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 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 914
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When I joined the AF women weren't allowed to qualify with a weapon unless we were stationed overseas. Really disappointed me. After getting out and joining the ANG I ended up on a base where everyone had to qualify with an M-16 and a pistol...except Headquarters where I worked. Luckily I was able to piggy back with another unit to finally get a chance to qualify which is did.
But, here's the thing. The AF is not the Army or the Marines. We are not riflemen first, were never meant to be ground troops. Our qualifying with a weapon was only in case our base were to be under attack, overrun. That was why, when I first joined, women had to qualify when going overseas but not before.
But hey, if any AF member wants to get qualified and stay qualified with M-4/M-16/M-9 I think they should be able to.
But, here's the thing. The AF is not the Army or the Marines. We are not riflemen first, were never meant to be ground troops. Our qualifying with a weapon was only in case our base were to be under attack, overrun. That was why, when I first joined, women had to qualify when going overseas but not before.
But hey, if any AF member wants to get qualified and stay qualified with M-4/M-16/M-9 I think they should be able to.
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Wait when I was in basic, we all had to qualify with the m-16a1, did that change?
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all our military must be at a minimum basic infantrymen with the base skills. shoot, clean rifle, wear gas mask and shit in the woods.officers included even pilots
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I would have gone to the range monthly. I was in Combat Comm, insert your jokes at will, and only had to qualify with rifle (M-16) and revolver (.38) once. Would have love to do more often
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Agree, in my time in 73 -97 the only time we went to range was prior to overseas PCS. Minimum training. When I was I ROK told we were responsible for protecti g our Aircraft because there were not enough SP's assigned to base and could not depend on ROKAF forces. Ok, my queztion was where are our weapons,response in armory near SP Building. Problem armory across flightline. Weall agreedbwe would knock ROK troop over the head and use their weapons. With our training we wold probably lasted may be 5 minutes in an attack.
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1978 to make USN e-5 required one to qualify to stand a topside watch, The 1911 side arm was weapon of the day, sometimes 12 ga shotgun, no weapons qual, no e-5, there came a time when having loaded sidearms went out of fashion (Clinton was President)
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As all Airmen are trained to fire an M-16/M-4 in Basic, they are supposed to re-qualify every year or 2. But it changed when they put us in groups that was done when we get deployed. That is plain wrong. The only ones that got the training regularly were the SF's, Combat Controllers etc., and Certain CE groups like Red Horse. I always knew that there was a rifle with my name on it in the armory. But I would never see it. Unless I was deployed and it is was issued to me at the destination when needed. But I think the AF should return to training with the M-16/M-4 and M-9 on at least a yearly basis. As well as do what is known as fam training so members can fire certain weapons like the M-2 .50 machine gun. By fam training, just knowing how to fire it, clear jams and load it. Nothing else. There would be no to to qualify on them.
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So, when I was a crew chief in 2010-2011 at Osan AB, I asked why flightline mainainters weren't allowed weapons if NK decided to get frisky. I was told, verbatim "would you trust you with a weapon?" He continued on, "I've had to take down a maintainer out here one time before. It took 5 of us. He was wielding a very larger wrench". Now, whether that was a true recpunting, I'll never know, but I do know that somewhere deep in the Security Forces palet, they don't like the idea of a bunch of crew chiefs namely, touting weapons.
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