Tech. Sgt. Onesimo Gonzales knew he was in trouble as soon as he walked through the door. Its creaky hinges gave the Airman away and 12 U.S. Marines all turned their heads at once, their piercing glares cutting right through him. The 489th Bomb Group maintainer had come after receiving an email about what he thought was a regular martial arts class on Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. He was wrong. Gonzales had stumbled into an instructor training course for the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). The email had been sent to him by mistake; the course was only for Marines stationed at Dyess. “The instructor looked at my Air Force uniform and asked if I knew what I was getting into,” said Gonzales, shaking his head at the memory. “Honestly, I had no idea.” Instead of tossing him out of the course, the instructor took a more pragmatic approach. “Well, you passed your PT test, so you’re staying,” he told Gonzales. “We’re about to get started.” That reluctant acceptance launched a three-year journey that would not only transform Gonzales, but hundreds of Airmen at Dyess.
Gonzales had a background in Jiu-Jitsu, but he had never heard of MCMAP or worked with Marines in a professional environment. Now, he wasn’t just taking the course — he was training to teach. And there seemed to be no way out. “I just remember being nervous and wanting to go back home,” he said of those first few moments. Gonzales had good reason to be nervous. MCMAP is intense. The course teaches close-quarters combat techniques; its curriculum built on three pillars of discipline: mental, physical, and character. According to U.S. Marine Sgt. Cristian Colin, a MCMAP instructor at Dyess, the course was designed by Marines and made official in 2001. “These combat veterans learned how to fight with whatever was available and they wanted to bring those lessons to other Marines,” he explained. “It’s about survivability — fighting with your bare hands if you have to.” Students are subjected to controlled chaos while learning combat techniques drawn from several disciplines, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and Karate. Standards are high, and it was made abundantly clear to Gonzales that becoming an instructor would push him in ways he had never experienced. He quickly assessed the situation. He had been doing Jiu-Jitsu for years, knew how to fight, and was in peak physical condition. Gonzales made up his mind to overcome the cultural differences between the Air Force and Marines and represent the 489th Bomb Group as well as possible. “It just took off from there,” he said. It did take off, but it wasn’t easy. Each session was grueling, lasting up to 10 hours. The days started with combat-style physical training emphasizing movements such as fireman’s carries and other high-intensity exercises. “It’s combat-oriented for a reason,” said Colin. “You need to be ready to run ammo on the battlefield or carry a buddy who just lost a leg.” Once exhausted from physical training, the class moved immediately into martial arts, learning techniques and sparring for hours in full uniform, often with extra gear like protective vests. Each session was followed by academic training covering anatomy, physiology, diet, and nutrition — areas Colin considers critical for instructors. “It’s more than just telling people they are going to fight,” he said. “You have to watch for signs of fatigue or injury and know what to do about it.” Throughout the course, the Marines treated Gonzales professionally, but behind the cordial demeanor, he sensed their doubt about his ability and will to succeed. Gonzales threw himself into every aspect of the training, eventually earning their respect. “They were like, ‘Okay, this guy’s not what we thought,’ and they took me in,” said Gonzales. Gonzales completed the MCMAP instructor course and eventually earned his black belt;the first Air Force reservist ever to achieve the distinction. But he had a deeper reason for wanting to excel, something he needed to prove to himself. “I have a lot of drive, and getting the instructor tab is something that is definitely earned and not given,” said Gonzales. “Going through that course was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my military career.”
Gonzales recognized that MCMAP’s physical, mental, and character development could strengthen his fellow Airmen at Dyess, so he started encouraging them to take the course. Since becoming an instructor, he estimates approximately 300 Airmen on base have enrolled in the program. Not all of them make it. “We have about a 60% washout rate,” said Colin. “They’ll come, finish a few days, and never show up again.” Those who do finish, like Tech. Sgt. Marquis Flowers-Roberston, another reservist assigned to the 489th Bomb Group, reap significant benefits. He is one of five Air Force reservists to complete a belt level in the program. “It’s definitely pushed my physical training standards,” he said. “When you work out with the Marines, you learn to grit through and push yourself.” Flowers-Roberston said the program also helped him develop a deeper combat mindset and warrior ethos. “I work on bombers, so if someone attacks us, it’s already a bad day,” he said. “But at least now I know I’m ready if these skills are ever needed.” For Gonzales, the shift in confidence, mindset, and readiness among Dyess Airmen makes every hour of training worth it. “Too many times I have been told it is not our job; that the Marines and Army do the fighting, and that does not sit well with me,” he said. “The enemy isn’t always a foreign military, and I believe it is important to have the ability to defend oneself and those around you when necessary.” Confidence and combat capability are clear benefits — but the program produced one more result that no one anticipated.
Gonzales’ happy accident three years ago has built a bond between Airmen and Marines at Dyess. Until that point, Airmen and Marines assigned to the base were virtual strangers, divided by stereotypes. “I’d been around Airmen before, but never really interacted with them,” said Colin. “I just thought they had it nicer than us and lived in five-star hotels.” As more Airmen came through MCMAP, the Marines began to better understand the Air Force work ethic. “I didn’t realize they were flying 24/7 with all these shifts going back to back,” he said. “So it gave me a lot of respect for the Air Force because these guys were working pretty crazy hours and pretty hard.” But it wasn’t just Marines overcoming cultural stereotypes. Flowers-Roberston said he was impressed with the level of professionalism the Marines brought into their training. “I knew they were the first ones into the fight, but they are very knowledgeable about it,” he said, citing how the Marines’ deep academic knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pressure points was woven into practical application. Both services learned from training together that interoperability and a common mindset of excellence were a potent combination. As the program grew, the connections between Marines and Airmen only seemed to get stronger. That connection extended outside of training. Both groups started inviting one another to help out with volunteer events, building even greater connection. “It just helps us keep that constant connection about what’s going on in our brotherhood,” said Flowers-Roberston. What started with an errant email has grown into a better understanding of a shared warrior ethos, all because one Airman refused to let barriers get in the way. Flowers-Roberston had a more simple summary of how all the change came to be. “Gonzales is just a Marine wearing an Air Force uniform,” he said.