FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Jan. 20, 2026) -- It’s only been a few months since the newly assembled Fort Drum Combatives Team started training together. Now, they’re ready to represent the 10th Mountain Division (LI) for the first time at the XVIII Airborne Corps Invitational, Jan. 21-23, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Capt. Kenny Hird, Company C commander, 10th Light Support Battalion, 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade, began recruiting last September after being tasked with jumpstarting a combatives program that had been dormant since 2017.
Hird scouted local boxing and martial arts gyms looking for Soldiers with the right skills and athletic credentials for the team. What he found was a good mix of former collegiate wrestlers, kickboxers, and mixed martial arts enthusiasts.
The team started training inside Falcon Gym on Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield for the invitational, which had been scheduled for November but was postponed. The delay enabled them to continue drawing new talent onto the team, including Soldiers with 3rd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
The extra time, and support from division and brigade leadership, also led to the team acquiring a small, bare-bones facility on South Post to serve as a dedicated combatives center.
“Getting the building was huge,” he said. “Command Sgt. Maj. (Michael) McQuality is one of our biggest supporters and we wouldn’t be here without his backing.”
With just enough mats to cover the floor, some overhead lighting, and basic cleaning supplies, Hird said it is all they need to get the job done.
“I think once you start getting fancy, bringing in all sorts of equipment, it kind of loses the intent,” he said. “Some of the best people come out of gyms just like this, where you can just focus on straight technique and do a little conditioning.”
Before now, Hird said many Soldiers have been training on their own, within their units, or at local gyms, to prepare for competitions.
“There wasn’t a program at the division level for Soldiers,” Hird said. “What we are building now is way more structured and disciplined. And because you have people who are certified to lead practices, and people who are trained medics, we have the right environment to do this. Because safety is important, sometimes more important than the practice itself.”
Hird said they were able to get roughly a dozen Soldiers certified in Combatives Level I or Level II through Sgt. 1st Class Josue Rivera, a master trainer with 1st Brigade Combat Team.
“This was monumental for us because we didn’t have a program here for years,” Hird said. “When we first began developing a team, I said we were going to go step-by-step, by the number, learning the history of what combatives is. I think getting everybody who is a part of this organization tested and certified was the most important thing we could do.”
Cadre members, like Capt. Anthony Fleck, Army Field Support Battalion executive officer, are leading the morning sessions. On any given day, there could be between 20 to 50 Soldiers training at the facility. Fleck said he wasn’t surprised by this, knowing how popular combatives programs are within units across the Army.
“From what I’ve seen and heard, I think there has been a real appetite for this to happen in the 10th Mountain Division (LI) for a long time,” he said.
Fleck said the combatives program provides an outlet for Soldier wellbeing, personal development, and building resiliency.
“Ultimately, the benefits depend on what they put into it,” Fleck said. “On one hand, it’s just good PT. There’s nothing like being able to fight somebody in a controlled space and to practice those skills. Then on the other hand, you get to apply that training and represent your unit in competition.”
Hird said Soldiers are also benefiting from the expertise of elite athletes they brought in to teach different disciplines. Recently, Gene Mills, a two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, and professional MMA fighter Mike Mucitelli provided their insight and instruction on the mats.
“I believe their experience and perspective is very important,” Hird said. “It offers so many opportunities for Soldiers to understand how they succeeded, and what techniques worked for them. They helped write the doctrine that we follow: what takedowns or what submissions work in any situation. And they did that on the biggest stages in America, in the world.”
Spc. Walter Galope, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, was a former boxer with three amateur fights before enlisting in the Army. He began training in Jiu Jitsu last February.
“I’m still pretty new to the game, but over our deployment I had the chance to practice grappling and all that,” he said. “I’m more of a striker from my boxing background.”
Galope said he would train and spar with fellow Triple Deuce Soldiers at their unit gym. Then, through word of mouth, he heard about the new combatives team and immediately began attending training sessions.
“Every day I’m improving my fight game and learning new skills,” he said. “But I think it’s the community as well that I like. Everyone’s so respectful and you help each other grow.”
Pfc. Jermaine Thomas, Company C, 10th Light Support Battalion, came into the combatives facility without a lot of experience but he was motivated to learn.
“It just seemed fun, honestly,” he said. “My brother does wrestling, so he kind of influenced me a little bit. He taught me some stuff.”
Thomas said that learning different close-quarter, hand-to-hand fighting skills is as much about sharpening mental acuity as is it developing physical strength and endurance.
“It has really taught me how to think through different situations and how I would respond,” he said. “And honestly, it helps keep my mind at ease.”
“I’ve learned a lot here,” said Sgt. Timothy Mcelrath, 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. “I didn’t know a lot of submission stuff, only takedowns and holds from wrestling. And learning the fundamentals of boxing and kickboxing, I’m definitely getting an appreciation for difference disciplines.”
While he is expanding his skill sets beyond his wrestling knowledge, Mcelrath said it can be humbling discovering how much there is it to learn.
“But we have a great team of people, and we are all learning from each other,” he said. “I’m glad I’ve gotten to meet so many great people, honestly. And that’s the other big takeaway from this – you become like a big family.”
Galope said he is excited to go to the invitational at Fort Bragg.
“Other teams will be more experienced but, for me, just getting out there and being able to represent the 10th Mountain Division will be awesome,” he said. “It’s a good start to bring combatives in general back to the 10th Mountain Division.”
Regardless of the results this week, Hird said he is proud of what the Fort Drum Combatives Team has already accomplished.
“It’s not just what you do on the mat, but what you do off the mat as well and how you carry yourself as professionals,” he said. “And that’s what I’m seeing with these guys – the Warrior Ethos and the professionalism – and I think that’s huge.”
“I’m also seeing their commitment,” Hird continued. “Physically, mentally, spiritually – because it’s not just about strength and endurance. Everything has to align when you’re out there on the mat.”