# MP student armbands



## Jarnhamar (23 Aug 2013)

I was wondering what the reason is for having MP students wear black armbands singling them out as MP students, anyone know?


----------



## George Wallace (23 Aug 2013)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> I was wondering what the reason is for having MP students wear black armbands singling them out as MP students, anyone know?



Mourning Bands?

Or are you talking about the Black armlets with "MP" on them?   Why wouldn't they?


----------



## Fishbone Jones (23 Aug 2013)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Mourning Bands?
> 
> Or are you talking about the Black armlets with "MP" on them?   Why wouldn't they?



Mourning bands, in uniform, are typically CWO and up.


----------



## Jarnhamar (23 Aug 2013)

The arm band like a duty nco would wear. It just seems weird to have a ql3 student wearing an armband telling everyone that they are an mp student.


----------



## George Wallace (23 Aug 2013)

It is common practice at most Schools.  Why would this be different.  It also differentiates between "real" MPs and "MP candidates" so you will have an idea with whom you are dealing with.


----------



## mariomike (23 Aug 2013)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> It also differentiates between "real" MPs and "MP candidates" so you will have an idea with whom you are dealing with.



Sounds similar to the "Cadet" identification worn by police.


----------



## Jarnhamar (23 Aug 2013)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> It is common practice at most Schools.  Why would this be different.  It also differentiates between "real" MPs and "MP candidates" so you will have an idea with whom you are dealing with.



I've never seen another trade give their students armbands. 
MP students also don't wear red berets, kinda hard to mistake them for qualified Mps, no?


----------



## Journeyman (23 Aug 2013)

Maybe it's so they can start having no friends right from the beginning of their career.   :dunno:


----------



## George Wallace (23 Aug 2013)

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> I've never seen another trade give their students armbands.
> MP students also don't wear red berets, kinda hard to mistake them for qualified Mps, no?



Various Schools will use armbands from time to time.  Some will use 'ribbon' on the rank badges.  Most have Crse Snr armbands.  It is not unusual, and nothing new.


----------



## Fishbone Jones (23 Aug 2013)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Maybe it's so they can start having no friends right from the beginning of their career.   :dunno:



That's the best explanation so far ;D


----------



## Anakha (23 Aug 2013)

Primarily it's because 1) MP students still have 'MP' on their epaulettes, 2) much of their QL3 course MP students spend in OPDs (the police-style uniform) while driving in police vehicles (that also identify them as student MP vehicles, but still...) and 3) if they've had QL5 Reserve Qual prior to joining RegF they would be entitled to wear the red beret. In most QL3 courses there are a significant number of students who meet this criteria.

All of this leads to the possibility of members, or more likely civilians, to mistake MP students as badged MP members able to assist them in a law enforcement capacity. The CFMPA seeks to remove that liability as your average CFSEME student, for example, would not be called upon to do the things expected of a trained MP in an emergency, hence the extra precaution of identifying them as untrained.


----------



## JorgSlice (23 Aug 2013)

Armband meaning Brassard?


----------



## WA88 (11 Aug 2015)

Jarnhamar said:
			
		

> I was wondering what the reason is for having MP students wear black armbands singling them out as MP students, anyone know?



The reasoning behind this is, when someone on a DND establishment is dressed in an MP uniform, there's an expectation of duty. So if someone needs police assistance, they will call an actual qualified MP, or civilian equivalent, as opposed to asking for help from someone who might be at the beginning of their training. Mind you, as members of the CAF we should all be ready to act and help blah blah blah, but the trainees do not yet have their powers of arrest, and credentials granted to them.

...Also so ppl know not to sit with them at the mess  hope that answers your question! Cheers.


----------



## JesseWZ (11 Aug 2015)

This thread is over 2 years old and has already been answered...


----------



## ZacheryK (11 Aug 2015)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> Maybe it's so they can start having no friends right from the beginning of their career.   :dunno:



 ;D ;D Would make things a little easier in the long run.


----------

