Photo By Master Sgt. Thomas Duval | Service members from the Hungarian, Canadian, Colombian and U.S. Army's pose for a...... read more read more
EL GORAH, Egypt-- As the withdrawal of Soldiers in Afghanistan continues and combat deployments become less common, Soldiers deployed to Egypt with Task Force Sinai are focusing on getting back to the basics, and they are doing it with the most unlikely battle-buddies.
U.S. Army Soldiers partnered with service members from Colombia, Fiji, Canada and Hungary during two weeks of Modern Army Combatives training Aug. 4-14, on the multinational force and observer’s North Camp, here.
The purpose of the class was to familiarize each service member with the basic techniques used for close-quarter combat and to help instill confidence in each other’s abilities.
“We are one team and if something were to happen we are here together but if an American Soldier isn’t around now you have a Canadian to your left and a Colombian to your right that knows the same thing the U.S. Soldier knows,” said Sgt. Yarnisha Lyons-Marshall, combat medic assigned to Medical Company, 1st Support Battalion, Task Force Sinai. “We are all here as a peacekeeping team so if anything happens we fight together.”
Because of its growing popularity throughout the different military contingents here in the Sinai the course had to be split into two separate iterations.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get certified in combatives in Egypt and then get to say you did it with Colombians and Hungarians makes it even more unforgettable,” Lyons, a certified level three combatives instructor said.
The MAC program has also become popular among U.S. service members but for different reasons. In addition to teaching techniques from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai and boxing, becoming level one certified offers junior enlisted Soldier promotion points necessary to obtain the next rank.
While these points offer incentives for Soldiers to sign up Lyons said they don’t provide enough motivation to complete the course and instead it’s their internal drive that has made MAC in the Sinai desert so successful.
“For U.S. Soldiers you get promotion points but for the other contingents they don’t get anything but a certificate and the opportunity to train alongside the U.S. Soldiers,” said Lyons. “They never give 50 percent they always give 100 percent and want to learn more.”
Sgt. Robinson Romero, a platoon sergeant for the Columbian Army, learned firsthand giving 100 percent for a week straight is easier said than done.
“The first night I went to the main dining facility it was difficult to even get my glass of juice because my arms hurt,” said Romero as he wiped away the sweat that seemed to consume his body.
Although it was painful, Romero is looking forward to learning more Army combatives and hopes to one day teach others.
“As a platoon sergeant when I go back to my country I can teach my soldier in the Columbian battalion what I learned here,” said Romero.
Recent conflicts throughout the last decade have taken the focus off of hand-to-hand combat but Lyons says it is still an important skill set that cannot be forgotten.
“Combatives is still relevant simply for the reason that you always need a plan B,” Lyons added. “When ammo is gone or if our weapons is no longer functional and we have to perform remedial action what happens when the enemy is now in our face… you have to use hand-to-hand combat and it’s better to know something than nothing.”
With the MFO’s primary mission being to observe, verify and report compliance of the Egypt-Israeli Peace treaty, hand-to-hand combat is not likely to happen in the Sinai Peninsula but for Lyons and Romero the course was about more than just training.
The two agreed building camaraderie and esprit de corps was more important than the piece of paper handed to them upon graduation and Lyons hopes in some way the bond shared between all of the contingents on the mats will strengthen the success the MFO has had over the past 32 years of observing peace.
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.17.2014 06:31 |
| Story ID: | 139572 |
| Location: | EL GORAH, EG |
| Web Views: | 823 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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