LORTON, Va, –
Unsettled dust swirls in the air as U.S. Army and Air Force service members rush through rooms of an abandoned prison in northern Virginia during the Tactical Combatives Course, a class ran by the U.S. Army Combatives School, March 22, 2016.
"When training soldiers to use skills in a combat situation, there is simply no substitution for the real thing," said U.S. Army Capt. Brian Bevan, 1st Battalion intelligence officer. "It is critical that the students are placed in the most realistic scenario possible while still maintaining safety."
The two week course focuses on reinforcing warrior ethos, soldier readiness, increased confidence, enhanced resilience, and takes students outside the classroom to practice what they learn. Realistic situations like these allow service members to see how they will act under high stress and the effects of adrenaline, allowing them to better prepare for real-world situations.
In order to participate in the Tactical Combatives Course, the students must first pass the Basic Combatives Course.
"In level one, we went over basic grappling for a dominant position," said Staff Sgt. Gabriell Viera, 811th Security Forces Squadron executive aircraft security team leader. "This course included more advanced grappling, and we went over tactical combat situations outside of the classroom, which added a realistic combat environment to the training."
The class affected not only one student's confidence in hand-to-hand combatives, but also her personal confidence.
"In the beginning, the course seemed daunting and well beyond my abilities," said U.S. Army Spc. Tiana Evans, 704th Military Intelligence Brigade linguist. "I was timid and hesitant; however, with time, practice and clear guidance, I found that not only did I gain confidence in my combative skills, but in my personal interactions with my classmates and how I felt about myself. We learned from each other's mistakes, sharing our previous experiences and expertise, steadily gaining confidence along the way."
Any service member who wishes to participate in the course just needs to provide their most recent physical fitness assessment, fill out a safety questionnaire, and complete a combatives injury screening form.
For more information about United States Army Combatives School, go to http://www.hqbn.belvoir.army.mil/combatives.asp