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

Before I retired, my unit was required to qualify every two years But we were a mobile unit. But we were only trained for base defense. I qualified with both the M-16 and the 9MM.

I think some of it has to do with lack of funding. They don’t want to pens the money to make us ready. Ever heard of just in time training??

They are not a combat force! They have SPs to protect their bases and are usually far away from the FEBA/Actual combat zone.

When I went to Navy boot camp we were instructed on range, some of the recruts never held a gun, us "farmboys' thought they would be the first killed if in a combat situation. This also amplifies why civilian firearm ownership is important. I bet that many in a combat situation can be glad they had prior military access to firearms.

Honestly, I’d say you come off sounding like an elitist tool.
YOU are expected to be the base defense component of the Air Force. There was a time when your AFSC was divided into two separate and distinct specialties; security or law enforcement.
Due to my AFSC, I was qualified on several weapons, but I was by no means an expert on any of them. That’s what we had your often Jagoff brethren harassing us at every twist and turn out of boredom even though they saw us every day. I could walk right up and touch a “special weapon” and/or move it to another location while you could be shot for pushing past our guards.
So while your buddies controlled out perimeter, WE controlled access to the weapons.
I’d highly suggest you pour yourself a nice cup of STFU and stop acting like you have anywhere near the level of training as the average Army infantryman or Marine. You don’t, despite what your command has told you.

1000% agree with you!! 66-70 3225 weap. Control sys tech F-106. 77-93 army aviation electronics and armament plt sgt. It was a blast qualifing with the 16, 203 x rifle and granade launcher, m60 and shooting the 20mm vulcan 40 mm chunker and mini gun in turret of the helos.

That’s why the Marines call it the Chair Force.

I seem to remember a similar question a year or so back. I responded then and I’ll do so now. I started my military career in the Army. During eight weeks of basic training, one week was devoted to the rifle range. The Army considered all members as riflemen regardless of their primary speciality. Some years later I was in the Air National guard as a security police NCO. I had to qualify with both my .38 caliber revolver and M-16 twice a year. Most other members of the tactical fighter unit went out, reluctantly once a year, to shoot their M-16s. A few years later I was in the AF Reserve as an IMA, assigned to an AD security forces squadron. I had to qualify twice a year with my 9 mm Beretta and rifle. One day I was qualifying with the 9mm along side a number of F-117 pilots. That was a kick. Some were good, some awful, but like one told me, was the AF going to ground him because he couldn’t fire a handgun? Obviously not, considering all the training required to fly the F-117. Moral of the story, stand well back if you are on a AF firing range, except for security forces.

When I went through basic training we had to qualify, and I had to requalify a couple years later, but the USAF was then lax about qualifying on an M-16, not to mention 5BX qualifications. Basically there were not enough M-16s to go around. I was on a squadron competitive rifle team for a while and we used M-1 carbines. As far as PT qualification, shame on the Air Force. When they did start testing my great memory was fat Staff Sergeants with 12 or more years of service waddling along the road desperately trying to get ready for testing. I would say there were far too few opportunities to shoot in the Air Force, and far too little encouragement to keep in shape. They were not to good on keeping track of vaccinations and dental exams. You pretty much had to be proactive in all regards.

USAF was not always a force with members unqualified on weapons. During my Basic Training during October - December 1954 (11 weeks) all trainees were required to qualify on the M1 Carbine which was the USAF weapon of choice. I qualified at the Sharpshooter level with the M1 Carbine. After Basic Training I didn't see a carbine again until I was assigned to Incirlik AFB in Turkey. I worked at the HF radio transmitter site which was located near one end of the runway. That location was equipped with one loaded M1 Carbine for defensive purposes (vastly under-gunned, I know). Later during my tour every man assigned to the site was issued an M1 Carbine for defensive purposes. Those days are obviously long gone in USAF. I just wanted to remind everyone that there once was a time in USAF when we at least knew what an M1 Carbine was.