CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea -- The room was crowded that day and dimly lit. A Soldier's face was dripping with sweat like the perspiration on a cold glass of ice tea left outside on a blistering summer day. He breathed in heavy and exhaled with his head held high. He stepped into the fighting area with his hands up, close to his face. He was ready.
This Soldier was Spc. Quinton Brown, an OH-58D Kiowa armament/electrical/avionics systems repairer with the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade. He was one of the Soldiers helping with a combatives class for the brigade April 22 at the Super Gym here.
"Today we are doing what we call pummeling drills," Brown said. "It is to allow the trainees the opportunity to take the clinch positions they have learned and use them effectively."
Brown was one of the punchers for the drill which meant he was level two combatives certified. He along with the other punchers wore boxing gloves and proceeded to hit the trainees while they avoided the hits and attempted to move into a clinch position.
"All of these drills that we do are in preparation for the final certification on Friday," Brown said. "We give them a list of moves that we have taught them, and they have to perform them to the best of their abilities."
He said the trainees must be able to do a certain amount of the moves, or they will have to be retrained.
Pfc. Miguel A. Bernardo, an information technology specialist with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd CAB, then got up to take his turn performing a clinch. When given his cue, he moved in as gloves flew toward him to prevent Bernardo from reaching his target. He kept charging forward, not to be stopped until he had his arms wrapped around his opponent and he had fingers locked as the instructors yelled, "Clinch!" He then dropped his arms and was finished.
"I definitely think I am learning a lot," Bernardo said. "It is actually a really great workout as well because I'm drenched in sweat."
He said he really wanted to earn the level one combatives certification because everyone needs to know how to defend themselves in a real world situation.
Any one of these trainees could be put into a combat area, and they try to give the Soldiers a realistic idea of what could actually happen, Brown said. If a Soldier gets into close-hand combat, they need to be able to react quickly and with effectiveness. They want everyone to be ready to fight tonight when they walk out of this class.
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