An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir January / February 2026 www.military.ie/magazine The MPCSELF operates within the Military Police Community of Interest (MPCoI), where Senior Enlisted Leaders (SELs) have the opportunity to interact and cooperate on topics that enhance military policing with Allies and Partners around the globe. This is accomplished by identifying and sharing lessons learned and best practices, updating SELs on activities across the Military Police and Gendarmerie Type Forces (GTF) environment, providing common recommendations and inputs for relevant decision-making bodies, synchronising activities and operations, and identifying areas of improvement or sustaining current doctrines. A specific focus is placed on fostering cooperation and common activities, enhancing mutual understanding, and developing multinational standards and procedures on MP and GTF matters. Established in 2023 and first convened at the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence (MP COE) in Bydgoszcz, Poland, the MPCSELF has rapidly expanded in scope and significance. Subsequent iterations in Prague (2024), co-hosted by the Czech Military Police, and in Oslo (2025), hosted by the Norwegian Military Police, attracted a record 32 senior NCOs (OR-8 and OR-9) from NATO and Partner for Peace (PfP) nations. This consistent growth signals the value and necessity of a senior enlisted led platform tailored to multinational military policing leadership. The MP COE's role in facilitating and evolving the MPCSELF has been instrumental, ensuring the forum aligns with wider doctrinal, training, and capability objectives across the NATO MP community. What sets MPCSELF apart from other Command Senior Enlisted Leader events is its focus on the specific realities of military policing in multinational operations with the five core Military Police functions to the fore, Mobility Support Operations, Security Operations, Detention Operations, Stability Policing and Police Functions. It recognises and includes Gendarmerie Type Forces (GTF), which are military or paramilitary units with police functions and capabilities, often providing law enforcement and public order missions. The forum enables senior MP and GTF NCOs to 12 | NATO MP NATO MP COMMAND COMMAND SENIOR SENIOR ENLISTED ENLISTED LEADERS LEADERS FORUM FORUM ARTICLE BY RQMS ROCH RYAN I n NATO's evolving security landscape, building agile, interoperable forces demands more than advanced technologies or new doctrines. It requires empowered, strategically minded Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) who can shape mission outcomes at every level. The NATO Military Police Command Senior Enlisted Leader Forum (MPCSELF) exemplifies this principle – a focused platform advancing military policing standards while cultivating future strategic leaders across the Alliance. Capability display with attachment of winter camo

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