As a result of the detainee abuses at Abu Ghraib, the Army had to come up with a solution. One Army initiative was to activate internment and resettlement organizations. Two active duty Military Police (MP) Battalions, the 704th MP Battalion (BN) at Fort Lewis and the 705th MP BN at Fort Leavenworth were identified to convert from Table of Distribution and Allowance (TDA) units to a Modification Table of Organization and Equipment (MTOE) MP Internment and Resettlement (I/R) Battalions. The 704th MP BN was the first to convert to the 508th MP BN (I/R) and deploy as a Headquarters. The unit took command and control of a Theater Interment Facility. Since this was the first active duty MP BN, the 508th had to ensure they got it right. Not only would we be the first, but the facility we were deploying to housed the worse detainees within theater.

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