Lion Brigade Soldiers Improve Hand-to-Hand Combat Skills

Photo By Staff Sgt. Victor Everhart | Sgt. Marquis Harvey, human resources NCO, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 35th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade, instructs a Soldier on the proper form to properly defend themselves against punches. Soldiers are instructed to keep their guard up and to close space between them and their attacker while being struck. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Victor Everhart Jr.)  

AUGUSTA, GA, UNITED STATES

06.05.2017

Story by Sgt. Victor Everhart 

35th Corps Signal Brigade

The U.S. Army's Basic Combatives Course trains Soldiers in the basics of hand-to-hand combat. Level 1 is the first stage of the Modern Army Combatives Program established in 1995 by the 2nd Ranger Battalion.
Close combat is now one of the 40 Warrior Core Tasks in the Warrior Ethos that reinforces Army values. The Army states that one of the characteristics of a Soldier is that they are ready to close with the enemy; close combat training helps prepare them for this.
Hand-to-hand combat is an engagement between two or more persons in an empty-handed struggle or with hand-held weapons such as knives, sticks, or projectile weapons that cannot be fired. Proficiency in hand-to-hand combat is one of the fundamental building blocks for training the modern day soldier.
Soldiers of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 35th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade are learning these building blocks to the Army’s Combatives program.
“The Soldiers are learning ways to defend themselves without weapons at this point,” said Sgt. 1st Class Erik Miranda, telecommunications operation chief, 518th Tactical Installation and Networking Company, 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion. “Being able to adapt to any fight will help our Soldiers going forward.”
Being able to battle in a variety of different ways is what makes the U.S. Army special, being that all Soldiers of every level have key tasks to provide to the modern day mission both tactical and technical.
With the complexity of today’s conflicts Soldiers are expected to be both a technical expert at their craft as well as warriors ready to close and engage the enemy
Adaptability is a character trait inherent to all Soldiers and this flexibility is one of the reasons Soldiers of the U.S. Army are considered the best.
With that flexibility the opportunity to give junior level Soldiers the chance to get training on leadership under their belt.
“I enjoy being able to train Soldiers,” said Spc. Janiel Suren, cable systems installer and maintainer, 518th Tactical Installation and Networking Company. “Being a specialist and having the opportunity to train Soldiers is going to help me when I become a noncommissioned officer.”
“The experience helps me understand what teaching is all about, and how to train Soldiers from different backgrounds and learning styles,” said Janiel, a San Juan, Puerto Rico native. “Some Soldiers have only used these skills while in the military so a lot of the time they’ve never been hit or gotten into a fight, so training them in a controlled environment will help them if ever needed in a combat environment making these skills muscle memory is key.”
With training opportunities all around there is something to learn at every level and that is exactly what the Army has instilled in its leaders and Soldiers alike. Train the trainer programs and leadership opportunities for junior Soldiers is exactly how mentoring and improvement has sustained the versatile flexible fighting force of the U.S. Army.

• Date Taken: 06.05.2017
• Date Posted: 06.05.2017 15:50
• Story ID: 236407
• Location: AUGUSTA, GA, US
• Hometown: SAN JUAN, PR
• Hometown: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US