[H2H]

Alright, I am going to start at the top, and just make comments along the way down the post...

1) Please keep in mind the FM is VERY outdated right now, but should be officially approved and made public soon. All courses are taught to the new standard, it's just the Army is a little behind on approving the FM.

2) "That takes a great deal more training time than units will allocate.." You may be surprised at how many soldiers train Army Combatives on their own. I am always surprised here at Bragg, that every time I go into the main Gym, there are at least 10 guys doing MACP stuff. Part of that is on the units though. If the SGM's, 1SG's , CO, etc. make it a priority, then Joe will train it (or at least his COC will make him). Here at Bragg, at Batt. formations, Company formations, etc. the Commander will pull out a couple random soldiers in front of everyone and ask them to show a specific move from Level I. If they don't know it, the Team LDR, Squad LDR, and PLT SGT are in his office soon after. Embarrassment and extra duty are powerful tools to motivate soldiers.

3) "So, the likelyhood that a soldier would need more than perhaps the most basic of ground fighting skills isn't very likely at all..." - Lets look at this from a little different perspective. For the regular line soldier, everytime he is at a VCP or on a secuity patrol thru town, is an opportunity that a completely compliant situation could become non-compliant. When killing the LN is not an option, it makes sense to have some training to deal with a situation. Remember, we are not just talking ground fighting, but as much as anything else, we are talking about training a mindset.

4) The initial training for all soldiers should be given in basic training. I can tell you that I got only about 2 hours of training in my basic. It was fairly new to ITB at the time.

5) "Level 4 NCOs aren't really focusing on training troops" - Most everything to this point is correct, except for this statement. Let's use the 82nd as an example, though we are far from the only unit set-up like this. I returned from AFGN in March and soon after was moved to Division as the NCOIC of Combatives. I am a Level IV and my job is to teach MACP to all soldiers here on Fort Bragg. My schedule looks basically like this: Level I (1 Week), then Level II (2 Weeks), then a week off, then do it again.

Not only do I teach Level I and Level II, but I also run PT programs for units when they request it, I run SGT's time in the afternoon when requested, I run "Self-Defense" classes for FRG programs, I run all Division and Post Combatives Tourneys, I track and keep up with all soldier certifications and on and on. Some of the things are part of my job and some of them I volunteer to do to help the program.

6) "This NCO is responsible for the training of up to 800 soldiers in Level 1 skills only, and so is usually at the E-7 level" - Keep in mind, the way the program is build is on the "Train the Trainer" program. Which means, the Level III is only required to keep an eye on his Level II's (Company Reps) and those company reps then keep an eye on the training for the platoons, squads, etc. That Level III will also assist the unit level instructor when he completes a Level I MACP course. Most of the time, the Level IV does all the certification courses, and the Level III's do the continuing training.

7) Unit Costs are not as bad as you would think. MACP provides a "Kit" thru one of those Army Acronym Units. It provides everything a Post could need to support the soldiers in MACP. Most units already have mats from the support of Wrestling. The only other needs are the TDY to send the soldier to Benning to be certified in Level III and Level IV, which at the end of the day is about $5k. A unit could get a new program off the ground next week for about $5k and a NCO, if they did not have a dedicated building.

Lastly, again, I really suggest getting into a Level I course if you get the opportunity. I compare it to conversations I have with friends about SERE. I am constantly told "Man, it is impossible to put into words some of the things that SERE taught me". Not to compare the 2 courses at all, but MACP is similar in the mindset. It is much easier to understand all of the things gained from the course by attending it.

Thanks,