PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – While patrolling the north end of Disney Boulevard on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, U.S. Army Cpl. Margie Jones sees two local Afghans walking over a berm outside the wire.

One of the Afghans has a rifle, the kind that could potentially do some long-range damage.

Jones and her partner, U.S. Army Spc. Judy Sanchez, stop their truck and observe the two Afghans moving as if they’re stalking an animal. Jones sees a group of soldiers working on the fence line and asks if everything is all right. Assured that the rifle is just a BB gun and the two young men are hunting small game, Jones pulls away and resumes patrolling her sector.

Jones is a military police officer attached to the 539th Military Police Detachment out of Buckeye, Ariz., and supports the law and order mission on Bagram Air Field.

“I serve because my dad was prior service Army in the infantry and later as a land-surveyor,” Jones said. “Plus it was something I’ve always wanted to do. I always wanted to be a police officer when I grew up, so I figured being an MP was the best way to fulfill both those goals.”

Jones performs a number of duties as an MP on Bagram Air Field, including investigating thefts, assaults and traffic accidents. She also regulates garrison traffic and parking regulations.

Jones believes it is important to establish command presence while working her sector.

“Community policing is crucial to the law and order mission here,” Jones said. “It’s hard being thought of as the bad guy all the time. I like to talk to service members, contractors and [Afghans] while on patrol to build a rapport with the community here.”

Jones recently went to the promotion board and is on the list to be promoted to sergeant in the near future.

Even after working her 12-plus-hour shift, she still finds time to go to the gym, where she does CrossFit. Along with maintaining her physical fitness, she also mentors her junior soldier to ensure his professional development.

“Jones is a vital asset to the military police mission here on BAF,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher Schultz,” the day-time 539th MPD desk sergeant. “She accomplishes all tasks in a professional and timely manner.”

When Jones redeploys, she plans on finishing her master’s degree in public affairs and government policy. She was also recently hired by the Buckeye Police Department in Buckeye, Ariz., and will finish the police academy when she returns home.

Jones and her fiancé, U.S. Army Sgt. Colin Dunlavuy, also an MP with the 539th MPD, plan on getting married upon returning from Afghanistan.

She plans on staying in the U.S. Army Reserves for at least another four years.

“I continue to serve because I really like the camaraderie that the military has,” Jones said. “There is a companionship here that you don’t find anywhere else.”

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