Every Marine has a Tan Belt coming out of boot camp, but as a Navy Chaplain, we don't get any martial arts training as part of our pipeline. I had been wanting to get involved in martial arts on the civilian side, but was turned off by the high cost relative to my financial goals, so when I got assigned to 1st Marine Division, the door to free training opened.
Now, MCMAP is VERY basic, and the Tan belt is pedantically basic MCMAP (basic strikes, chokes, joint locks, takedowns, etc), but it's a start! It's fun, physically challenging, and teaches useful skills. Also gives me a chance to roll with my Marines and not get tapped out every time we do ground fighting. As time allows, I want to belt up through my time here.
It's a small thing, but it's outside my comfort zone and skill level, and a great experience.
