OTS Begins New Close-Combat Course

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OTS Begins New Close-Combat Course
Air Force Print News | SSgt. Matthew Bates | February 19, 2008

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. - Today's Airmen don't simply drop bombs or watch combat from a distance; they are in the fight.

From operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to the Horn of Africa, Airmen are consistently working outside the wire in support of their Army, Navy and Marine counterparts. This means Airmen need to know how to fight and survive in combat situations.

In line with this thinking, the Air Force's Officer Training School here recently implemented a new close-combat course into its curriculum. Called the Air Force Combatives Program Module 1, the course teaches officer trainees the basics of self defense.

"It instills the warrior ethos in the trainees, it builds their confidence and it gives them the basic skills they need should they find themselves in a situation of unarmed or hand-to-hand combat," said Lt. Col. Hans Palaoro, commander of the 24th Training Squadron.

These basic skills include learning how to apply various choke holds, how to defend while on the ground and how to use leverage and position as an advantage. The students spend hours rolling around and practicing various techniques on each other, something that is both entertaining and educational for them.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,162425,00.html