Military police as an important actor of the new security environment. The experiences of the Polish military‘s gendarmerie from its ISAF mission in Afghanistan

The paper deals with the core activities of the military police/gendarmerie. It is mainly based on the actions of the Polish Gendarmerie forces connected with the ISAF operation in Afghanistan. Firstly, the changing nature of the security environment is described, focusing on the new threat picture, such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. Secondly, the new roles played by the armed forces are described, especially related to stability and reconstruction operations. The specific and important role of the Polish Gendarmerie is also described, especially as far as the ISAF mission is concerned. Lessons learned are shown. The international cooperation in this regard is also underlined, setting an example to follow.