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 was trained as a aircraft electrician. I qualified expert on the m1, the m16 and the 38 pistol as part of my advanced training prior to going to Vietnam, 1967/68. I was required to carry rifle and pistol on the flight line. I had to use them a number of times. I never met anyone who couldn't use these weapons. I agree all in the military should have some cross training.

This argument again. Get real, get a new topic. In 2025 Nike will be making a footwear for all services. It will be called "Space Jerks".

I don't know how it is now but when I went in everybody got some training on the M-16 and had to fire it at the range. After that if you weren't in sec police or law enforcement it was unlikely you would ever touch one again. As an instructor we did train CES on weapons and included them in air base ground defense as back up. Now all of that may have changed but we were told when I went into security police that we would no longer have the army to protect our bases. We would have to do it ourselves. That was the 1970s and 80s.

I started out in the Marine Corps. I went through all the training including my MOS training: 6113, CH-53A/D helicopter mechanic. I also trained up the become a plane captain and a Crew Chief. I wasn’t the best shooter by far but I qualified as every Marine was required. Every Marine is a rifleman, that is true. Every Marine is not a 0311 Infantry. Two separate MOS’s doing completely different jobs. I got out after four years. Civilian light sucks, period. I hated being one and tried to get back into the Marines. Didn’t happen. Instead I joined the Air Force. I went direct duty to my first Air Force assignment as a HH-53B/C crew chief. Please note the difference between my spelling of the words crew and chief. In the Marines, Crew Chief was a title. We wore gold Aircrew wings and we flew and worked on our assigned helicopters exclusively. In the Air Force, crew chief is a job. The differences were minor as far as the job went. Rotor heads, engines, hydraulics, airframe, etc. there was no differences between the services. The difference was the culture. We were Marines. When we ran out of helicopters, they issued us a rifle and we headed for whatever and wherever we were needed. I was a corporal (E-4). I was an NCO. I would have been totally lost if I had to lead Marines in ground combat. The Air Force confused the heck out of me. I can honestly say I never fully figured out everything about being an Airman. I served in the Air Force for 21 years and retired as a SMSgt.

At some point in war, the enemy can be expected to do the unexpected. They attack at your weakest point. They people on the flight line, in the back shops, in all the various shops and offices would be lost in ground combat. Yes, we have Security Forces. I battalion of enemy troops would put a hurt locker on an Air Force Base. SF Airman posted on the perimeter of a base are going fight. They are warriors in every sense of the word. They are also a finite resource. Use up all you SF repelling an attack, who’s going to fill in those positions on the perimeter?

I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it: training an Airman on the basics of infantry combat during basic training is a force multiplier. Without this training, the enemy will have a target rich environment. And I’m not talking about places like Afghanistan where the enemy is fighting a gorilla war. I’m talking about places like Korea.

Anyway, that’s my opinion, hopefully I made a bit of sense.

My daughter is officer in Air Force and she was raised like myself with using weapons. She knows we need them.

Same. Everyone should have and be able to use a weaponon our home front for protection. We have to stop being close minded and nieve that it is not necessary. I’m a marine and I even grew up using weapons. But I guess my parents were special thinkers like me. Out of the freakin BOX people.

In August of '65 before going to Vietnam I had to qualify on a M-16. I was at the now defunct Kincheloe AFB, MI. First time I had an AF weapon in my hands since OTS .38 revolver qualifying in November of '63. Something changed obviously.

Why do the army, navy and marines have combat airplanes and helicopters? Why don't they leave the flying to the Air Force? Then the navy can have their boats and the army and marines can protect the Air bases and do combat.

I wish all services would require service members to be proficient with all aspects of small arms.
Self defense and physical fitness should be part of all branches. Unfortunately the above is not.SSG I concur completely. have a great year.