FORT SILL, Okla. – Staff Sgt. Noelmar Almeron, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Ruffin, and Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Virgil Allen are building a Fort Sill combatives team with aspirations for the team to compete in the Lacerda Cup at Fort Moore, Georgia.
Combatives is a form of hand-to-hand combat primarily used by members of the military and law enforcement which incorporates elements of Jiu Jitsu.
The Instructors Behind the Program
Almeron is assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 434th Field Artillery Brigade, where he serves as an instructor cadre for Soldiers in Basic Combat Training. He has been training and competing in various martial arts since he was 7 years old, and he certified as a combatives...
75th Field Artillery Brigade conducted the "Lifting the Burden" competition throughout April 2025 in support of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM). The competition, coordinated by Sgt. 1st Class John Spurlock, the Sexual Harassment and Rape Prevention (SHARP) Victim Advocate, represented the community helping victims of sexual assault lift the burden of trauma, helping them to find treatment to ultimately become a survivor.
Sgt. Larry Saddler won the competition, lifting 560 lbs.
(U.S. Army video by Capt. Erick Schneider-Cuevas)
