America's North Shore Journal

An officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, fights off one of her instructors during Sexual Assualt Unarmed Self Defense Awareness and Prevention class, held at Forward Operating Base Warrior. Photo by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs

A group of petite female Soldiers laugh as their instructors, four much larger non-commissioned officers wince in pain from self-defense techniques they just taught these female Soldiers that could ultimately save their lives.

These Soldiers, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division out of Fort Bliss, Texas, were the first to participate in a trail program that focuses on teaching the Soldiers self-defense so they can better defend themselves against an attacker, according to First Sgt. John Lucas, first sergeant of HHC, of the Ready First Combat Team.

This program is a proactive attempt by the leadership of the Ready First Combat Team to teach their Soldiers to protect themselves if attacked, when they are unarmed.

During the class a very curious crowd of male and female Soldiers gathered around to observe these females learning to immobilize their attacker so that they can have enough time to get away, the importance of preserving evidence and ways to prevent an attack from happening, according to Lucas.

The brigade’s sexual assault response coordinator had some advice for the Soldiers to prevent an attack.

“You must show confidence in yourself at all times,” said Sgt. 1st Class Gerald Meineke, the SARC. “Walk with your head high and you will not be looked at as a victim.”

The junior-enlisted Soldiers that participated in the program were also given a very lethal weapon that would scare off any attacker, according the Lucas.

This weapon was a flashlight and it is the new best friend of the Soldiers participating in the class.
With this the Soldiers can blind, hit and gather evidence, such as DNA or even identification, from their attacker.

Overall the instructors said they were very impressed with the Soldiers and that they were very quickly picking up on moves that gives them an advantage over an attacker that can be much larger than them.

The plan for this class is for it to be held more regularly and have it be mandatory for all females of the Ready First Combat Team, to show that sexual assault has no place at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq.

Until the classes are scheduled the instructors have urged their students to go out and teach other Soldiers what they had learned and to also practice the techniques often so they do not lose the skill.

DVIDS
Story by Pfc. Jessica Luhrs