Sgt. Kevin Robertson and Staff Sgt. Guido Cozzarelli subdue an armed enemy, Staff Sgt. Brian Young, using nonlethal tactics during the Tactical Combatives Trainer Course March 24 at the Warrior Training Center at Camp Butler in Harmony Church. The Wa...

FORT BENNING, Ga., (March 30 2016) -- The Warrior Training Center at Camp Butler trains more than 5,000 Soldiers a year - allowing Army National Guard, Army Reserve and active-duty Soldiers to take various courses to prepare to fight as one team.

Lt. Col. Beau Riely, WTC commander, said the center, located on 43 acres in the Harmony Church cantonment area, offers 12 diverse courses that provide training in critical functional and special skills. These include the Ranger, Abrams and Bradley training assessments, Air Assault, Pathfinder, vehicle crew evaluator, basic and tactical combatives courses, master fitness and senior gunner courses.

The WTC's courses enhance a commander's readiness by providing the Army National Guard units with highly skilled and qualified personnel instilled with the Warrior Ethos in support of domestic and overseas contingency operations, said Tom Siter, WTC deputy commander.

This past week, Soldiers graduated from the Tactical Combatives Trainer Course.

The Basic Combatives and Tactical Combatives Trainer Courses teach both basic combatives and basic core techniques, Siter said. In Tactical Combatives, Soldiers are taught to subdue an opponent quickly ... to effectively close with and destroy the enemies of the United States in close combat.

Sgt. Omar Banda, with the Texas National Guard on active duty assigned to Fort Benning, graduated from the tactical course.

Since he enlisted in 2006, Banda said he understands why the military has reinforced different techniques to adjust to the reality of the battlefield, as it has changed over the years.

Reserve Soldier Staff Sgt. Todd Young, who comes from a unit in Arkansas, said the course prepares everyone to work together and be ready for deployments.

"We're all one team. It doesn't matter if you are National Guard, Reserve or active duty," Young said. "When you go overseas ... you're all one."

For more information on the WTC, visit www.benning.army.mil/tenant/wtc.