Government Industry

Fit to fight

Air & Space Power Journal, Winter, 2007 by Perry Pfeiffer

The Iron Tiger martial-arts concept mentioned by 2d Lt Nickolas Stewart in his article "Fit (and Ready) to Fight: Strengthening Combat Readiness through Controlled-Aggression Training" (Summer 2007) is a great idea. Unfortunately, the USAF seems more focused on sports such as wiffle ball and ultimate frisbee than on close-quarters combat. The troops really need warrior-oriented activities and a hard-core training method to instill a warrior ethos. Gen Curtis LeMay was one of the first to implement such a program with Strategic Air Command's combat judo program back in the 1950s. Many UsAf personnel were trained in Japan and sent back to their home units to teach combat skills and the warrior ethos. Merely repeating the mantra "I am a warrior" in our minds will not make us warriors. Instead, we must train combat skills with both our brains and bodies to become warriors. Running and sit-ups will help but are not enough. We must have training in combat to win in combat. Mixed martial arts are not the correct method or solution, however. I think that a classical, proven combat system of any stripe (and there are many) would be a better choice. The troops would love it. They are eager and ready to learn combat skills. Would current leadership back and promote an "Iron Tiger Air Force" combat hand-to-hand training program? I don't know, but one thing I do know for sure is that General LeMay would be glad to see such a program reborn in his Air Force.