Self-defense course kicks way into training

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs
FORT DIX, N.J. (AFPN) --  Traditional thinking for Air Force pre-deployment preparation may have Airmen reading the Airman's Manual from front to back and getting in some form of combat skills training at home station.

Would that same effort include learning about the Linear Infighting Neural-override Engagement, or LINE, combative system? Probably not, but leaders at the Air Force Expeditionary Operations School here introduced a new LINE course for Air Force Advanced Contingency Skills Training taught by instructors from the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron. The results were positive.

The LINE combative system is a form of self defense invented by Ron Donvito, a former Marine and martial arts expert.

According to Lt. Col. Kevin Krause, deputy commandant of the EOS who introduced the training to ACST, Mr. Donvito's combative training experience is derived from extensive research and more than 38 years of traditional martial arts and military close-combat training. This training includes 20 years service with the USMC as an infantry Marine where he trained extensively with special operations units throughout the world.

Colonel Krause took the instructor certification course for LINE while attending the Army Command and Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in 2004.

"After that, I took LINE to my next assignment and taught more than 200 Airmen at MacDill Air Force Base (Fla.) while serving as the 6th Communications Squadron commander," Colonel Krause said. "I conducted seven initial training courses there and we taught it at squadron physical training sessions. We also ran one instructor course before I left MacDill."

Colonel Krause said he always received tremendous feedback from those taking the course and he noticed the impacts were immediate with his students.

"There were obvious improvements in self confidence and overall military performance from my graduates in all of their duties," Colonel Krause said. "I had one lieutenant who had to fend off an attacker (while) on a temporary duty assignment a week after completing the instructor course and she performed exactly as we had taught her and escaped harm."
 
The LINE course made its way into ACST in March, however, Colonel Krause said he ran an initial basic-level course in November 2006.

"That first course was to expose interested members of the then Air Mobility Warfare Center -- particularly the cadre from the 421st CTS and EOS -- to LINE," Colonel Krause said.

In January, a LINE instructor course was approved and given as a test to provide more exposure to cadre and to determine where LINE would best fit. In the instructor course were students from the 816th and 818th Contingency Response Groups and 305th Communications Squadron from nearby McGuire AFB, N.J.; 1st Combat Camera Squadron from Charleston AFB, S.C.; and from the expeditionary center, students from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 1, EOS and the 421st CTS.

One of the students in the instructor course, Master Sgt. Jack Smith of the 421st CTS, then recommended using the March ACST 07-2B class as a test for training students prepping for upcoming deployments.

"We used three to six primary instructor graduates along with helpers from an executive-level course we held and taught six hours of LINE to all ACST students," Colonel Krause said.

Colonel Krause said the full LINE course has 27 techniques and counters to attacks for self defense.

"With only six hours available in ACST for LINE, we focused on 10 of the techniques," Colonel Krause said. "A full basic-level LINE course takes about 22 hours while the instructor course takes 50 hours."

Capt. Nora Eyle, a student in the ACST 07-2B class from F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., who received the LINE training, said she enjoyed the "realness" of the LINE instruction. 

"It's about how it may come down to you or your enemy, it's as simple as that," Captain Eyle said. "When someone's holding a knife to your throat, for example, it clicks that you may have to defend yourself and ultimately end someone else's life to save your own. That was very sobering for me."

Sergeant Smith said the greatest benefit from LINE is a basic level of self defense skill.  The training also provides enhanced self confidence as well as a venue to think about facing a violent situation.

"This mindset applies whether you're using your hands to defend yourself or your M-16," Sergeant Smith said.

"In LINE, we look at people as two types:  wolves and sheep," Colonel Krause said.

"Most of us are sheep by nature, a fact well explained by retired Lt. Col. David Grossman in his series of books. Our enemies are thinking like wolves and the scrawniest wolf isn't afraid of the biggest sheep.

"Our Airmen are entering the wolf's den on deployments, and they need to understand this," Colonel Krause said. "Thinking through how you would react in the face of a violent attacker, whether on the streets of Baghdad or in a department store parking lot in the U.S., must happen now if you are to succeed when the time comes."

LINE instruction will continue for all future ACST courses and Colonel Krause said they are going to build up the instructor pool with another instructor course beginning at the end of May. Additionally, there is planning in progress to incorporate LINE training into other expeditionary center courses.

"LINE provides the perfect baseline set of self defense skills to all full-duty military personnel regardless of age or Air Force specialty," Sergeant Smith said. "It can be safely taught anywhere with no special equipment required. This training can go far in giving Airmen a true expeditionary warrior mindset." 

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