What does an Army Military Police Officer do?

Could someone please explain what an Army Military Police Officer does? I know they're part of the officer branch but unsure about the specifics. How does their role differ from a regular MP?

In the United States Army, Military Police Officers play substantial roles both in peace times and during combat operations. They are part of the Army's law enforcement team, assigned with maintaining order, conducting investigations, and providing protection.

Their responsibilities are broadly classified into five functions:

1. Maneuver and Mobility Support Operations: Military Police Officers assist the movement of friendly forces across the battlefield and restrict the movement of enemy forces. They conduct area security, main supply route (MSR) regulation, and straggler control.

2. Area Security Operations: They conduct activities to protect friendly forces, installations, routes, and critical assets in a specific area. This includes providing response force capabilities, conducting law and order operations, and performing force protection duties.

3. Law & Order Operations: They maintain military discipline and law and order, improving the commander's ability to maintain control of his or her soldiers. This includes enforcing military laws and regulations and managing detention facilities.

4. Internment/Resettlement Operations: Military Police Officers are responsible for the temporary detention and incarceration of U.S. military prisoners. They also provide humanitarian assistance to displaced civilians in a conflict zone.

5. Police Intelligence Operations: They collect, analyze, and distribute information to provide situational awareness to commanders. They also identify social unrest, criminal threats, and potential problems within ranks.

Army Military Police Officers are distinguished from enlisted Military Police (MPs) mainly by their leadership roles. Officers are responsible for leading and training the MP squads, platoons, or companies they command. They also work on strategic planning, helping to design and implement MP operations. Officers typically have a four-year college degree and have gone through officer training, whereas the enlisted MPs typically have a high school diploma or GED and have undergone basic combat training.

In essence, while both roles involve enforcing laws and regulations, the officer role carries more administrative, leadership, and strategic responsibilities.