Marines hit the ground fighting Published July 2, 2014 By Tech. Sgt. Douglas Hays 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- In chess, a move is often designed to set up a bigger play down the line, and Grissom Marines are learning similar moves, not for a board game, but for hand-to-hand combat. Three Marines from Detachment 1, Communication Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 45, 4th Marine Logistics Group, underwent martial arts instructor training at Grissom June 9-21. The battered and bruised Marines took their lumps to become instructors to help fellow Marines hone their skills and prepare for promotion. "We now have four martial arts instructor to help Marines maintain a good status of mission, and combat readiness," said Gunnery Sgt. Korey Wright, Detachment 1 martial arts instructor trainer. "Our hope is that we'll be able to do a lot more training, and teach them leadership and discipline traits they need as they move up the ranks," said Staff Sgt. Chris Goult, a newly minted martial arts instructor trainer. "We took a three-week course and pushed it to them in 13 straight days," Wright said. "It's a tough course." Throw after throw, the body-armor clad students took turns demonstrating different moves in the June heat and humidity. Time-and-time again they picked themselves up, sometimes grimacing in pain, wiped the sweat off their brows' and moved forward to accept the next challenge. "We were getting thrown around a lot," said Sgt. Michael Zaharias, of the course. "For us becoming instructors, it has to be that much tougher. We have to realize what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong - and it's something we have to earn." "We've been ground fighting for the last week or two, so it got pretty rough, and it takes its toll," said Cpl. Adam Gerber of the repetition of moves. "It's about being proficient with every step. "There's a required sustainment," Gerber added. "You maintain the knowledge that you learned before and add to it." "You're never going to remember 100 percent of what they teach you but you want to remember as much as you can," said Goult. "So if you keep the integrity of the technique that we're teaching the whole program keeps its integrity in general." "When you're tired, technique is what's going to get you through," Goult said. "We can all do something right when we're fresh and ready to go, but when you're tired is when it counts." "You can try to muscle something all you want, but if you have the proper technique it's not going to take as much strength," Zaharias added. "It takes discipline, physical discipline, mental discipline -- and the character builds as you go through this training," Goult said. "It wasn't all fun, but I know why it's there," Zaharias said of the grueling training. All Marines go through martial arts training in boot camp, and earn a tan belt. Other subsequent belts include gray, green, brown and different levels of black. By completing the course, Goult, Zaharias and Gerber all are awarded their gray belt. "By the time I go back to work, the marks and bruises will be gone, but the training will stay with me," said Goult "A lot of the kids we train are really young," said Gerber. "It's an opportunity to step up and teach them some practical stuff they use in life. That part of the training really grabs me." "This training is crucial to being a Marine," Zaharias added. "It now gives our Marines a chance to improve their skills and 'belt up' to the next level." The individuals are assigned to Detachment 1, and their mission is to install and operate a Combat Service Support Operations Center in a tactical environment. The base is also home to the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command, as well as three Army Reserve units. Airmen, Soldiers and Marines routinely deploy from Grissom around the world in support of the Department of Defense mission and U.S. strategic objectives. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
