115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Story by Spc. Kirby Rider

COLUMBUS, Ga. – Each year a Modern Army Combatives Program tournament is held at Fort Benning, Ga. This year the Oregon Army National Guard was added to the line-up at the three-day tournament, which brings Soldiers from around the world together to compete.

Six soldiers and one coach from the Oregon Army National Guard competed in the tournament, which tests the skill and endurance of the Army's best fighters to determine who will take the honors of having the best individual and team program.

"This is a great tournament," said Sgt. 1st Class Dave Hagen, team coach and Modern Army Combatives Program instructor at the Regional Training Institute in Monmouth, Ore. "The format the tournament is held in tests soldiers at different skill levels."

This year, more than 330 participants from 42 teams competed to determine who the Army's best MACP fighter is and which team's program is the best.

This tournament is not completely about winning, explained Capt. Craig Young, commander of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, 197th Infantry Brigade, which helps oversee the Army Combatives School on Fort Benning. "It helps define the warrior ethos and assists with closing and finishing the fight, it also brings soldiers together from different levels of skill sets."

The Army Combatives Championship hosts seven classes ranging from flyweight, being the lightest participants, to heavyweight. The championship uses a graduated set of rules. As the participant advances in the competition the more advanced the fighting becomes.

This competition has natural safety protocols that are built-in depending on the skill level of the competitors, explained Hagen. The first day begins with standard grappling, as soldiers win their round, the tournament progresses into an advanced fight where punches and kicks are allowed.

Although the competition may be seen as a way to earn bragging rights, many military leaders use this as an important training tool for soldiers preparing to deploy overseas to combat zones.

"There are hundreds of cases in Iraq and Afghanistan where a Soldier will get into a grapple with a combative," said Maj. Gen. Michael Ferriter, installation commander of Fort Benning, and commander of the U.S. Army Infantry Center. "This training helps a soldier finish the fight."

Because of the success MACP has achieved since its induction in 2005, both in garrison and over-seas, the program has become standard in Basic Combat Training and mobilization training. Most active-duty instillations hold monthly tournaments as a morale booster for the troops.

If we can get a Soldier to react correctly to an attacker while in training, he will be able to bring the fight closer to the enemy while deployed, said Matt Larsen, director of the Modern Army Combative Program. The program helps relieve some fears by putting Soldiers up against physical threats that may be experienced while deployed, this helps them complete their missions and brings them home when faced with a life and death battle, he added.

Although MACP is standard training for each Soldier, most competitors who enter the Annual Army Combative Tournament have backgrounds in other fighting styles from wrestling to mixed-martial arts.

"I expected some strong competition and wrestlers with strong grappling skills," said Sgt. Joe Seeger, a fighter for the Oregon Army National Guard team, from 162nd Engineer Company, 82nd Brigade. "It was a great experience, we're very proud to be able to compete against fighters from every active duty post in the Army."

While most active duty posts have months to train together for these events, National Guard Soldiers run into problems with training due to distances between each other and many National Guard Soldiers hold jobs in the civilian job market. The Oregon team had about two weeks to train with each other before the competition, however local combative schools around Oregon have contributed by giving the competitors free memberships and training to help prepare for the tournament.

The six competitors were chosen at a state tournament held July 25. Twenty-seven participants entered and the top six were chosen to represent the Oregon Army National Guard at the Army Combative Tournament on Fort Benning.

There is a level of competition at this tournament. There are even some champion mixed-martial arts fighters competing here, said Hagen.

"We came with a very qualified team; I would put them up against anyone in a combat zone and feel comfortable," he added.

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