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thedrifter
07-17-07, 07:43 PM
Conway sets new martial arts requirements
By John Hoellwarth - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 17, 2007 19:24:04 EDT

Nearly seven years after the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program began, tens of thousands of Marines still have not earned their entry-level tan qualification belt.

The commandant signed a Corps-wide message Monday to change that.

Tan belt qualification — the first in a training sequence that progresses through gray, green, brown and black belt certification — will be required by year’s end, according to AlMar 34/07.

Commandant Gen. James Conway’s message also raised the bar on war fighters, requiring all infantrymen to earn green belts and everyone in combat arms fields, such as artillery, tanks and amphibious assault vehicles, to reach gray belt certification.

Joe Shusko, a retired lieutenant colonel and director of the Corps’ Martial Arts Center for Excellence, said he considers aviation Marines “combat arms” under the commandant’s guidance and included members of the Individual Ready Reserve in Conway’s reference to “all Marines, both active and Reserve.”

With about 10,000 instructors and 1,200 instructor-trainers certifying Marines in martial arts throughout the Corps, Shusko estimates that 150,000 leathernecks are currently wearing at least a tan belt with their combat utility uniform. That leaves approximately 30,000 active-duty Marines and an unknown number of reservists who haven’t yet learned “Semper Fu.”

Of these, it’s likely that most if not all are senior enlisted Marines or senior officers because the Corps has been requiring tan belt certification of all recruits in boot camp and new lieutenants at The Basic School since late 2001, Shusko said.

Ellie