operation JUST CAUSE

18 December - Panama The 401st MP Company was awaiting orders for redeployment to Fort Hood from their security duty deployment in Panama under Operation PRAYERBOOK, when they were unexpectedly told to 'Load down' for what were at that juncture, unknown reasons.

19 December, 1900 Hours - Panama The 401st MP Company staff were briefed by CPT Rathburn on their new mission in support of Operation JUST CAUSE, and made ready for immediate deployment to their assignments.

20 December - Panama PFC Scott L. Roth, the machine gunner, 1st Platoon, 401st MP Company, was killed in action during a fire fight at Check Point-12, Diablo Heights area with a Panamanian Defense Force (PDF) Patrol during Operation JUST CAUSE. Two other MPs of the 2nd Platoon, assigned to assault a PDF position code named Objective Shark, were wounded in the fire fight. One was PFC Eric Jones, the other has yet to be identified.

   WANTED: Photographs of PFC Roth for his Honor Roll page, and photographs and information on the two wounded members of the 2nd Platoon. Please contact the History Project Manager via the Email Link at the top of this page.
PFC Roth
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