Special Operations Combatives Program (SOCP) – U.S. Army Special Forces has adopted a training program that bridges the gap between the foundation training provided by the Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP) and the unique combative skills required by today’s Special Forces Soldier.

Modern Army Combatives Program – MACP. The Army made combatives one of the Army’s 40 core warrior tasks. [1] Combatives builds a Soldier’s confidence and resiliency as well as his personal courage. It improves a Soldier’s situational responsiveness to close quarter threats in an operational environment. The MACP was introduced in 1995 within the Ranger Regiment and soon spread throughout the Army.

Special Operations Combatives Program – SOCP. The special operations organizations across the services have always had some type of combatives training. As the years go by the styles and requirements change. The SOCP has been in existence for almost a decade. It became a program of record in 2010 for Army Special Forces. The SOCP builds upon the skills learned in the MACP and introduces task-specific programs for special operations forces. For instance – the skills and techniques ‘assaulters’ need in a close quarter combat (CQB) environment. Some of the techniques learned in the SOCP are integrated into the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) training events.

Each of the SF groups has their own combatives facility. Usually the groups will run a one-week long SOCP. Each group has its own designated combatives instructors that teach not only foundational combatives but also advanced techniques that can be utilized in combat situation.

The SOCP is designed to enhance a Soldier’s survivability in combat while wearing his full complement of equipment – helmet, body armor, and everything that hangs on it (radio, medical kit, ammunition, etc.). The SOCP is also integrated into close-quarters (CQC) training as well. The training is geared toward individual proficiency in combatives but also it incorporates movement flow as a team within dwellings and other structures.

The scenarios that SF Soldiers experience in SOCP is varied. They range from responding to ‘blind side’ attacks from the rear while clearing buildings to responding to detainees putting up a fight while being searched or cuffed. The intent of some special operations direct action missions is to apprehend high-value targets. The SF Soldiers must ensure the detainees compliance during capture and be ready to use combative skills if required. Although some training will take place in a gym with floor mats much of the training will be in rooms with furniture and other household items or perhaps in vehicles.

Lethal and Non-Lethal Scenarios. There are times when using a firearm is not the best option. First of all use of a firearm is typically lethal and it may be that a lesser form of violence is needed to respond to a situation (force continuum). There may be times when using a firearm would pose a danger to teammates or civilians. Then there will be the occasions when there is no time to respond with a firearm. In this case some other piece of equipment is put into use – knife, helmet, or piece of gear. SOCP is designed to give special operators the ability to go from a non-lethal to lethal situation – or from lethal to non-lethal. Weapons retention and weapons transition is taught within SOCP. Some scenarios involve the use of weapons during combatives training. Some don’t.

The Special Operations Combatives Program takes into account real world lessons learned after 15 years of Special Forces personnel participating in the Global War on Terror. The SOCP covers a variety of training scenairos and combatives requirements for Special Forces. SOCP is applicable to the SF Soldier working as a ‘singleton’ (think Jedburgh type missions in civilian attire) as well as as a member of a Special Forces team in a CQB environment with full body armor, kit, and weapons. The SOCP will evolve as the real-world requirements for special operations personnel change.

Footnotes:

[1] “React to man-to-man contact (combatives)” is one of the 40 Warrior Tasks of the Army.

 Related Articles:

“Green Berets showcase mastery of lifesaving, self-defense skills in combatives training”, Army.mil, March 30, 2018. This article features the 3rd Special Forces Group combatives training program.
www.army.mil/article/203010

“Special Forces Soldiers Step Into Arena”, Army.mil, April 27, 2016. Article about the SOCP run by 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan.
www.army.mil/article/166856/special_forces_soldiers_step_into_arena

“Violence of Action: Special Forces Battalion Ready to Fight Tonight”, Army.mil, September 18, 2015. Read up on 1/1st SFGA’s “Quarterly Fight Night”.
www.army.mil/article/155691/violence_of_action_special_forces_battalion_ready_to_fight_tonight

“10th SFG (A) Inaugurates Combatives Program”, 1st Special Forces Command Facebook, July 19, 2010.
www.facebook.com/notes/1st-special-forces-command-airborne/10th-sfg-a-inaugurates-combatives-program/445372635395/

“Army revising Combatives handbook to focus more on striking, grappling”, Stars and Stripes, February 23, 2010.
www.stripes.com/news/army-revising-combatives-handbook-to-focus-more-on-striking-grappling-1.99423

Related Videos:

“Special Forces Combatives Program (SOCP)”, YouTube.com, December 24, 2013. This 3-minute long video features combatives instructors from the 3rd Special Forces Group explaining the organizations combatives program.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvPJa4hhFig

“Army Combatives Program”, U.S. Army YouTube.com, February 1, 2017. Watch a 3-minute long video about the Modern Army Combatives Program or MACP.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTcmnHgFkVM

Army References (some current; some historical):

Combatives, TC 3-25.150, Department of the Army, September 2012.

Combatives, FM 3-25.150, Department of the Army, April 2009. (first published in January 2002).

Combatives; Hand-to-Hand Combat, FM 21-150, U.S. Army, September 1992. (first published in 1950s).

Hand-to-Hand Fighting,  ST 31-204, US Army Special Forces, Government Printing Office, (date unknown, probably 1960s).

Marine Corps References:

Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), MCRP 3-0-2B, US Marine Corps, November 21, 2011.

Close Combat and Hand to Hand Fighting, FMFM 07, U.S. Marine Corps.

]]> 5723 https://sof.news/military/military-news/ Thu, 22 Sep 2016 07:00:42 +0000 http://www.sof.news/?p=843 Military News – Females to take boxing at West Point, how to rebuild Mosul after the ISIS, to fix Syria look to Afghanistan, arming the Kurds, and more. West Point Boxing – Women Required to Participate. Female cadets in their [...]]]>

Military News – Females to take boxing at West Point, how to rebuild Mosul after the ISIS, to fix Syria look to Afghanistan, arming the Kurds, and more.

West Point Boxing – Women Required to Participate. Female cadets in their plebe year at the Army academy are now required to get in the ring. They will fight bouts with other women and probably spar a bit with men in their own weight class. Second year they take wrestling; probably against other women as well. Read more in “West Point women have a new, bloody requirement as the Army completes gender integration”, The Washington Post, September 21, 2016.

Rebuilding Mosul? Once the Iraqi military (aided by Shia militia groups and the Peshmerga) take Mosul from ISIS – what happens next? For starters basic government services need to be re-established. There are some ways that the U.S. government can assist in this huge endeavor. Read more in “After Mosul Falls, How Much Rebuilding Help Should the US Give?”, Defense One, September 19, 2016.

‘Noose Tightening’ in Mosul Battle. In other military news, General Dunford (CJCS), had some comments on the upcoming battle to retake Mosul. (U.S. DoD News Release, Sep 20, 2016).

Responding to Moscow’s Propaganda? Neutralizing Russia’s influence operations will need to be a priority over the near term and possibly into the future. Read more in “To Counter Russian Disinformation, Look to Cold War Tactics”, Defense One, September 20, 2016.

For a Clue on Syria Look to Afghanistan. One writer examines the Soviet experience in Afghanistan for the way forward in Syria. Read “What the Soviet Defeat in Afghanistan Tells Us about Syria”, The National Interest, September 19, 2016.

Arming the Kurds? The most dependable U.S. allies in the Middle East (besides Jordan, Israel, UAE, and a few others) are the Kurds. Read “Obama Administration Considers Arming Syrian Kurds Against ISIS”, The New York Times, September 21, 2016.

The U.S. Navy SEALs are debating which type of combatives training prepares them for hand-to-hand combat. Some favor the Close Quarter Defense (CQD) while others embrace the mixed-martial-arts (MMA) style. In 2011 the Navy Special Warfare Command (NSW) dropped the CQD program. Currently the SEALs train like UFC fighters in the MMA style. Read more in “Controversial MMA training causes rift in Navy SEALs program”, Bloody Elbow, July 25, 2016.