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

only certain units with in the air force are required to be qualified on weapons use. all air force personal qualify in basic training. all flight crew, mp's/sp's, cct, af sec ops, and crew chiefs are required to qualify on weapons use in case of an attack. any air force base that has sensitive areas such as the flight line, hangers, runways, or command areas have heightened security and are contained with in a fence that's with in a fence with controlled access. personally I don't think there are enough weapons to hand out to all af personnel.

When I enlisted in 1988 we had a day at the range in BMT. Having grown up hunting it was easy for me. (I have no idea if the AF still does that or not.) Then I was fortunate enough to become an AMMO troop (IYAAYAS!) and we had to qualify annually with M16s, as we guarded our own munitions and special weapons movements, as well as the Bomb Dump itself.

I think every basic trainee should have at least the basics (no pun intended) of firearms safety and operation.

As everyone is saying not the mission of the USAF to have all qualified with weapons. Spent my career in munitions and civil engineering. Which had a armed requirement due to their missions. Being armed in the Air Force is dependent upon the mission being done.

Not everyone learn to qualify for M16 only the people in MP school.

We had a saying when I was in - "Better have it and not need it than need it and not have it." One of my biggest fears was running out of ammo in a tight spot, "BANG! BANG! BANG! - click." "OOPS!" I always scrounged as much ammo as I could. Heavy, yeah, but it was nice to be alive to carry it.

I think that's the same with weapons training in all branches. Personnel in all branches - and I think the branches would benefit from at least familiarization with the major personal weapons system, be it M-16, M-4 or whatever new weapon DoD acquires. Back right after Vietnam the Army did away with bayonet training for awhile. We were told we were not likely ever to need it and if we did things would have gotten so bad it would probably not matter. A few years later they realized their mistake and re-instated it. I remember one brass hat saying there was something to the "spirit of the bayonet." I agreed then and still do - I think the parallel applies.

BTW: I had two younger brothers and a son join the Navy - all three were disappointed they didn't receive at least SOME type of weapons training in their Boot Camp. One of my brothers and son both volunteered for security duty that allowed them to carry arms and train with same. Again, better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

To be a rifleman, you have to concentrate on rifle-consciousness. That's why Marines carry them around all through training, clean them every night and spend two weeks learning to fire them. Air Force members simply have a lot of other things to learn. If they need to learn about firearms they will be taught. Meanwhile, I don't see a lot of enemy troops getting to an airbase past the A-10s, F-16s and Raptors . . .

I went into the air force on Dec 14, 1970.. in basic I had to qualify with the m16.. and then again the second time when being sent over sea again.

I agree completely. I was in the air force during Viet Nam. I never had to go there but I heard stories about the Tet offendive and some airmen had to rely on army troops when their air base was overrun. I always worried abput not being fully trained with a weapon.

I will be blunt and to the point. The Air Force comes from the Army Air Corps, any lineage claimed from WWI and WWII is to Army Air Corps, not Air Force.
There are different thoughts on way the Air Corps left the Army, more then some was political. It gets convoluted beyond that. (My Grandfather stayed Army, my Great Uncle became Air Force, both served as Army Air Corps during WWII; both retired as Colonels.)
Both have since passed, they would be apalled to see the state of the current military.
From a retired fu#@, quit asking and make it right. Doesn't matter your branch, your push to the fight does. If that is no longer taught, we have failed.

M_9 is what i was equiped with grate close combat gun for long distance m-16 came in handy it dosent jam as offten then most all thogh i. Trew it in the mud to see what it well do it did jam for proxamently of a mil a sec then fix the spring magazine. That jamed