Petty Officer Third Class Steven McFarlane was one of the competitors who really felt he benefitted from the competition.
98th Training Division (IET) commander, Brig. Gen. Dwayne Edwards, gives closing remarks and congratulates the winners of the 98th Training Division’s 2011 Army Combatives tournament. The tournament was held at the Griffith Field House at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. on September 18 and featured over seventy Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors competing in the all day event.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Lisa M. Litchfield, 104th Training Division (LT) Public Affairs.
He added, “To be honest with you, I am not as experienced as everyone else. Just the fact of competing with the different branches, just the experience was great.”
McFarlane had been through the academy only a few weeks earlier and had about a week and a half of training prior to competition.
“I was nervous, definitely nervous because a lot of these guys are black belts in jui jitsu and judo and well experienced but you know, it’s the warrior in you that pushed me through,” he said.
McFarlane ended up in third place for his weight class after a well executed match full of high kicks and energy that was spurred on by a boisterous audience.
“Perseverance,” McFarlane explained, “That’s all it was. I just went in, did what I know, did what I was taught and executed different techniques that I have learned over the week and a half training that I received. I feel awesome.”
Another competitor, 1st Sgt. Anthony Kuhn also feels that the combatives academies as well as the tournament are great tools to develop Servicemembers.
“It is a great tool to get past the fear of closing the distance and engaging your enemy in close combat,” Kuhn said.
He went on to explain that Servicemembers aren’t always going to be able to win outright in a hand to hand battle with the enemy. Combatives teach you how to control the fight, how to hold your own, to get off the ground or out of a choke hold when it matters most.
“It is all about controlling the fight until your battle buddy can get there,” Kuhn said.
Staff Sgt. Chuck March, an instructor with the 98th Training Division, tournament competitor and coach, would not want to be anywhere else.
“This is my dream job,” March said. “I love doing this, most of all I get to teach deploying Soldiers these basic combat skills. There is nothing more satisfying that seeing Soldiers that know absolutely nothing coming in the door, even in an eight hour block they are so much more informed, they have those tools in their tool bag so they know what to do if they come into hand to hand combat.”
“The Modern Army Combatives Tournament instills the Warrior Ethos,” March explained. “If you don’t have the willingness to get in and complete the mission, nothing will help you. This program gets you to close the distance and commit to your mission.”
Staff Sgt. Chuck March coaches from the sidelines in between personal bouts at the 98th Training Division Combatives tournament held at the Griffith Field House on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst September 18. March, an instructor at the combatives academy, went on to place third in the light heavyweight category at the tournament.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Lisa M. Litchfield, 104th Training Division (LT) Public Affairs.
Brig. Gen. Edwards was pleased with the outcome of the tournament.
“One of the things that we accomplished, which was our real goal,” he stated, “was to generate some excitement for this army combatives program because these are real skills that are going to help our people survive in harm’s way.”
Edwards wanted to build excitement for the program as well as reward excellence for the competitors.
“Those are the people who are going to go into our formations, train our Soldiers and we want to recognize them,” Edwards explained.
Planning for next year’s tournament is already underway and it is expected to attract more competitors and be just as successful in boosting confidence and instilling the Warrior Ethos as this one.
“I think next year you will see the same kind of thing, in the same place, but bigger and better,” Edwards said.
Tournament Winners
Featherweight
1st – Spec. Eric Falls, 2/317th (3rd Bde, 98th Div)
2nd – Spec. Viktoriya Varpakhovich, HHD NE MARSG
3rd – Cadet Aili Miettinen, Cornell University ROTC
Welterweight
1st – Staff Sgt. Ramsey Nimer, 1/321st (2nd Bde, 98th Div)
2nd – Staff Sgt. Sang Truong, 2/389th (4th Bde, 98th Div)
3rd – Capt. Grant Moon, HHC 2/310th, 1st Army
Middleweight
Maj. Gen. Robert P Stall (left), commander, 108th Training Command (IET), and Brig. Gen. Dwayne Edwards (right), commander, 98th Training Division (IET), pose with the winners of the 98th Training Division’s Army Combatives tournament. The tournament was held at the Griffith Field House at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. on September 18 and featured over seventy Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors competing in the all day event. The top three competitors in each weight class were awarded a medal and the 108th Training Command General’s coin for their accomplishments.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Lisa M. Litchfield, 104th Training Division (LT) Public Affairs.
1st – Sgt. Kenneth Gaudreau, 2/317th (3rd Bde, 98th Div)
2nd – Senior Airman Aaron Snitzer, 355th OSS
3rd – Staff Sgt. Michael Costello, B. Co. 325th MI Bde
Cruiserweight
1st – Airman 1st Class Dezhan Morgan, 305th MXS
2nd – Spec. Jason Fusco, A Trp, 1/172 VTNG
3rd – Petty Officer 3rd Class Steven McFarlane, FRC East
Light heavyweight
1st – Sgt. Jason Enriquez, 1 Tng Bde
2nd – 1st Sgt. Anthony Kuhn, 1/390th (4th Bde, 98th Div)
3rd – Staff Sgt. Chuck March, 98th Div / RTC-E
Heavyweight
1st – Airman 1st Class Michael Shea, 7th ARS
2nd – Staff Sgt. Scott Fitzpatrick, 1/304th (4th Bde, 98th Div)
3rd – Sgt. 1st Class Levar Curry, 57th Troop Cmd NJNG