Soldiers Train in Level Two Combatives Course

Photo By Sgt. Cassandra Monroe | Sgt. Steven Gamble, a canon fire direction specialist with the 1st Battalion, 309th Brigade Training Support Battalion, grapples with Sgt. Taavon Purdie, a supply specialist with the 2-312th Training Support Battalion while Staff Sgt. See Yong Cheow, an instructor for the Modern Army Combatives Program here at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, looks on and critiques their techniques during a Modern Army Combatives Program. Gamble and Purdie, along with others participating in the course, are training to become level two certified instructors so they can then transfer the information they learned during the course to their units.  

UNITED STATES

12.12.2009

Story by Pfc. Cassandra Monroe 

135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. - Some service members would agree they are very familiar with the most-used combat weapons such as the M16 series and M4 rifles and are prepared at a moment's notice to pick them up and use them.

In contrast, what would happen if these same service members no longer had their weapon available for use, and their main defense mechanism was their own two bare hands? Would they be prepared to protect themselves against enemy combatants with a tight grasp and the bone crushing weight of their body being pushed to its limits during a fight? Some may not be prepared.

However, it is safe to say that those participating in level two of Modern Army Combatives Program at JBMDL have a good understanding of the skills they need to protect themselves in a bad situation.

"The level two course takes a lot of the basics that you learn in level one and adds on to it with more detailed moves," said Sgt. Helder Nunes, a truck driver with the 1st Battalion, 309th Brigade Training Support Battalion and a MACP instructor.

"The course incorporates different variations of the same moves with different ways to execute them," said Nunes. "It gets the mind out of the box to help them think during a situtation and to think of different options."

The program, in which students must complete 80 hours in order to be certified, concentrates on the second level of combatives and includes topics such as 48 different combative positions, participating in different multi-skill level tournaments, proper wearing of a uniform while participating in said tournaments, and personal health and hygiene.

A typical day for the students starts early in the morning with physical training exercises, followed by drills and rehearsals of positions learned from the day before, classroom time and learning new techniques, said Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Bigas, a mateniance supervisor with the 1-309th, who is a student in the MACP course.

"It is important for Soldiers to incorporate this training so they can engage the enemy at close quarters and to not be afraid," said Bigas. "By becoming a level two instructor, I can help facilitate training for the younger Soldiers for level one and also to incorporate it into my physical fitness program."

The students sometimes think that if they ever get into harm's way, they always have their rifles or pistols and they can protect themselves with that, said Nunes. However, that's not always the case, and you might get into a situation where you may not be able to use that weapon, he said. If you get grabbed, you may not have time to engage the enemy with your weapon, so you need to know how to defend yourself, he added.

So far, the students have completed their first week of the class. Although the atmosphere is fun with light joking and camaraderie, the students get their games faces on when it's time to fight.

"I love to see the changes the stduents go through," said Nunes. "By the end of the course, you see them growing in their skill proficiency and that they can incorporate different moves for different situations. Students build self confidence, so if a situation were to occur, they have the confidence in themselves to defend themselves and can handle the situation on their own."

Every service member that comes through JBMDL must come through the combatives course, which includes not only soldiers, but sailors and airmen as well. Some units have the option to do pre-mobilization training, so they do not have to complete the course here.

However, for those who do not have the home station pre-mobilization training, they are able to complete the course here.

One thing is for sure though, the groups are always diverse, either by military service branch or by military occupational speciality, but all come together for the same training.

"There is no difference between the branches, a student is a student," said Nunes.

"What matters is if you know what youre teaching, and you believe in what youre teaching, and if youre teaching it the right way," said Nunes. For example, all Soldiers are also riflemen. It doesn't matter what MOS you are.

Once students complete the course, in order to earn their graduation, they must test out on the different moves and techniques they have learned over the past ten days.

"The graduation is all based on how we feel that you learned the subjects we taught you," said Nunes. The students leave here to teach their squads and platoons or prepare them to go through the level one course.

"We tell them, don't just leave what you learned here, take it back to your unit," said Nunes. "We are doing a "train the trainer" course. We're training them to be trainers themselves."

• Date Taken: 12.12.2009
• Date Posted: 12.12.2009 15:22
• Story ID: 42676
• Location: US