Richard Keightley - Deter Suppress Extract!: Royal Military Police Close Protection, the Authorised History

Close protection is defined as the provision of armed or unarmed specialists to protect a nominated principal from harm.

Excerpt from a Standing Committee on Army Organisation by the Director of Military Operations, dated 30 November 1979.

This incredible work has been authored by the former Training Warrant Officer of the Royal Military Police (RMP) Close Protection Unit (CPU), Richard Keightley. Drawing upon extensive material, most of which has never been published before, Keightley chronicles the history of RMP Close Protection from its origins during the Second World War, through to current operations around the globe. It is a fascinating read that is as eyeopening as it is compelling. Although the forerunners of the RMP, as Military Mounted Police, Military Foot Police, Corps of Military Police and latterly the RMP, have always held responsibility for escorting senior commanders in operational theatres, and Her Majestys Ambassadors and High Commissioners in high risk appointments abroad, it was not until the nineteen eighties that the RMP officially became the lead authority on Close Protection within the British Armed forces.

Today, members of the RMP, Royal Marine Police Troop and Royal Air Force Police are deployed all around the world protecting VIPs from harm; be it the drug cartels in South America, Al Qaeda in Africa or the Taliban in Afghanistan. Whether the threat against a VIP is posed by a terrorist or criminal, the level of protection provided by the Military Police remains one of professionalism, dedication and unquestionable loyalty towards the Principal. Keightleys narrative details the discipline of Close Protection and VIP work and in doing so, strips away the mysticism to reveal the intricacies - namely relentless training, attention to detail and a high tempo of operations in the complex world of modern security.

From the Northern Ireland experience through to the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR); Joint Operations and the establishment of the Close Protection Unit; training and operations including Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan Keightleys vivid narrative fascinates as it illustrates the vast skill set possessed by the Red Caps of Close Protection. The wherewithal of Walking Drills, Security Advance Parties (SAPs), Residence Security Teams, (RSTs), and quick draws are revealed - as are relationships with agencies such as the SAS, the Police and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

Some of the operational incidents make for harrowing reading but through Keightleys work, the reader is shown how training and professionalism enabled the Close Protection operatives to survive car bombs, shootings and more. By Example Shall We Lead is the RMP motto and Deter, Suppress, Extract !shows exactly why

Read it and be inspired. Theres no one finer than the men and women of the RMPs Close Protection Unit.

Warrant Officer Class 1 Richard Keightley was born in Reading, Berkshire and after education followed his grandfather and father into the British Army, enlisting in 1986 at Oxford. Following a year at the Junior Leaders Regiment Royal Armoured Corp in Bovington, Richard finished training with the Royal Military Police at Roussillon Barracks, Chichester in June 1987. He saw postings both at home and abroad and in 1992 he attended Close Protection Course Number 61 at Longmoor before joining the staff at the Operations Wing in Kimberley House. Although Richard has revisited General Police Duties on a regular basis, his Close Protection career has seen him deploy to Northern Ireland as the Brigade Commanders bodyguard as well as Algeria, Lebanon, Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, Iraq and Sudan in support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Later in his career he saw a further tour of Iraq as Close Protection Team Leader to the Deputy Commanding General in Baghdad as well as a tour in Afghanistan as Team Leader for the NATO Ambassador, a Four Star appointment. Richard spent six years at the Close Protection Unit before being appointed RSM at 158 Pro Coy RMP in Bulford in January 2012. Richard is married to Jenny and has a son, Connor.

ROYAL MILITARY POLICE CLOSE PROTECTION, THE AUTHORISED HISTORY

Co-published in 2014 by:

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Designed and typeset by Farr out Publications, Wokingham, Berkshire

Cover designed by Euan Carter, Leicester ( www.euancarter.com )

Text Richard Keightley 2014

Photographs mixture of Author, Crown Copyright and individuals named in the acknowledgements. The author would be pleased to supply further details on request, c/o publishers.

ISBN 978-1-910294-02-4

eISBN 978-1-912174-37-9

Mobi ISBN 978-1-912174-37-9

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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This short history is dedicated to my wife, Jenny, my son, Connor, to all those who have contributed towards its production; Sgt Chris Gowler RMP, a fine role model, my Editor-in-Chief and director of the RMP Museum, Col Jeremy Green OBE and not forgetting Lt Col Boots Wellington MBE RMP, who, six years ago, asked if I could wrap it up in a couple of weeks.

Thank you all

close protection is defined as the provision of armed or unarmed specialists to protect a nominated principal from harm.

Excerpt from a Standing Committee on Army Organisation by the Director of Military Operations for out of Committee clearance by the Executive Committee of the Army Board, dated 30 November 1979