Marines teach basic Marine Corps Martial Arts at MEDCEUR 11

Photo By Pfc. Joseph Altemus | Two Airmen attending the 2011 Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe execute Marine Corps Martial Arts techniques in a MCMAP class led by U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Tresor Mbunker, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Personnel and Retrieval Processing Company, mortuary affairs staff non-commissioned officer in charge and a black belt Marine Corps Martial Arts instructor out of Smyrna, Ga., June 8. The Marines came to Macedonia for MEDCEUR 2011 to teach foreign military services how to conduct mortuary affairs. MEDCEUR is an annual Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-sponsored regional and multilateral exercise and is designed to provide medical training and operational experience in a deployed environment for U.S. and partner nations. The countries participating in this year’s MEDCEUR are Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia and Norway. The exercise will include both classroom and hands-on training and run until June 15.  

CAMP PEPELISHTE, NORTH MACEDONIA

06.08.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Joseph Altemus 

Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES)

CAMP PEPELISHTE, Macedonia - The Marines came to Macedonia for Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe 2011 to teach foreign military services how to properly conduct mortuary affairs training. Not only that, the Marines have taken the opportunity to teach MEDCEUR 11 participants Marine Corps Martial Arts here June 8.

Staff Sgt. Tresor Mbunker, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Personnel and Retrieval Processing Company mortuary affairs staff non-commissioned officer in charge and a black belt Marine Corps Martial Arts instructor from Smyrna, Ga., decided to volunteer his evenings to teach Marine Corps martial arts to service members of different branches interested in learning self-defense techniques.

“It was really good training,” said Air Force Senior Airman Corey Lewis, 52nd Logistic Readiness Squadron’s vehicle maintenance journeyman from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. “I think it’s important we interact with different military branches. It builds morale between the different branches.”

The training was the first of many classes that will be held every evening throughout the duration of MEDCEUR and will be open to all who choose to attend.

“I feel like I learned a lot,” he said. “I think every branch should do a martial arts course. It makes you feel safer.”

This is the second time Mbunker has been overseas with the Air Force, and both times he’s taken the opportunity to share his knowledge of martial arts with the other services.

“They don’t have a martial arts program so they get really excited when they can do some martial arts,” Mbunker said. “They really liked it. We had a lot of spectators and that, hopefully, means more people will join.”

• Date Taken: 06.08.2011
• Date Posted: 06.10.2011 15:54
• Story ID: 71904
• Location: CAMP PEPELISHTE, MK