Soldiers and Airman fight to win for US Army Alaska

Photo By Sachel Harris | Spc. Ericka Bernardo waits for warm-ups to begin Dec. 3, 2015, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Bernado is the only female on the U.S. Army Alaska Combatives team. (U.S. Army Photo/Sachel Harris)  

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, UNITED STATES

12.06.2015

Story by Sachel Harris 

United States Army Alaska

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Some do it to test their limits. Others do it because they love to compete. Some just do it for fun. But no matter what drives them to do it, one thing is for sure: it takes a lot of courage to walk into a ring and get punched in the face.

Sixteen fighters will travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to represent U.S. Army Alaska in the Fort Bragg Open Invitational Combatives tournament this week. The USARAK team is made up of Soldiers and one Airman from both Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Fort Wainwright.

“It’s all about feeling ready and being mentally tough,” said Spc. Ericka Bernardo, the only female member of the team. “I know I’m going to get hit in the face, but when I see another female across the cage, I feel confident.”

Combatives, or hand-to-hand combat, is much like mixed martial arts fighting and allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, from a variety of combat sports. The skills learned can be used on the battlefield, making proficiency in hand-to hand combat one of the fundamental building blocks for training today’s Soldier.

“What we’re doing here is instilling warrior spirit in today’s Soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st Class Chad Yeagley, Arctic Warrior Combatives Academy noncommissioned officer in charge. “We’re pushing their bodies to the limits, but it’s building confidence and preparing them to be OK with taking a hit.”

Nearly 300 service members from Fort Bragg and other Department of Defense installations are expected to go head to head with each other during the preliminary and semi-final rounds to determine who will fight in the finals. This is the first invitational U.S. Army Alaska will be participating in.

While she is grateful for fighting helping her to build her confidence, Bernado, who has been fighting for a year says once she’s in the cage, it’s all about the fight.

“I’ve been fighting for more than a year and have been training for months for this competition,” said Bernado. “I am aggressive and ready to take on the woman I’ll be in the cage with.”

The finals will take place Dec. 12.

• Date Taken: 12.06.2015
• Date Posted: 12.07.2015 13:18
• Story ID: 183695
• Location: JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US