JERICHO, Vt. - Nineteen Airmen assigned to the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing’s Security Forces Squadron spent their Aug. 2-4 drill honing their weapons handling and tactical skills at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Vermont.
At the Vermont Army National Guard facility, the Airmen qualified on the M240B machine gun, the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, known as the SAW, and the M320 grenade launcher. They fired over 12,000 rounds of ammunition.
Staff Sgt. David Hacker, the squadron’s combat arms instructor, said the training prepared the Airmen to deploy to the Middle East in the fall.
“Our goal when qualifying Airmen is to ensure all Airmen are competent and comfortable on all weapon systems they are required to be proficient with,” Hacker said. “I always hit tactical and realistic training for the weapon they are being trained on and the implementations of different weapons systems depending on the mission and theatre in which they are operating.“
An Air Force combat arms instructor is responsible for training personnel in the use of small arms and other weaponry. These instructors are responsible for all aspects relating to weapons training and qualification, including maintenance, safety and range operations, in addition to actual instruction.
Tech. Sgt. Eric LaClair, one of the security forces specialists, said the training was vital for their deployment.
“Most of the time, Airmen qualify with an M4 rifle or an M9 pistol, but, in security forces, our job requires us to use some other more advanced weapons systems, and these require different techniques and skills,” LaClair said.
Master Sgt. Scott Potter, the lead combat arms instructor for the squadron, explained the difference between conventional small arms like an M4 and more advanced weapons.
“The SAW, for example, is a suppression weapon,” Potter said. “So while an M4 is something you would use to fire with more precision, a saw is something you would use to cover a larger area with a lot of bullets to keep the enemy’s heads down.
“On a deployment, defenders could be subjected to anything, so our proficiency across a broad range of systems is really important,” he said.
The training also emphasized safety and maintenance of firearms. Airmen were drilled on routine checks and cleaning procedures to ensure their weapons remain in optimal condition throughout their deployment.
Hacker said that as the deployment date approaches, the 109th Airlift Wing’s Security Forces Squadron remains focused on its training regimen.
“Being a combat arms instructor has been one of the most rewarding and tasking roles I’ve had in my young career,” Hacker said. “Seeing an individual uncomfortable with a weapon at the beginning of a class and instilling the confidence and the knowledge in them as we train and see them be successful and knowledgeable at the end of training is a great feeling and is why I love what I do.”