BACKGROUND OF THE MACP

 

The Chief of Staff of the Army approved the Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP) under the Task Force Soldier initiative.  The CSA directed that every Soldier will experience actual hands on combatives training prior to deploying.  Consistent with the recommendations of the Task Force Soldier and Warrior Ethos Programs, the purpose of MACP is to train Soldiers in combative skills and develop a train-the-trainer program for all Army units.  This program ensures a safe and standardized implementation across the Army and provides Soldiers with confidence in their ability to employ effective combative techniques.

 

TENANTS OF THE MACP

 

There are a couple of basic tenants of the MACP that are important to understand.  The first one is that the winner of the hand-to-hand fight in combat is the one whose buddy shows up first with a gun.  This is important thing to remember because it puts combative training in perspective.  MACP must be an integral part of the close quarters fight but does not replace traditional combat training.  With that in mind, the second tenant is that the defining characteristic of a warrior is the willingness to close with the enemy. The United States Army does not win wars because they are better at hand-to-hand combat than the enemy, they do however win wars because of the things it takes to be a good hand-to-hand fighter.  Any hand to hand training plan that does not serve to build this fundamental aggressiveness is actually counter productive.  Confidence comes from competence.

 

MACP Overview