Team building through combat

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Juan Torres
Yokota Air Base, Japan --  Approximately 22 Airmen and their spouses from the 459th Airlift Squadron participated in a mission-specific self-defense team-building combative training, here, May 12, 2017. The training was led by Michael Johnson, master combatives instructor and 512th Rescue Squadron honorary commander at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
During the training, the Airmen received instruction on how to efficiently defend themselves in hand-to-hand combat drills that simulated the confined space of an aircraft cockpit or cabin as well as an introduction to basic knife handling techniques.

“I learned that you have to be creative,” said 1st Lt. Emerson P. Woerner, 459 AS standardization and evaluations liaison officer. “It seemed like for every skill [Mr. Johnson] showed us, he would also demonstrate a way to counter it; so to win you have to be flexible and find ways to overcome whatever your opponent is doing. He also emphasized being aware of your environment and finding ways to use it to your advantage.”

The 459 AS received the mission specific training to help better protect themselves from an attack from a hijacker or disgruntled passenger mid-flight while also increasing their confidence and skills to react.

“The purpose of the training was to better the self-defense skills of the Airmen from the 459 AS and to learn how to use their surrounding environment to ward off an attack,” said Lt. Col. Scott Adams, 459 AS director of operations.

“It was definitely a break from the daily grind and a great squadron bonding activity,” said Woerner. “It was also an invaluable opportunity to learn and practice self-defense techniques from an instructor who is well-experienced and brings an outside perspective.”