Airman participates in Marine Corps martial arts program

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Redente
  • CJTF-HOA Public Affairs
CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti --  An Airman deployed to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa received the Marine Corps martial arts program green belt Dec. 28 here.
 
Airman 1st Class Joseph Cawood, an 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron aerospace ground equipment technician, is participating with more than 30 Marines assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464 to enhance their mental, character and physical disciplines with applications to encounter a wide-range of hostilities.

Airman Cawood will train and sustain a total of 128.5 hours for the Marine Corps tan, grey and green belts.

"There's no greater feeling than training for hand-to-hand combat with the toughest Marines around," said Airman Cawood. "I always look for a challenge."

Servicemembers deployed to Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, such as Airman Cawood, work together with sister services, which give Airmen the opportunity to take advantage of the MCMAP class.

"I spent a great deal of time working with the Marines in HMH-464," Airman Cawood said. "One particular day, two Marines noticed I was wearing a black belt, which is standard issue for the Air Force. They asked me if I wanted to earn a real belt by learning MCMAP, and I answered OORAH! The next day, Nov. 22, I began the start of my advanced training in MCMAP."

MCMAP gives servicemembers something to look forward to on deployment besides working 12 to 15 hours a day, said Marine Staff Sgt. Jody Armentrout, the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26 staff NCO in charge and MCMAP sustainment instructor.

While it's not unusual for Marines to train with other servicemembers in MCMAP, it's not an everyday occurrence, he said.

"This is a first for me to have a student from a sister service in one of my classes," Sergeant Armentrout said. "However, I have been part of classes that have had other servicemembers in them before."

Marines in the sustainment training were impressed with how quick Airman Cawood picked up the techniques.

"He is doing very well," said Staff Sgt. Armentrout, "He picked up on everything very quickly and is very eager to learn all that I could show him. I hope that he continues on with going outside of the box for any type of self-improvement. It makes for a great leader."

Airman Cawood views this self-enhancing class as a way to improve himself as a servicemember, he said. 

"The core values that we as Airmen live by are building block to step from in pursuing freedom for our fellow Americans," said Airman Cawood. "It's a great honor serving for each and every American back home in the United States. MCMAP just gets me one step closer to being better on the battlefield."

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