Posted on May 28, 2015
Why don't all members of the Air Force have to be fully qualified to be a rifleman in case of hostile events?
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I have noticed through the years of being in the Air Force (Security Forces member here) that most people in the Air Force are clueless when it comes to M-4/M-16/M-9. This is outrageous! What are they supposed to do if the enemy comes knocking on our door step and everyone needs to fight. I have taught classes on the M-4 with communication airmen and have seen them completely mess up clearing out the weapon, loading it (magazine upside down or rounds the wrong way), and just completely incapable of achieving a zero on target after four rounds of firing. I am a big fan of how the Army and Marines teach that your are always a rifleman first. It almost seems like some of the Airmen don't expect to carry a weapon (ummmm why did you join the military in the first place)? I wish the Air Force would pick up on this to make us a more combat ready force. But, enough of me what are your thoughts?
Rifleman
3P: Security Forces
Air Force
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 907
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back in my day we have to shoot and qualify with the m-16.. then strip and clean and put it baack together... also we have to perfrom guard duty for the air hospital when deployed
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Regrettably, what you say is true; except for the Flight Line Security troops and some Spec Ops guys, the Air Force has been hoplophobic at least since the '60s. As an air cargo courier, I qualified with the S&W "Victory Model" .38, and later, with the M2 carbine; but I was the exception. Many years later, I got my small arms expert ribbon, but only because I was working as a medic with a JTF Bravo team and because I asked. The nature of the current threat mandates that EVERY troop needs to be small-arms qualified. In defense of my branch of service: except for the men and women on the flight line, we ARE a bunch of skilled technicians with little that is primarily of a military nature. I was originally an Army draftee, and there is a world of difference between the two services.
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I'd like to say I am expert on rifles and pistols. I relied on outside training to become qualified. The Air Force was often hit and miss on training when I served from 1969 to 1991. I learned because of history of overrun bases during Korea and Viet Nam. Weapons are locked up in the arms room on base and most likely unavailable to airmen as often the case in Viet Nam. You usually found one one the ground and then you'd look for ammo as best you could. Usually though you were just a free target when maintaining assigned aircraft.
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Hate to say it, the Air Force only trains most of its personnel to be techs. It's up to individuals to seek training in infantry style weapons. Most Air bases most likely expect a nuclear attack which means infantry weapons will be of little use. In foreign countries the Air Force relies on the host country for guidance on defense. Turkey is a example to watch at this time since the Air Force has facilities there.
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Today Airmen are taught the M-16 from early on in Basic They now carry an M-16 dummy weapon from I believe the first Week Of Training to the 6th WOT. They are now also deployed to "The Field" during warrior week where they learn Air Base defense chemical warfare and self aid buddy care. Things have changed a lot for AF trainees since I was an MTI. I agree with the intent of the post because when I deployed to Somalia in 92 we had Airmen that were clueless abut their weapons and how to set up a tent etc. The main drawback to this training is the actual experience of deployment. If an Airman serves several years without deploying he/she loses the skills taught in Basic.
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I totally agree. I was in a Combat Crew career field. I was a member of a mobile RADAR team who would set up near the FEBA. Our RADAR was a big target and we knew it. We trained often on many weapons and knew we became 11B's (Infantry) when the RADAR was gone. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best!
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OK h where are you going to find the training days to prepare fore something that last happened half a cetera ago? Since seduces are dammed full now what skills are you going to drop off the schedule? The likelihood of an AB being over until is too low to give up other mission capabilities to prepare for.
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SrA Clifford Burnett
It can be Over-run in an instant. Be it at an overseas locale or even stateside. How well did they fair when the Enemy was in their mist in Colorado ? All of our Men & Women in Uniform, SHOULD, in my opinion be fully trained and capable to use arms when needed. In defense of the Mission/Air Base and fellow service members. Not just the "Combat" AFSC's/MOS's assigned to each and every service member.
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1stSgt Nelson Kerr
SrA Clifford Burnett - as o asked before if you ensure everyone is ground combat cape who is going to service the aircraft and complete the mission. Being fully capable of ground combat is a full time job. I know that my folks that were already working 60 hrs a week would have had trouble fitting in another 49 plus hours a week.
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SrA Clifford Burnett
May we agree to disagree on this ? We all were very capable of doing our primary functions while maintaining full readiness to protect/defend our selves our mission,ect. Without any traumatic hard-ship to our-selves while doing so. In this day and age, it's fool-hardy to think that mastery of combat arms is NOT needed by any of today's personnel. Look back to the errors made prior to WWII and the repeated errors after. Complacency will be our Military down-fall in all branches, Air Force especially. IMO.
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1stSgt Nelson Kerr
SrA Clifford Burnett - I gather you ave never spent any time with the Army or the Marines? getting and maintain to skills to be fully competent in ground combat is a FULL TIME JOB and in the modern environment a very skilled job. USAF security forces get to that level on a very restricted set of missions and that is much what they live to do.
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I'm comm and every time I do CATM or when I was in Korea and we did exercises I couldn't help but think how screwed I would be with other people from my unit. I guess from growing up in the Midwest and the fact that my dad took me shooting I knew how to hold a weapon. I've had to as a brand new airman help some senior NCOs put their bolt carrier group back in the right way, or clear a jam, and it really doesn't inspire much confidence. Also, when we had exercises and the SF airmen had all the blanks in the world and they wanted us to yell bang bang it turned into a joke. I wish the AF would change how they do it but I know with today's budget it won't.
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if the army , or marines need insurtion or evacuation, they hop on an aircraft, and "ditty maw" to get that aircraft airborn, somehow, the whole airbase ,is involved, all the grunts need to do is " have our 6. keep them off us, we'll get you outta here if need be. if you can't shoot a gun, you can't shoot a gun. air police esspecially, are wannabe warriors, from their world of warcraft video games. very capible of standing in front of cars. but if the base needs defending, we always had the army on speed dial. former c-130 crew chief 1971-1975
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