21st Century U.S. Military Manuals: Combatives Field Manual - FM 3-25.150, FM 21-150 (Value-Added Professional Format Series‪)‬

Part of our value-added professional format series, the Combatives Field Manual (FM 3-25.150, FM 21-150) contains information and guidance pertaining to rifle-bayonet fighting and hand-to-hand combat. The hand-to-hand combat portion of this manual is divided into basic and advanced training. This manual serves as a guide for instructors, trainers, and soldiers in the art of instinctive rifle-bayonet fighting. Topics covered include hand-to-hand combat, rifle-bayonet fighting, knife assault, and fighting techniques.

Hand-to-hand combat is an engagement between two or more persons in an empty-handed struggle or with hand-held weapons such as knives, sticks, or projectile weapons that cannot be fired. Proficiency in hand-to-hand combat is one of the fundamental building blocks for training the modern soldier.

Soldiers must be prepared to use different levels of force in an environment where conflict may change from low intensity to high intensity over a matter of hours. Many military operations, such as peacekeeping missions or noncombatant evacuation, may restrict the use of deadly weapons. Hand-to-hand combatives training will save lives when an unexpected confrontation occurs.

More importantly, combatives training helps to instill courage and self-confidence. With competence comes the understanding of controlled aggression and the ability to remain focused while under duress. Training in combatives includes hard and arduous physical training that is, at the same time, mentally demanding and carries over to other military pursuits. The overall effect of combatives training is — the culmination of a successful physical fitness program, enhancing individual and unit strength, flexibility, balance, and cardiorespiratory fitness; building personal courage, self-confidence, self-discipline, and esprit de corps.

This field manual has been converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction.

As a bonus, this reproduction includes FM-1, The Army Field Manual, a capstone manual containing the vision for the Army - sold separately for $5.99. FM 1 establishes the fundamental principles for employing Landpower. The most important of these are the Army's operational concept and the fundamentals that support it. They form the foundation for all Army doctrine. All Soldiers should understand and internalize them. FM 1 describes the American profession of arms, the Army's place in it, and what it means to be a professional Soldier.

This is a privately authored news service and educational publication of Progressive Management.