Happy New Year's

Marines,
When you are ringing in the New Year, remember to remain in control. Keep aware of what's going on and ensure that you maintain a good head on your shoulders. Don't drink and drive or get in a car with those who drink and drive. Stay away from parties where there will be illegal drugs present. Steer clear of fights, and situations where there could be danger. In short, think things through in all your relations with others.
As the old saying goes, all things done in the dark will one day be brought into the light. So just remember the line from our hymn and "keep our honor clean".

Happy New Year's to one and all.

Semper Fi,

-CO

Uniform Note

Despite it being the last Friday of the month, tomorrow we will be in green digitals just like today.
Semper Fi

-CO

Marine Corps hand-to-hand evolution through revolution

Dec. 26, 2007; Submitted on: 12/26/2007 09:36:26 AM ; Story ID#: 2007122693626

By Staff Sgt. Leo A. Salinas, Headquarters Marine Corps

WASHINGTON (Dec. 26, 2007) -- Stifling.

That’s this gym. A true sweat box. Just standing there, the heat was, well, stifling. Cramped, compact, full of chaos.

There wasn’t much room for just sitting on the sidelines.

And this is where Marcos Estrada and family were hanging out for the day.

Estrada, along with his son and brother, is one of many aspiring fighters and martial artists in the gym.

Between the long nights and hectic pace of his day job, he is a fighter. He trains in grappling and Gracie-Barra – a sort of scientific jiu-jitsu. He practices boxing and kickboxing for striking.

What separates Estrada from the rest of the sweat-soaked pugilists is he’s not fighting for a title. He already has one.

Estrada is a Marine.

He serves as a master sergeant in one of the most challenging duties in the Marine Corps: wartime recruiting.

The Marine Corps has the reputation as the America’s premier fighting force and one of the most prolific fighting militaries in the world. But sharp uniforms and boastful bravado is not what got them there. They are known as warriors, and warriors fight. With whatever they can grab, they fight. Sometimes it comes down to bare hands.

What separates Estrada from the other paper lions of his hobby is he is not only training for a fight, he is training for war. Like the Marine warriors before, his warrior mindset is only as good as his training, and he is always training for war. Hand-to-hand and close-quarters combat is a small but powerful tool for the Marine.

In the beginning

The bayonet is what brought Marines closer to their enemy. Although Marines were used and are known as accomplished riflemen, fighting in trenches during World War I and World War II proved to be a birthing of close-quarters combat with the Marines.

This brought new ideas and research by Marines fighting in foreign wars that would improve the Corps’ fighting skills. However, the Marine Corps would use a hodgepodge of ideas and methods. Along with a killing attitude, this would prove useful over many years. But war evolves. Bullets would get bigger and badder. So the Marine Corps decided that it was time for it’s warriors to evolve.

By 1989, a new fighting system would integrate both physical conditioning and open handed tactics to the Marine Corps.

“Marines have always stood up to the evil of the world, we have always understood the need for the ability to kill our opponent in combat,” said Ron Donvito. “Close combat is the oldest and most basic form of combat known to man. The individual Marine has been, is now, and always will be the true weapon. Technology only enhances the efficiency of the weapon.”

With this mindset, Donvito would devise a new close-quarters combat method as a civilian. He would eventually enlist in the Marine Corps and introduce this fighting system to his command. After careful deliberation, the Corps found a fighting form they liked and would teach it for the next decade.

The system, known as Linear Infighting Neural Override Engagement, was designed to be executed at full speed and full contact with no special training aids or training areas.

“The focus of all close combat training is to foster aggressiveness and to instill the warrior spirit,” Donvito. “Marines have always been the cutting edge of combat proficiency; LINE was designed to inject this skill set into every Marines’ daily life.”

LINE system develops confidence in the abilities of the individual Marine and toughens the Marine through the repetition of striking, being struck, throwing and being thrown, grappling in boots and gear on the ground in all types of terrain and weather to fit the Marines every clime and place attitude, said Donvito.

“It has always been a source of pride for me to have made a difference in the training of Marines,” said Donvito. “The lessons that I learned and the experience that I gained as a Marine have allowed me to continue to refine the system.”

However, the Marine Corps would eventually want to evolve with modern-day tactics.
These tactics included a termed used by a previous commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Charles Krulak, called the “three-block war.” This was a way that the lowest enlisted leaders would view the modern day battlefield; able to adapt to any situation. What the Corps wanted were complete warriors, not just efficient killers.

A review board of Marines and civilians with various degrees of martial arts experience concluded that the current system had to be revamped to better equip Marines with the skills needed in the changing mission of the Marine Corps, said Master Sgt. James Coleman, chief instructor trainer for the Marine Martial Arts Center of Excellence.

“Less than lethal skills were identified as an integral part of the "new" three block war principle. All techniques were utilized with gross motor skills, not fine motor skills which are needed for non-lethal techniques,” said Coleman.

This new program, known as the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program, was further pushed by another former commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James L. Jones, Jr. His experience as a young platoon commander in Vietnam would propel Marine close-quarter combat into the next century.

“He noticed that there was a perception about the Republic of Korea Marines all being black belts in a martial arts discipline,” said retired Lt. Col. Joseph C. Shusko, MACE director. “The North Vietnamese would not engage them. The ROK Marines also looked different because they wore a tiger stripe uniform. So when the bad guys saw the tiger stripe uniform they avoided confrontation and attacked other forces. That’s why we have a different uniform and martial arts - thanks to General Jones.”

MCMAP would be based on basic martial arts discipline, but would incorporate extra criteria that would enhance the Marine as a more complete warrior. Special emphasis was placed on physical, mental, and character discipline. Also, Marines would now study warrior cultures such as the Spartans, Zulus, and the Apache. Moves, such as throws and strikes, are borrowed from various fighting styles, along with a colored belt system that would show program progression.

“MCMAP reinforces the concept that all Marines are riflemen and that the end state is always combat readiness and the Warrior Creed,” said Shusko. “The Warrior Creed teaches the following: Wherever I go, everyone is a little safer, wherever I am, anyone in need has a friend, when I return home, everyone is happy I am there.”

What the future holds for close quarter combat is anyone’s guess. The Marine Corps has initiated a more rigorous physical fitness program, which is at its infant stages at the MACE. However, as the battlefield changes, so will the modern-day warrior.

“We are doing well teaching all Marines MCMAP,” said Shusko. “We are now incorporating Combat Conditioning under the physical discipline of MCMAP to make Marines more physically fit to meet all challenges throughout the entire spectrum of violence they may encounter.”

Fight for fun

Master Sgt. Marcos Estrada is no stranger to combat.

Estrada served as an infantry unit leader in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

“The command is aware that I do this and has been a great means of support. They are aware of how intriguing this is to our target market here in the community and how it has effectively appealed to the young men and women in selling the Marine/elite warrior image,” Estrada said.

Estrada constantly draws analogies between MMA and the Marine Corps.

“In a combat zone, you don’t always know when you are about to get into a shoot out. Here (in the cage), you do,” said Estrada, a 32-year-old Chicago native. “So I was more nervous than being on any patrol that I had ever been during Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom and being an infantryman, I’ve been on a couple. Not to mention, you have the support of twenty something other Marines strapped to the teeth with weapons and ammo if things go wrong.”

The thrill of competing inside a cage in front of hundreds, possibly thousands of MMA enthusiasts is tempting for Estrada to take his craft to a higher echelon.

“I would love to fight on the bigger stage, but my work schedule is not conducive with that of which would be required of someone in a bigger stage, so I think that I’ll stick to local shows,” the 33-year-old Estrada said.

In 1999, a former Marine named Joey Goytia came into Estrada’s recruiting office with one of his kickboxing students that expressed interest in the Marines. As the young man was took the Enlistment Screening Test, he told Estrada about the school that he ran and the classes he taught at his school.

“It was right about the time the Ultimate Fighting Championship had really begun to get popular so I was already excited. I got hooked,” Estrada said. “From the time that I began training in MMA to my first fight was about 5 years.”

With grueling hours in the office and on the streets and demands of the recruiting environment, Estrada makes sure that his training does not interfere with his mission of seeking out and recruiting the best young men and women America has to offer.

“I train early in the morning or late evening so that it doesn’t interfere with my work schedule. I often come back to the office after my evening workout to ensure that there are no surprises waiting for me when I get to the office in the morning,” Estrada said.

Mixed-martial arts, which has recently experienced a surge in popularity thanks to increased cable television and pay-per-view exposure, along with a modest acceptance in mainstream sports, recently developed a relationship with the military.

“It’s a great way to get in shape, and a very humbling sport. Find a place that is a right fit. The first or maybe even the second or third place that you try may not be the right one for you. The place that I train right now is the perfect balance of humble but very talented athletes. We are there to help each other, encourage one another and support each other, whether it’s to fight or just for recreation,” Estrada said.

Who are the Warriors?

Marines have prepared each other for battle for over 230 years. Techniques have evolved but Marines have adapted and made them their own.

Anyone can be taught how to punch, how to kick, how to defend himself , but the Marine Corps continues to find way to master their enemies with the primal extinct of hand-to-hand combat.

Future focusing on hand to hand combat centers on conditioning the body for the rigors of combat. As the military find itself in the Long War, new armor and weapons have become a focal point and precedence for troops.

However, hand to hand combat teaches the Marine to be the self-sufficient warrior. One mind, any weapon.

Happy Holidays

‘Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,

in a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney with presents to give

and to see just who in this home did live.

As I looked all about, a strange sight did I did see...

No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.

No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand.

On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind,

a sobering thought soon came to my mind.

For this house was different, unlike any I'd seen.

This was the home of a U.S. Marine.

I'd heard stories about them, I had to see more,

so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.

And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone.

Curled up on the floor of his one bedroom home.

He seemed so gentle, his face so serene.

Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.

Was this the hero of whom I'd just read?

Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean shaven, his face weathered tan.

I soon understood this was more than a man.

For I realized the families that I saw that night,

owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight.

Soon around the nation, the children would play,

and grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.

They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,

because of Marines like this one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,

on a cold Christmas eve in a land far from home.

Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye.

I dropped to my knees and I started to cry.

He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice,

"Santa, don't cry. This is my choice.

I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more.

My life is my God, my Country, my Corps."

With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep.

I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.

I watched him for hours, so silent and still.

I noticed he shivered from the cold night’s chill.

So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,

and covered this Marine from his toes to his head.

Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,

with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.

And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,

and for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.

I didn't want to leave him, so quiet in the night,

this guardian of honor so willing to fight.

But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure, said,

"Carry on Santa. It's Christmas Day, all secure."

One look at my watch and I knew he was right.

Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi, and goodnight.

December 19th

Building 9804, pull up bars at 1500.
Green on green, beanies & gloves are optional.
Water source of any kind mandatory.

Here's what we will do after (1) round of the warm-up...

Five rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
75 pound Sumo deadlift high-pull, 21 reps
75 pound Thruster, 21 reps

We will scale this to your ability level, you don't have to do the above, that's what I'll be doing today (Monday) on my own and in case you're curious it's from the www.crossfit.com WOD last Wednesday.

So you don't think I'm crazy with the weight/numbers, think a moment about scaling it to your ability. This workout will stress me to no end, it will be F*&KING hard. That's how its meant to be, hard, but not impossible.

So 75 lbs may be impossible, but a 45lb or 25lb bars may not be, or some 10-15 lb dumbells may not be. We will scale it to your ability in order to build your strength.

Once you're done post your weight and time...

Maybe Mr. T is pretty handy with computers...

Combat Fitness

It is indeed a curious thing. The physical fitness test has been found at fault because it became an end where it was once a means. Rather than existing to measure the fitness of Marines we started to train to the standard and to train for no other purpose than the standard.

Enter the new CFT.

The combat fitness test aims to provide course correction. But there is a slippery slope on which we can all stumble. Don't get wrapped around the axle on the test itself. Examine the common threads throughout the test and train to those requirements. We, the Marines, have identified that combat places stresses on the body for which "fit" Marines may not be prepared, unless specifically prepared through training to combat conditions.

Expect the unexpected, last Wednesday was a good primer. Writ large, we will make changes to our PT schedule in type and scope.

The only constant is change, the only easy day was yesterday.

S/F
-L CO

Family saves Marine son's flag after house fire

From the Gastonia Gazette...
By Adam Linhardt
November 29, 2007 - 1:52PM
Kendra Lowman and her parents arrived home Wednesday after a night of service at First United Methodist Church in Clover and then some shopping to find their house on fire.

“We were pulling into the neighborhood and I said ‘Daddy, what’s with the fog,’” the Western Carolina student said.

Turns out the fog was smoke and it was coming from the family’s front porch and living room.

Neighbors on the 2500 block of Fairgreen Drive noticed the fire and rushed over with hoses to quell flames stemming from an electrical socket used to power their outdoor Christmas lights, said Kendra’s mother, Linda Lowman.

Union Road firefighters had the fire under control in minutes, said Chief Frankie Capps.
The chief estimates the fire did about $15,000 in damage, mostly to the living room and porch, he said.

“Most of it smoke and water damage,” Capps said.

The family may have been gone at the time, but Linda, her husband Ken and Kendra — whose name is a combination of her parents’ names — were worried mainly about two things: their 13-month-old puppy “Zoey” and a special American flag.

Zoey was OK, a little scared from the sirens, but didn’t suffer a scratch.

“I was so worried about the flag,” Linda said.

One of her son’s, Ken Jr., is a Marine — currently a sergeant major — who has been on numerous tours in Iraq. He sent his family a flag that flew over Camp Ramadi in Iraq. The family put the flag in a shadow box along with a picture of Ken and other mementos.

“There’s a little water damage, but I think it’s going to be OK,” Linda said.

“I didn’t want to lose that,” the mother said holding the flag.

“He’s in Maryland now and wants to go to Afghanistan,” she said. “Says they have him behind a desk and he’s getting bored.”

Crushed holiday lights and other Christmas decorations adorned the front lawn and the porch where firefighters gutted the window area to squelch the fire before it got into the attic.

“This street looks like a little McAdenville at night,” Linda said.

The family has insurance, Ken said.

“Everybody including Zoey is OK,” the father said. “So we’re pretty lucky.”

“And lucky to have such neighbors,” Linda said. “The firemen said it could have been much worse.”

Combat Conditioning

We'll be at the Marine Barracks tomorrow at 1500 for PT. Uniform is full cammies less rank and covers. As it will be cold beanies and gloves are an option. After a bout of combat conditioning we will review some ground fighting.

Hydrate.

Semper Fi,

CO

Awards Formation

Monday, 0630 at the Marine Barracks.