Military police supervise or provide support to the battle field by conducting maneuver and mobility support (MMS), area security, internment resettlement operations, police intelligence operations, prisoner of war operations, civilian internee operations, law and order operations on the battlefield and support to the peacetime Army community through security of critical Army resources, crime prevention programs and preservation of law and order.

Military police perform assigned military law enforcement duties to uphold the criminal justice system, maintain good order and discipline, and support the commander's law enforcement and security requirements in peacetime and combat operations. Typical duties include foot and motorized patrol, control of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, flightline security, crime prevention/physical security, desk sergeant, communications dispatcher, squad leader, operations sergeant, platoon sergeant, and provost sergeant billets. MOS 5811 is very demanding in that the military police are confronted with every form of violation and criminal liability, misdemeanor through felony.