It's been settled. The Army has found its elite fighters for 2009.

By U.S. ArmySeptember 22, 2009

It's been settled. The Army has found its most elite fighters for 2009.
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – SSG Shawn Pretat, top, of Fort Knox, Ky., takes the advantage over SGT Grover Muirheid of Fort Campbell, Ky., in the flyweight division's third-place match Sunday during the U.S. Army Combatives Tournament at Fort Benning, Ga. Muirheid went on to win... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
It's been settled. The Army has found its most elite fighters for 2009.
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – CPT Ken Laird, top, of Fort Carson, Colo., gains the upper hand over CPT Neil Chitwood of the SROTC Battalion at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio,
en route to his lightweight championship victory Sunday by unanimous decision at the U.S. Army Combat... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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It's been settled. The Army has found its most elite fighters for 2009.
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – SSG Nate Ford, bottom, of Fort Benning, battles a bloodied SGT Joe Clark of Fort Lewis, Wash., for the flyweight division championship Sunday during the U.S. Army Combatives Tournament. Clark captured the title after the referee stopped the match in ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, GA - More than 300 Soldiers from around the world slugged it out over three straight days at Fort BenningAca,!a,,cs Smith Fitness Center during the fifth annual U.S. Army Combatives Tournament, and individual champions emerged Sunday in seven weight classifications Aca,!" bruised, battered and bloodied in some cases.

Fort Campbell, Ky., home to the 101st Airborne Division, claimed the team title with 271 points, ahead of the 3rd Infantry Division (262) and Fort Riley, Kan. (248). Fort Benning (197) finished sixth, while the 75th Ranger Regiment (159) wound up 10th overall.

Aca,!A"It was the best tournament yet,Aca,!A? said U.S. Army Combatives School director Matt Larsen. Aca,!A"The number of fighters and level of expertise has grown exponentially Aca,!A| The fights are getting harder. We had some past champs that got beat in the prelims this time.Aca,!A?

SSG Brandon Sayles of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, wasnAca,!a,,ct among them, however. He landed a big left hook against SGT Nathan Freeman of the 3rd Infantry Division early in the first round of their bout to score a technical knockout and capture his third heavyweight championship.

Sayles also won titles in 2006 and 2008. He missed the event two years ago because of an Iraq deployment.

Aca,!A"It just shows my hard work paid off again,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"But it was a lot more competitive this year. Seeing the teams, you can tell everybody came prepared. The level of competition is going up every year. IAca,!a,,cm excited to see whatAca,!a,,cs going to happen next year.Aca,!A?

In the light heavyweight division, SSG John Gendron of the 75th Ranger Regiment won by forfeit over SFC Jared Roy of Fort Detrick, Md.

SFC Rich Miranda of the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) took third in light heavyweight with a second-round submission triumph over SPC Guillermo Villa of the Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii.

Aca,!A"In previous tournaments, there might be a few good fighters but most were so-so,Aca,!A? Miranda said. Aca,!A"Every single person that showed up for this one had some skills. There were no easy fights.Aca,!A?

LTC Larry McCord of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment overwhelmed SSG Colton Smith of 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) for the cruiserweight title, forcing a submission just 22 seconds into the match.

Aca,!A"I felt really good,Aca,!A? said McCord, who was runner-up a year ago after reaching the semifinals in his first two appearances. Aca,!A"My coach directed me through the tournament. I just followed his instructions, and things worked out.Aca,!A?

McCord, who works as chief of the cadet health clinic for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., compared the Army Combatives Tournament to a marathon and said he was able to conserve strength through the preliminary rounds Friday and Saturday by staying focused but loose.

Aca,!A"If you donAca,!a,,ct save your energy, youAca,!a,,cll gas out in the finals,Aca,!A? he said.

In an intense matchup at the middleweight level, SSG Jacob South of the 95th Division stopped SGT Walter Bubenzer of Fort Knox, Ky., via submission in Round 2. South was the 2007 cruiserweight champion but was unable to make last yearAca,!a,,cs tournament, he said.

Aca,!A"My cardio felt great and my technique was good today,Aca,!A? South said. Aca,!A"I waited for the right moment Aca,!A| I was able to grind him down, and he tapped out.Aca,!A?

SSG Pedro Lacerda of the 75th Ranger Regiment picked up the welterweight title with a second-round submission victory over SSG Michael Robinson of Fort Jackson, S.C.

Meanwhile, the lightweight division belt went to CPT Ken Laird of Fort Carson, Colo., who earned a unanimous decision over CPT Neil Chitwood of the SROTC Battalion at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio.

In a grueling, bloody battle for the flyweight championship, SGT Joe Clark of Fort Lewis, Wash., defeated SSG Nate Ford of Fort Benning when the referee stopped the fight in the second round.

A total of 318 Soldiers, representing more than 40 installations, began the tournament Friday. The field included seven women.

Aca,!A"In my eyes, itAca,!a,,cs one Army, one team Aca,!" no matter if youAca,!a,,cre male or female. If youAca,!a,,cre going to come out here, youAca,!a,,cre coming out here as a Soldier,Aca,!A? said SGT Jamie Johnson of the 205th Infantry Brigade at Camp Atterbury, Ind., who competed in the lightweight division. Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs a huge rush, and builds confidence really.

Aca,!A"Being a female, you canAca,!a,,ct back down. IAca,!a,,cm going to look you straight in the eye and say, Aca,!EoeGive it what you got.Aca,!a,,c It gives you confidence and makes you stand a little taller.Aca,!A?

The Modern Army Combatives Program, launched in 1995, teaches hand-to-hand combat. ItAca,!a,,cs a mixed martial arts form that combines Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, striking, takedowns and ground-fighting techniques. Combatives also employs practices used in judo, kick boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling.

MG Michael Ferriter, the U.S. Army Infantry Center and Fort Benning commanding general, said combatives allows Soldiers to close with the enemy in any environment.

Aca,!A"It lets them engage in full-spectrum operations,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"They can confidently move in the streets of Iraq, the hills of Afghanistan, and clear houses if they have confrontation ... When they go in the room, they know they can handle themselves.Aca,!A?

CSM Earl Rice, the command sergeant major of USAIC and Fort Benning, praised the discipline as a great tool within the warrior ethos.

Aca,!A"I will never quit,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"Even if faced with huge odds Aca,!" an overwhelming enemy presence, being short on ammo Aca,!" I still got the lethal weapon, which is the Soldier.Aca,!A?

Larsen said skills have gotten sharper over time because combatives is now a permanent part of the ArmyAca,!a,,cs fabric. ItAca,!a,,cs taught in basic training and is fundamental to Soldier development.

Aca,!A"It takes a long time to get to the level you see them doing here, but that is whatAca,!a,,cs happening in the tournament,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"After 10 or 12 years as a Soldier, they should be an expert in this.Aca,!A?

South, this yearAca,!a,,cs middleweight champ, said he loves the sport.

Aca,!A"ThereAca,!a,,cs nothing better than something fun that gets you fit, and it can save your life at the same time,Aca,!A? he said.

Vince.Little@us.army.mil

Top Army fighters

A look at the top 10 teams (with points) and individual finishers by weight classification in the fifth annual U.S. Army Combatives Tournament, held Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Smith Fitness Center on Fort Benning, Ga.:

Teams

1. Fort Campbell, Ky. Aca,!" 271

2. 3rd Infantry Division Aca,!" 262

3. Fort Riley, Kan. Aca,!" 248

4. Fort Lewis, Wash. Aca,!" 224

5. 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Aca,!" 207

6. Fort Benning, Ga. Aca,!" 197

7. Fort Hood, Texas Aca,!" 186

8. 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) Aca,!" 181

9. Fort Knox, Ky. Aca,!" 170

10. 75th Ranger Regiment Aca,!" 159

Flyweight

1. SGT Joe Clark, Fort Lewis

2. SSG Nate Ford, Fort Benning

3. SGT Grover Muirheid, Fort Campbell

4. SSG Shawn Pretat, Fort Knox

Lightweight

1. CPT Ken Laird, Fort Carson, Colo.

2. CPT Neil Chitwood, SROTC Battalion, Capital University in Bexley, Ohio

3. SSG Keith Bach, 3rd Infantry Division

4. CPT Kenton Stenrose, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Welterweight

1. SSG Pedro Lacerda, 75th Ranger Regiment

2. SSG Michael Robinson, Fort Jackson, S.C.

3. SPC Matthew McGee, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade

4. SFC Donnie Bowen, Fort Campbell

Middleweight

1. SSG Jacob South, 95th Division

2. SGT Walter Bubenzer, Fort Knox

3. CPT Jonas Bray, Fort Benning

4. SGT Raymond Pintor, Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii

Cruiserweight

1. LTC Larry McCord, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment

2. SSG Colton Smith, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard)

3. SGT Andrew McLauchlan, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team

4. 2LT Daniel Midget, Fort Benning

Light Heavyweight

1. SSG John Gendron, 75th Ranger Regiment

2. SFC Jared Roy, Fort Detrick, Md.

3. SFC Rich Miranda, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)

4. SPC Guillermo Villa, Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii

Heavyweight

1. SSG Brandon Sayles, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

2. SGT Nathan Freeman, 3rd Infantry Division

3. SSG Lonnie Kincaid, Fort Riley

4. SGT Ryan McCracken, Fort Hood