49 OG gets taste for hand-to-hand combatives

Published May 7, 2008
By Airman Sondra M. Wieseler
49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- -- With Airmen deploying more frequently, for longer periods of time and into jobs not traditionally associated with the Air Force, combatives training has become important.

The commander of the 49th Operations Group, Col. Jack Forsythe, acknowledged these realities and with the help of 49 OG superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. William Urick, took action in conjunction with the groups vision statement, "Arm Airmen for today and tomorrow."

They asked three combative instructors from the U.S. Army, who are currently attending the Sergeants Major Academy in Fort Bliss, Texas, to come to Holloman and on May 1 and 2, all of the Airmen in the group participated in the hand-to-hand training.

"I'm a big believer in growing our expeditionary combat skills," said Col. Forsythe. "We've looked for our opportunities and compounded with the Air Force's direction of moving into combatives, I just thought the [operations] group ought to lead the way."

The three soldiers who instructed the three-hour long course were Army Master Sgt. Correy Shouse, Sgt. Maj. Brad Henry and Master Sgt. (promotable) Matt Schweers, all of whom impressed Colonel Forsythe with their professionalism and instructional ability, he said.

The training, which the colonel described as "just the introduction," focused primarily on ground fighting.

"Our instructors told us that 90 percent of fights end up on the ground," Colonel Forsythe said. "This training was geared toward exposing us to combatives as a first step of training in the ops group."

Not only were enlisted members involved, but all OG personnel were trained, including Colonel Forsythe himself.

"I was adamant that we had full participation," said the colonel, who admitted to enjoying the course. "You learn a valuable skill, you gain confidence in your abilities and you learn that you can survive a wrestling course."

For some participants, however, this was not the first time training in hand-to-hand combat.

1st Lt. Jorge Aliaga, 49 OG executive officer, received extensive combative training before being deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. While deployed, he discovered its significance.

"We were running missions from Camp Eggers to Bagram Air Base on a daily basis," said Lt. Aliaga. "One of our trucks was transporting luggage for the deployed folks and the brakes went out on it. It went off the side of the road."

The lieutenant explained how the locals, along with the Afghan police, got disturbed by this and approached the vehicle, weapons in hand.

"We had to pull aside, provide security for our vehicle and calm the crowd down," he said. "When we were doing that, we came really close to the locals and they didn't really understand what we were trying to say."

"After a lot of yelling and screaming, there is no doubt in my mind that it wouldn't have taken a lot for us to have to take it to the next level, which would have been defending ourselves and calming the situation using techniques like combatives," he added.

The hand-to-hand training was the first for most Airmen.

"I had a blast," said Airman 1st Class Chandler LeBoeuf, 49th OG, who was first introduced to combatives training during the class. "I got to learn how to defend myself and it made me confident in my ability that I never knew I had."

This type of training is beginning to hone warrior skills all over the Air Force.

"I've been reading about how the Air Force is starting to do more robust expeditionary combat skills," said Colonel Forsythe. "There was an article in the Air Force Times about combatives, land navigation and detainee apprehension. This sort of piggy-backs on some training we've been trying to do here in the [operations] group on a smaller scale."

Other training the 49 OG has executed along with the recent combatives training includes a land navigation course, which taught troops how find their way from point A to B using only a map and a course on how to egress a vehicle during the phase II operational readiness exercise, which also taught how to set up a defensive perimeter, return fire and take cover.

After seeing its advantage first-hand, Lieutenant Aliaga believes combative training should become a future requirement for Airmen.

"I just hope that the wing and maybe the Air Force considers making this type of training a prerequisite for our Airmen deploying," he said. "It's very valuable."

Whether it means self-defense on the streets or protection in a hostile deployed environment, having combatives training could one day be just what one needs to save a life.

"Any chance we get to learn any new combat tactics we should embrace," said Airman LeBeoeuf. "You never know what situation you could end up in one day."