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Soldiers strive to be all they can be through Army combatives program

By Pfc. Summer ParishApril 26, 2023

Spc. Duke Edwards, a public affairs mass communication specialist, assigned to 50 Public Affairs Detachment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia, places second in the Lacerda Cup, an all Army combatives championship tournament, at Sgt. 1st Class. Paul R. Smith Gym, Fort Benning, Georgia, April 13. 2023. Competitors across the Army will compete in the Lacerda Cup All-Army Combatives Championship April 10-13.The event promotes esprit de corps, exchanges best practices within the combatives community, assesses the effectiveness of the Combatives Programs of Instruction, evaluates Army readiness, and showcases the MCOE. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish/ 50 Public Affairs Detachment)
Spc. Duke Edwards, a public affairs mass communication specialist, assigned to 50 Public Affairs Detachment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia, places second in the Lacerda Cup, an all Army combatives championship tournament, at Sgt. 1st Class. Paul R. Smith Gym, Fort Benning, Georgia, April 13. 2023. Competitors across the Army will compete in the Lacerda Cup All-Army Combatives Championship April 10-13.The event promotes esprit de corps, exchanges best practices within the combatives community, assesses the effectiveness of the Combatives Programs of Instruction, evaluates Army readiness, and showcases the MCOE. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish/ 50 Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, Ga.- Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division competed at the 2023 Lacerda Cup, an annual all-Army combatives tournament, April 10-13 at Fort Benning.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps won the Team event at the Lacerda Cup at Sgt. 1st Class. Paul R. Smith Gym, Fort Benning, Georgia, April 13, 2023. Combatives training teaches Soldiers the rawest form of lethality - the ability to close with and destroy the enemy in close-quarters combat. Soldiers serve as the weapon, using their learned and mastered combatives skills to take down their opponents.(U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish/ 50 Public Affairs Detachment)
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to XVIII Airborne Corps won the Team event at the Lacerda Cup at Sgt. 1st Class. Paul R. Smith Gym, Fort Benning, Georgia, April 13, 2023. Combatives training teaches Soldiers the rawest form of lethality - the ability to close with and destroy the enemy in close-quarters combat. Soldiers serve as the weapon, using their learned and mastered combatives skills to take down their opponents.(U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish/ 50 Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish) VIEW ORIGINAL

XVIII Airborne Corps won the team championship event which was hosted at Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith gym.

Soldiers competed in eight different weight classes during the three-day tournament where they were put against each other in hand-to-hand combat.

According to the Soldier' s Creed, a Soldier should stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America, in close combat. The competition tested the competitors' ability to abide by this part of the creed.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division pose for a photo after the Lacerda Cup championship ceremony at Sgt. 1st Class. Paul R. Smith, April 13. 2023. The competition is designed to identify the top tactical team in the U.S. Army and assess the effectiveness of combatives programs of instruction. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish/ 50 Public Affairs Detachment)
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division pose for a photo after the Lacerda Cup championship ceremony at Sgt. 1st Class. Paul R. Smith, April 13. 2023. The competition is designed to identify the top tactical team in the U.S. Army and assess the effectiveness of combatives programs of instruction. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish/ 50 Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish) VIEW ORIGINAL

"As a competitor, you experience a range of emotions from anxiety to a sense of accomplishment," Spc. Duke Edwards, a public affairs mass communication specialist, assigned to 50 Public Affairs Detachment, 3rd Infantry Division. "At the end of the day, you're proud of what you put forth and look forward to improving."

The mission of the U.S. Army combatives course is to train Leaders and Soldiers in close combat in order to ensure the Warrior Ethos and prepare Soldiers to engage with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.

“The defining characteristics of a warrior is the willingness to close with the enemy,” said West Point Combatives Director, Matt Larsen, head of the Modern Army Combatives Program and author of Field Manual 3-25.150. “That’s what the Warrior Ethos means.”

U.S. Army Soldiers receive a belt for winning first place at the Lacerda Cup at Sgt. 1st Class. Paul R. Smith Gym, Fort Benning, Georgia, April 13, 2023. The Modern Army Combatives Program builds mental and physical toughness and enhances unit combat readiness by training Soldiers in close-quarters combatives, instilling the warrior ethos and preparing Soldiers to close with and destroy the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish/ 50 Public Affairs Detachment)
U.S. Army Soldiers receive a belt for winning first place at the Lacerda Cup at Sgt. 1st Class. Paul R. Smith Gym, Fort Benning, Georgia, April 13, 2023. The Modern Army Combatives Program builds mental and physical toughness and enhances unit combat readiness by training Soldiers in close-quarters combatives, instilling the warrior ethos and preparing Soldiers to close with and destroy the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish/ 50 Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Summer Parish) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Modern Army Combatives Program began in 1995 with the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Fort Benning. As the program advanced in complexity, its achievement caused it to expand beyond the battalion. Initially, the training was extended to the rest of the Ranger Regiment and was adopted by the whole infantry. Following Larsen's 2002 release of Field Manual 3-25.150, the program was adopted as a standard practice by the entire Army.

“We have better fighters throughout the Army because of combative competitions,” Larsen said.

Competitions like the Lacerda Cup bring Soldiers together to be all they can be. The combatives program promote spirit, unity, and growth while challenging them mentally and physically.

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