Photo By Sgt. Cheryl Madolev | 1st Lt. Bobby Bailey, 863rd Military Police Company, West Virginia Army National...... read more read more
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The combat readiness of soldiers is essential for mission success. A large portion of combat or mission readiness is the physical fitness of soldiers.
For the multinational forces deployed to Camp Bondsteel and assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission, or KFOR, they are provided 24-hour workout facilities that enable them to maintain their physical health. In addition to the open workout facilities, every rotation of KFOR forces consist of skilled individuals who also enjoy sharing their physical fitness knowledge and hobbies with others. The 34th command rotation of Regional Command-East, or RC-E, has an officer who is a martial arts enthusiast with a passion for teaching others.
1st Lt. Bobby Bailey, 863rd Military Police Company, West Virginia Army National Guard, is assigned to KFOR RC-E, currently commanded by the Oregon National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and serves as the Task Force Military Police Commander and Camp Bondsteel Deputy Provost Marshal. He has also been practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, also referred to as BJJ, for 16 years and is a Black Belt BJJ instructor at home.
Before arriving in Kosovo, Bailey had already decided he would offer classes to his group of Military Police Soldiers. However, once in Kosovo, he quickly realized many people outside of his unit that are living on Camp Bondsteel also had the desire to learn and practice BJJ. He now teaches classes three times a week with soldiers from multiple nations attending.
BJJ is a martial art that is based on grappling, ground fighting and submission. It is a self-defense system that is derived from Judo, and those who know the techniques can defend themselves from opponents who are potentially much larger than themselves.
“My initial plan was to teach my Military Police Soldiers,” said Bailey. “After arriving at Camp Bondsteel, I saw how many people were interested in learning and giving it their all. These KFOR soldiers show up to train and work hard.”
Soldiers attending Bailey’s classes look forward to gaining additional knowledge every week and truly believe the techniques and skills learned during classes are useful for everyone in the military.
Staff Sgt. Garrett Boehme of KFOR RC-E’s Task Force Military Police, is a military police investigator and partakes in several forms of activities in order to maintain his physical and mental fitness. He says that when missions do not allow for him to attend BJJ class he finds himself missing it and waiting anxiously to get back to the training. Additionally, he enjoys the humor Bailey uses during his instruction.
“He is really funny, and we call him professor or coach,” said Boehme. “He always has a funny thing to say about every move to lighten it up. He is also very skilled and passionate about it. When you are on the mat with him you are always learning something.”
KFOR accomplishes mission success in helping to maintain a safe and secure environment due to the interoperability between Allies and partner nations conducting training and missions in Kosovo. The BJJ class is an additional way for soldiers from different task forces and contingents to train together in their free time, develop relationships and comradery, and learn a useful skill.
“My favorite part is that there is no obligation for these soldiers to show up, and nobody is forcing them to do so,” said Bailey. “My students have heard me say a million times that BJJ is like magic because it is your ability to do something most people cannot do. Seeing how much they've progressed in such little time is ultimately worth it.”
The multinational soldiers who attend the BJJ class routinely eat dinner together after practice, and many were inspired to purchase their own gi, a martial arts garment. OR-7 Rico Wall, a German team leader, attends weekly and says that he loves getting to know the other soldiers in class on a professional and personal level.
“My favorite part is that everyone is welcome regardless of your previous experiences with BJJ, rank, or nationality,” said Wall. “On the mat we are all the same.”
| Date Taken: | 02.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2025 11:27 |
| Story ID: | 491369 |
| Location: | CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 178 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Duty and Defense: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Kosovo, by SGT Cheryl Madolev, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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