The Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS) is a service responsible for maintaining security at British Armed Forces sites in the United Kingdom. It is one of three parts of the Adjutant General's Corps Provost Branch (the other two parts being the Royal Military Police and the Military Provost Staff). The whole Provost branch is the responsibility of the Provost Marshal who is a Brigadier from the Royal Military Police.
The MPGS was formed in the wake of structural changes (Strategic Defence Review) of the Armed Forces and the increased threat of terrorism.
The aim of the MPGS is to rationalise guarding arrangements at sites where service personnel normally live and work. The MPGS replaces previously civilian held duties with armed soldiers. The MPGS often works with the civilian (and unarmed) Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS).
Due to defence cuts in 2009 and the reduced threat against service establishments in the UK the MPGS's role and recruitment was frozen.
The MPGS's duties include:
To join the MPGS, applicants must have served for at least three years on a previous engagement in any arm or service, including the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve, Territorial Army, Royal Auxiliary Air Force and must have completed that service within six years of application to the MPGS, unless they have relevant service in the Police or HM Prison Service since leaving the armed forces. To join you have to re-enlist into the Regular British Army on a Local Service Engagement, 3 year contracts.
There are 26 Police Constabularies that currently have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Military Provost Guard Service in respect of the legal authority for carrying firearms on UK roads.[1]