Why don't all members of the Air Force have to be fully qualified to be a rifleman in case of hostile events?

It this for real?

Members of the Air Force DO QUALIFY on their Primary (and in some cases, Primary and Secondary weapon) prior to deploying. The Base Combat Arms Section conducts weapon classes daily, and at times must teach multiple weapons or courses of fire in the same day. Unless each Combat Arms section were tripled in size (most CATM shops are 4-7 personnel) and had additional firing ranges built and maintained at each base (it's hard enough to manage the ranges we currently have) there is NO WAY possible to train every Tom, Dick, and Mary in the Air Force each year. --- Perhaps, If more Airman adopted the 'warrior ethos' and purchased an AR15 and stayed proficient with it throughout the year, they would come to a weapon class much more prepared and be less likely to embarrass themselves in front of other services. - Retired Combat Arms Instructor (21 Years)

I'm not sure if my original post was posted..
Anyway, I'm a 13ish year SF troop here deployed to many Combat Zones (yes and not really nice ones either, ive been in actual combat) and now a reserve CATM instructor. I see first hand the issues we have on a regular basis. Most people in the AF don't enlist to be 'fighters' the enlist to get out of the house or college and this is the easiest and best money making way to do so. Most think "I'll just wait for SF to get here to save me, that's their job right"?. This has actually need said to me. Right frome the gate we need to create a pass/fail ground combat inviornment for EVERYONE and enforce it. When I was taking fire everyone ran and hid but we kept fighting. It's sickening.

The Air Force already spent it's allowance on the F-35.

Development - $59.2B
Procurement - $261B
Operations & Sustainment- $590B
Unit Cost - $98M

Now if you can get that platform to work properly, the Army & Marines will gladly spring for the bullets --about $0.10 each.

You know, I was in 22 years, and I had to qualify at least every 3 years, and EVERY time I deployed. The Air Force has a distinct mission, we are not ground soldiers, and Airmen who do link up and interact with ground soldiers and operations get the training they need. Stop trying to pigeon hole the military into a generalized stereotype. It is mission diversity and distinctive combat capabilities that make the Air Force, and the US Military as a whole the most effective in the world. We are NOT riflemen first -that is why we are called Airmen. If you want to be a rifleman first go green.

Fog of time may be affecting me here, but I recall having to qualify on the M-16 when flying B-52 missions during Vietnam and again when assigned to a MUNSS in Turkey. Think AF bases need to qualify based upon assignment vs. qualify everyone.

gentlemen lets look at it this way things are changing drastically with terror groups popping up everywhere now days. it is getting tantamount that every service member is in jeopardy no matter where they are. and it is foolish to believe that a certain mos or duty station is not a target. i believe it is a disservice to all our personnel not to be trained with at least one type of weapon. look at the recruiting center in tennessee. it is of no tactical value but it was shot up any way. do any of you really believe that only certain places and mos is targeted? no one and i mean no one in a u.s. uniform is immune to being targeted. i think it is foolish not to have every service member trained in at least one type of firearm if not two one pistol and one rifle. they do not need to make expert but they need to know enough to get it on target in the right direction and locked and loaded on the right target. even if they can't hit a target more than 25m away at least they can defend against a terrorist at closer ranges where they will most likely encounter them and not shot there head or feet off in doing so with proper training. and it may not even be on base when it happens it could be a recruiting center or some other none essential location but only a target of opportunity where it is more than likely a gun free location normally. it is time we forgot gun free military locations and have our personnel trained and have if nothing else a weapons safe and weapons in them. i do not like the thought of leaving any warrior unarmed and not able to protect themselves.

If the base is overrun, all the Marines are dead. Should all Sailors need to learn land navigation? Should all Soldiers learn water survival? Should all Marines need to learn how to read? ;)

(*excuse me please*) WTF !!!!!!
Have most of you lost your minds? OIF / OEF refined where and how Battle Lines are drawn. Look at how much fighting occurred between COBs before all of Victory was closed into one complete entity.

How many Sailors and Airmen work other jobs during OIF / OEF with or assigned to Army and Marines that worked out side of there MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) ?

I know that my unit CoC went to a Marine Major General, and when I wasn't working as one of his Battle NCOs I worked under a Navy Captain. What do you think the odds are of working for a Navy Captain who was a Submariner? Wonder when we got stealth submarines ... because I don't remember see any in Baghdad?

Bottom line is every service member should in fact train with the US Military whether it's an M16 - xyz or an M4 - xyz; just because you are not issued this weapon in garrison does not mean that you might not have to pick one up in a convoy ambush. When I say "in fact train with"; I mean all working components and proper nomenclature for those components.

Does it matter if the first round in the magazine is on the left or the right? Too late you and maybe your buddy might have been shot; because it does not matter if they are loaded with top round one the left only that bullet facing away from you !!!

At a minimum everyone in uniform needs to know how the weapon works and live fire with required qualification

I've got to get off my soapbox now before my head pops

During my 24 years I too was concerned about this, fortunately I was required to qualify annually at least. For a short time we were required required to qualify on the the M16, 38 cal revolver and due my job, also on 38 Stub Nose used for concealed carry. The latter part of my career it was the M4,M16,M92 and12 ga. Often when deploying as a squadron all support personnel would have to go get required so they could be armed when required. I knew people who had been in 10 plus years and the last they touched a weapon was in basic. To feel more at ease when were out on a mission with extra people who weren't part of my crew, I always made a point to ask when was the last time they qualified, what weapons they were qualified in did they think they could use one without shooting one of my crew. Used to be surprised at the answers I got , but got use to it and pressed on. To this day I feel that you put on the uniform you are required to be able to pick up weapon, no matter which one, and be able to defend yourself and your bothers and sisters. Call me old school if you want. But if stand in front of you, you should at least have my back cov
ered.