Minot CATM Airmen lead the way.

Published Dec. 8, 2009
By Airman 1st Class Artemy Shpakovsky
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Security forces personnel have always fulfilled a major part of Minot's mission. However, one part of the security forces mission here that sometimes goes unnoticed is their commitment to ensuring Minot's Airmen are proficient with combat firearms.

Combat Arms Training and Maintenance has always been manned by security forces Airmen. The instructors, inspectors, even schedulers are all security forces experts. They go through strenuous training, and only the best become a part of CATM.

"In order to become a combat arms apprentice, the person needs to have minimum of level 5 skill level: to be a Security Forces journeyman and also have the required score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery," said Tech. Sgt. Earl l. Mills, 5th Security Forces Squadron CATM assistant noncommissioned officer-in-charge. "If they meet these criteria they then will be able to put in their application online at virtual military personnel flight."

The qualification procedures are only the beginning of the process. After an applicant is chosen, the real training begins. Trainees receive a class date for Combat Arms technical school located at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

"The school is approximately eight weeks long and incorporates weapon maintenance, principles of instruction and proficiency firing which also includes firing line and tower official duties and responsibilities," said Sergeant Mills. "They fire a variety of weapons, for example M-9 pistol, M-4 carbine, M-203 grenade launcher, M-249 automatic rifle and the M-240B machine gun."

As the Airmen fire these multiple weapons which require different skills, they are taught how to properly analyze the shooters target, Sergeant Mills said. They are also educated on a correct analysis of a shooter target and how to properly recognize shooters errors and their effective correction, he said.

"The primary duty as a combat arms Instructor here at Minot AFB is to train Airmen for the Air Expeditionary force, Permanent Change of Station and all other home station arming requirements," Sergeant Mills said. "For example, we trained approximately 4,700 Airmen in fiscal year of 2009."

The second and also the most time-consuming duty for CATM Instructor is weapon inspection. Some weapons require an inspection twice a year, said Tech Sgt. Michael Logan, 5th SFS CATM NCOIC. Almost all of these weapons require a full serviceability inspection, with a quarter of these fully gauged. In the fiscal year of 2009 they inspected more than 3,800 weapons.

"The combat arms Instructors also have to maintain additional duties daily, weekly and monthly," said Sergeant Mills. "These duties are split up equally among all the CATM personnel."

The instructors maintain an ammunition account, Precision Equipment Laboratory account, and weapon inspection program. They also have to maintain an equipment account, perform the duties of an instructor qualifications evaluation monitor, files custodian and an alternate to the 5th SFS explosive safety representative.

"All instructors must qualify annually on M-4 carbine, M-11 pistol, M-240B machine gun, M-870 MCS shotgun, and a few other weapons," said Sergeant Mills. "Also, each instructor must conduct proficiency firing quarterly on the same weapons to increase their firing ability on these weapons."

In order to keep up with need of instructors' qualifications and the pre-deployment firing training requirements, massive amounts of ammunition are used. But with Airmen deploying or changing stations these amounts become a necessity.

"For a full 20 person rifle and carbine class, we would expend a minimum 2,000 rounds," said Sergeant Mills. "Now in regards to the machine guns, it would range between 5,300 to 6,000 rounds for a ten person class."

The Combat Arms continually play an important role in ensuring firearm safety in the Minot AFB community. They inspect weapons, train personnel and perform many official duties. But no matter what they do, they remain a functioning part of the Wings' security forces squadron.

"Back in Oct. of 1997, Combat Arms program was integrated into the security forces," said Sergeant Mills. "Now, we are considered a 'shred of' security forces' Air Force specialty."

They train personnel to carry, maintain and be proficient with the weapon that they carrying, Sergeant Mills said. Basically, they assist in correcting shooting errors by teaching the shooters all appropriate fundamentals needed to be accurate, he said.

The dedication CATM instructors have to their job is echoed in their combat arms creed.
"My students I must not fail. My students I will not fail for mine is a proud heritage and fostering it is my responsibility," recited Sergeant Mills.

The combat arms instructors do their part of Minot's mission - a part without, the mission could not be completed. They follow their core principal: "I am an Air Force Combat Arms Instructor. Ours is the profession of arms. We train in peace, to prepare for war."

[Editor's Note: This is part two of a three-part series highlighting the critical mission CATM Airmen complete on daily basis.]