Modern Army combatives class Published Dec. 24, 2009 By Spc. Cassandra Monroe 135TH Mobile Public Affairs Detachment DIX, N.J. -- Some service members will agree they are very familiar with the most-used combat weapons such as the M16 series and M4 rifles and are prepared at a moment's notice to pick them up and use them. In contrast, what would happen if these same service members no longer had their weapon available for use, and their main defense mechanism was their two bare hands? Would they be prepared to protect themselves against enemy combatants with a tight grasp and the bone crushing weight of their body being pushed to its limits during a fight? Some may not be prepared. However, it is safe to say that those participating in level two of Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP) at JBMDL have a good understanding of the skills they need to protect themselves in a bad situation. "The level two course takes a lot of the basics that you learn in level one and adds on to it with more detailed moves," said Sgt. Helder Nunes, a truck driver with the 1st Bn., 309th Brigade Training Support and a MACP instructor. "The course incorporates different variations of the same moves with different ways to execute them," said Nunes. "It gets the mind out of the box to help them think during a situation and to think of different options." The program, in which students must complete 80 hours of training in order to be certified, concentrates on the second level of combatives and includes topics such as 48 different combative positions, participating in different multi-skill level tournaments, proper wearing of a uniform while participating in said tournaments and personal health and hygiene. A typical day for the students starts early in the morning with physical training exercises, followed by drills and rehearsals of positions learned the day before, classroom time and learning new techniques, said Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Bigas, a maintenance supervisor with the 1at-309th, who is a student in the MACP course. "It is important for Soldiers to incorporate this training so they can engage the enemy at close quarters and to not be afraid," said Bigas. "By becoming a level two instructor, I can help facilitate training for the younger Soldiers for level one and also to incorporate it into my physical fitness program." The students sometimes think if they ever get into harm's way, they always have their rifles or pistols and they can protect themselves with that, said Nunes. "However, that's not always the case, and you might get into a situation where you may not be able to use that weapon, he said. If you get grabbed, you may not have time to engage the enemy with your weapon, so you need to know how to defend yourself," he added. So far, the students have completed their first week of the class. Although the atmosphere is fun with light joking and camaraderie, the students get their game faces on when it's time to fight. "I love to see the changes the students go through," said Nunes. "By the end of the course, you see them growing in their skill proficiency and that they can incorporate different moves for different situations. Students build self confidence, so if a situation were to occur, they have the confidence in themselves to defend themselves and can handle the situation on their own." Every service member that comes through JBMDL must come through the combatives course, which includes not only Soldiers, but Sailors and Airmen as well. Some units have the option to do pre-mobilization training, so they do not have to complete the course here. However, for those who do not have the home station pre-mobilization training, they are able to complete the course here. One thing is for sure though, the groups are always diverse, either by military service branch or by military occupational specialty, but all come together for the same training. "There is no difference between the branches, a student is a student," said Nunes. "What matters is if you know what you're teaching, and you believe in what you're teaching, and if you're teaching it the right way," said Nunes. For example, all Soldiers are also riflemen. It doesn't matter what MOS you are. Once students complete the course, in order to earn their graduation, they must test out on the different moves and techniques they have learned over the past ten days. "The graduation is all based on how we feel that you learned the subjects we taught," said Nunes. The students leave here to teach their squads and platoons or prepare them to go through the level one course. "We tell them, 'don't just leave what you learned here, take it back to your unit,'" said Nunes. "We are doing a 'train the trainer' course. We're training them to be trainers themselves."