Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Shane Smith | U.S. Army Soldiers participate in a Basic Combatives Course conducted by the...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. — For many Soldiers, the first challenge of a combatives course begins before the first technique is taught: overcoming the uncertainty of stepping onto the mat.
By the end of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s Basic Combatives Course at Fort Indiantown Gap, that uncertainty had been replaced by confidence, resilience and the ability to apply close-combat skills under pressure.
Conducted Aug. 23-28, 2026, the course brought together more than 40 Soldiers from across the National Guard. What distinguished the course was not only its size or demanding curriculum, but the depth of experience among the cadre instructing it.
“We had more experience for this combatives course than we’ve had for any course we’ve conducted up to this point,” said Sgt. 1st Class William Dougherty, lead instructor of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard combatives program. “I don’t know if an Army combatives course could ever have as much experience in a room as we just did with this course.”
The cadre represented a broad range of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and combatives experience, including multiple instructors with recognized belt ranks and previous competition experience. Among them was Staff Sgt. Todd Bevan of the District of Columbia Army National Guard, a third-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who also oversees the D.C. National Guard’s combatives program.
“Working with the group from Pennsylvania, I really enjoyed the camaraderie that developed among individuals from all across the state and, for that matter, the entire National Guard,” Bevan said. “We came together with one common goal: lethality.”
That shared purpose was reflected throughout the week as instructors combined traditional combatives techniques with drills designed to develop a Soldier’s ability to perform under realistic conditions.
One of the culminating events was a series of react-to-contact drills, in which Soldiers were required to respond to an opponent attempting to take them to the ground while wearing full combat equipment.
One of the culminating events was a series of react-to-contact drills, in which Soldiers were required to respond to an opponent attempting to take them to the ground while wearing full combat equipment.
“Those drills were probably the most impressive part of the course because they brought everything together,” Dougherty said. “Students had to apply what they learned in real time to fight off an opponent who tackled them to the ground.”
The training also featured an addition that had never been conducted at Fort Indiantown Gap before: optional Brazilian jiu-jitsu sessions held each morning from 6:30 to 8 a.m. Led by Bevan, the sessions drew approximately 10 to 15 participants each morning, including Soldiers who were not part of the Basic Combatives Course but were training elsewhere on post and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.
The sessions created another opportunity for Soldiers and instructors from different organizations to exchange knowledge and build relationships while developing their grappling skills.
Sgt. 1st Class Tylor Heagy, an instructor, said the depth and diversity of experience among the cadre elevated the course.
“The cadre as a whole brought a diverse range of teaching styles and skill sets, which contributed to one of the most seamless courses we have taught to date,” Heagy said.
For Sgt. Haleigh Wright, with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Medical Detachment, the course was both physically and mentally demanding.
“The cadre were extremely skilled, passionate, and genuinely eager to teach,” Wright said. “I learned even more than I was expecting to, which made it an incredibly rewarding experience.”
Staff Sgt. Cierra O’Shell, assigned to the 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and serving as an instructor during the course, said she enjoys seeing the confidence that develops as Soldiers begin to master the skills.
“I enjoy watching how much it helps instill the Warrior Ethos in Soldiers,” O’Shell said. “The same students who come into the class are not the same students who walk out of it.”
The Pennsylvania National Guard’s combatives program has undergone significant growth since efforts to rebuild and expand it began in 2023. The program has grown from two basic courses that year to four or five annually, while also establishing a state-level tournament and developing competitors for the Army-wide Lacerda Cup.
Dougherty said that growth is evidence that the program is accomplishing the goals established when the revitalization efforts began.
“I think we’re ahead of the game,” Dougherty said. “I think we’re leading not just the Pennsylvania National Guard, but the Army National Guard as a whole in combatives.”
The program’s reach is continuing to expand, with more and more Soldiers, and even Airmen, attending from outside the Pennsylvania National Guard in recent courses.
For the instructors, however, the program’s success is ultimately measured by what Soldiers take back to their units.
“The goal is to give Soldiers the best instruction possible,” Dougherty said. “We’re providing the best instruction possible so graduates of this course can share what they’ve learned with Soldiers in their units.”
He also credited the cadre members who repeatedly volunteer their time to support the courses.
“Many of the instructors are participating on their own time,” Dougherty said. “They have full-time positions and come to help when they can. They want to be here, and that says a lot about their character.”
The program’s momentum will continue with the Keystone Combatives Tournament Sept. 11-13, followed by the All-Guard Tournament at Fort Indiantown Gap in January. Top performers from those events will have the opportunity to compete for an Army National Guard Lacerda Cup team in April.
For the Soldiers who completed the Basic Combatives Course in August, however, the immediate mission was simpler: learn, adapt and become more capable.
Although the week came with sore muscles, bruises and difficult moments, Heagy said the experience left students with something more valuable than the techniques themselves.
“They entered the course with fear, doubt, and anxiety, but departed with confidence in what they had learned and now have the ability to pass that knowledge on to their troops and build further within their units,” Heagy said.
| Date Taken: | 09.01.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.01.2026 13:20 |
| Story ID: | 573682 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Combatives cadre set the standard, by SFC Shane Smith, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
