thedrifter
12-31-06, 09:49 AM
Marine trainer at work in Iraq
By Mark Hofmann
DAILY COURIER
Sunday, December 31, 2006
A Scottdale Marine is doing his part to further train the men and women of the armed services in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Redmond, 25, is a martial arts instructor-trainer for the U.S. Marine Corps.
He is on his third deployment to Iraq, where he's on a mission to train Marines to employ close-combat techniques and weapons systems.
Redmond's military journey began when he joined the Marine Corps in 1999 after graduating from Laurel Highlands High School.
After going through basic training at Parris Island, S.C., Redmond received his tan belt in basic hand-to-hand combat. At the time, it was the equivalent of the hand-to-hand combat techniques taught to Marines in World War II.
Redmond stuck with the martial arts and reached the highest ranking, earning a black belt with three red stripes. He wound up at the Martial Arts Center of Excellence in Quantico, Va., the top martial arts school for the Marine Corps, and became a permanent instructor there in 2003.
But he didn't stay for long.
Redmond was appointed to Fallujah, Iraq, in October 2006 to teach the new, close-combat and weapons program as a mandatory class for Marines stationed there. It is a voluntary program for members of the Army and Navy, and available to Department of Defense employees and embassy security staff, as well.
Redmond said the martial arts program is being tested in Iraq at the request of a commander there.
And he said many people are mislead by the term "martial arts," confusing it with karate and other approaches to self-defense.
"'Martial' means anything that is military," Redmond said, explaining that his program teaches not only hand-to-hand combat, but also weapons skills, character development, the art of war, the martial culture, the cultures of warfare in the past and the history of Marine Corps fighting.
"This program has been in development since 1775," Redmond said, referring to the year when the Marine Corps began with a resolution issued by the Continental Congress.
Despite teaching two 30-minute classes in the morning and one hourlong class later in the day, Redmond -- whose primary job has been in infantry for the past 3.5 years -- does find time to help out his fellow Marines in other ways. He often heads out on patrols with the infantry to stay busy in the gaps between classes and to help support America's mission in Iraq.
He's only been training Marines in Iraq for a little over a month, but Redmond said he has seen a change in the younger, less experienced military personnel. Their confidence and physical conditioning has improved as they learn how to defend themselves better and gain a better understanding of their weapon systems.
Redmond, who owns Golden Apple Inc. along Route 119 in Connellsville, said he may leave Iraq soon to head back to Virginia, but his duties will be continued by someone else as long as it takes to carry out the mission.
"They'll keep this going for as long as we're out here," Redmond said.
Mark Hofmann can be reached at mhofmann@tribweb.com or (724) 626-3539.
Ellie
By Mark Hofmann
DAILY COURIER
Sunday, December 31, 2006
A Scottdale Marine is doing his part to further train the men and women of the armed services in Iraq.
Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Redmond, 25, is a martial arts instructor-trainer for the U.S. Marine Corps.
He is on his third deployment to Iraq, where he's on a mission to train Marines to employ close-combat techniques and weapons systems.
Redmond's military journey began when he joined the Marine Corps in 1999 after graduating from Laurel Highlands High School.
After going through basic training at Parris Island, S.C., Redmond received his tan belt in basic hand-to-hand combat. At the time, it was the equivalent of the hand-to-hand combat techniques taught to Marines in World War II.
Redmond stuck with the martial arts and reached the highest ranking, earning a black belt with three red stripes. He wound up at the Martial Arts Center of Excellence in Quantico, Va., the top martial arts school for the Marine Corps, and became a permanent instructor there in 2003.
But he didn't stay for long.
Redmond was appointed to Fallujah, Iraq, in October 2006 to teach the new, close-combat and weapons program as a mandatory class for Marines stationed there. It is a voluntary program for members of the Army and Navy, and available to Department of Defense employees and embassy security staff, as well.
Redmond said the martial arts program is being tested in Iraq at the request of a commander there.
And he said many people are mislead by the term "martial arts," confusing it with karate and other approaches to self-defense.
"'Martial' means anything that is military," Redmond said, explaining that his program teaches not only hand-to-hand combat, but also weapons skills, character development, the art of war, the martial culture, the cultures of warfare in the past and the history of Marine Corps fighting.
"This program has been in development since 1775," Redmond said, referring to the year when the Marine Corps began with a resolution issued by the Continental Congress.
Despite teaching two 30-minute classes in the morning and one hourlong class later in the day, Redmond -- whose primary job has been in infantry for the past 3.5 years -- does find time to help out his fellow Marines in other ways. He often heads out on patrols with the infantry to stay busy in the gaps between classes and to help support America's mission in Iraq.
He's only been training Marines in Iraq for a little over a month, but Redmond said he has seen a change in the younger, less experienced military personnel. Their confidence and physical conditioning has improved as they learn how to defend themselves better and gain a better understanding of their weapon systems.
Redmond, who owns Golden Apple Inc. along Route 119 in Connellsville, said he may leave Iraq soon to head back to Virginia, but his duties will be continued by someone else as long as it takes to carry out the mission.
"They'll keep this going for as long as we're out here," Redmond said.
Mark Hofmann can be reached at mhofmann@tribweb.com or (724) 626-3539.
Ellie