By Staff Sgt. Leah R. Kilpatrick
14th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Spc. Jonathan Forbes, left, from 704th Military Intelligence Brigade from Fort Meade, Md., competes against Spc. Joe Sanford with 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson Modern Army Combatives Program March 3, 2018, during a three-day Armed Forces Combatives Tournament in Fort Bragg, N.C. (Photo by Lewis Perkins)
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Teamwork, camaraderie, esprit de corps and most of all, skill, came together when 12 Soldiers formed the Fort Carson Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP) team, which competed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina’s, Armed Forces Combatives Tournament from March 1-3, 2018.
The team members used all of the perseverance and resilience they had. They kept pushing, kept fighting and finished second place overall.
Through a six-week train-up, the group made up of Soldiers from units all over Fort Carson, formed a bond that would see them through the grueling three-day competition.
“We practiced Greco-Roman wrestling, ju-jitsu, boxing, muay thai, pankration (open hand slaps to the face, closed fist punches to the body),” said Spc. Jamil Coleman, a cavalry scout assigned to the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. “We did drills on top of drills on top of drills, maybe six to eight hours a day, Monday through Friday.”
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Spc. Jamil Coleman, left, with 4th Battalion, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, competes against Staff Sgt. Jacob Grove from 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Ky., March 3, 2018, during a three-day Armed Forces Combatives Tournament in Fort Bragg, N.C. (Photo by Lewis Perkins)
Even with the intense training regimen, some of the team members said they still had some nerves and apprehension about the competition.
“Just like in any competition, you’re kind of nervous about everything,” said 1st Sgt. Malquer Manzueta, a first sergeant with 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div. “Not only are you getting hurt, but somebody else is getting hurt. You kind of get that mindset, you know, that fight-or-flight mindset.”
Coleman said he was most nervous about the pankration.
“I’ve never slapped somebody in the face before,” he said. “It feels humiliating. Everything else was (exciting) about (it). It was awesome.”
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A student from JFK Special Warfare Center and School from Fort Bragg, N.C., competes against Spc. Petronilo Marin, ground, with 4th Infantry Division, March 3, 2018, during a three-day Armed Forces Combatives Tournament in Fort Bragg, N.C. (Photo by Lewis Perkins)
The competition began with a day of grappling, followed by a day of pankration and culminated in the finals round, for those who made it through the first two days.
“Everybody there was really good,” Coleman said. “Everyone brought something to the table, whether it was boxing or wrestling or ju-jitsu or muay thai. Just all around, it was good fun.”
Sgt. Zachary Morro, an infantry team leader with 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., said he thinks the MACP is an awesome program, and he hopes the Army continues it.
“It teaches you how to be tough,” said Morro. “It teaches you to never give up, because when you’re in a fight, if you start losing and you just give up, you could die … in real life. If you’re in a street fight or you’re downrange, if you give up, you could die and your buddies could die to the left and right of you, because you become that weak link. I believe combatives gives you the strength, endurance and the mindset to keep pushing forward. Always keep fighting.”
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Spc. Jamil Coleman, right, with 4th Battalion, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, competes against Staff Sgt. Jacob Grove from 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Ky., March 3, 2018, during a three-day Armed Forces Combatives Tournament in Fort Bragg, N.C. (Photo by Lewis Perkins)
Manzueta believes combatives builds resiliency.
“A lot of Soldiers (have) never been in close combat to the point where they get smacked in the face,” said Manzueta. “Some people we get (have) never been in a confrontation with anybody, so it’s good for them to experience that in a controlled environment instead of it being their first time and they completely freeze.”
Next up on the team’s agenda is the All-Army Combatives Tournament at Fort Benning, Georgia, in mid-April 2018.
Manzueta said he has the utmost confidence in them.
“That same team we took out there (to Fort Bragg) will continue to be in at least the top three,” he said.
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Spc. Jamil Coleman, right, with the 4th Battalion, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, competed against Staff Sgt. Jacob Grove with the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Ky., March 3, 2018, during a three-day Armed Forces Combatives Tournament in Fort Bragg, N.C. Twelve Soldiers formed the Fort Carson Modern Army Combatives Program team and placed second overall in the competition, which ran March 1-3, 2018. (Photo by Lewis Perkins)
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Spc. Nayarit Quintero, ground, with 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson Modern Army Combatives Program competes against Sgt. Tyler Cannan from 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., March 3, 2018, during a three-day Armed Forces Combatives Tournament in Fort Bragg, N.C. (Photo by Lewis Perkins)
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Private First Class, a student from JFK Special Warfare Center and School from Fort Bragg, N.C., competed with Spc. Petronilo Marin with 4th Infantry Division, March 3, 2018, during a three-day Armed Forces Combatives Tournament in Fort Bragg, N.C. (Photo by Lewis Perkins)
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A student from JFK Special Warfare Center and School from Fort Bragg, N.C., competed with Spc. Petronilo Marin with 4th Infantry Division, March 3, 2018, during a three-day Armed Forces Combatives Tournament in Fort Bragg, N.C. (Photo by Lewis Perkins)