![]() Now, at least for many students who come through the Expeditionary Center for training, they learn a number of advanced shooting tactics, techniques and procedures. Under some circumstances, security forces were the only personnel who got the opportunity to shoot any kind of advanced weapon's firing courses." "Every Airman knows what's involved there - you shoot at a paper target and get qualified every couple of years," Sergeant Heraty said. Prior to the Global War on Terrorism, Sergeant Heraty said the only course of fire an Airman would learn from would be the Air Force Qualification Course using an M-16 or an M-9. In the time I have been here, the munitions account has grown from a mere 1.2 million rounds to 5.2 million and is expected to continue to increase due to the need of getting more Airmen trained." "Designing a course suitable for each course was not the only challenge, but getting the ammunition to support the courses was also a significant hurdle. "Those courses now include live-fire with an M-16 or M-4, M-9 and the AK-47," Sergeant Glunt said. It's because they have those weapons that the Armory Airmen were able to develop more live-fire courses earlier this year for the Air Advisor and Advanced Contingency Skills Training Courses. Sergeant Glut said the armory holds 153 different types of foreign and non-standard weapons such as the AK-47, AK-74 and MAK-90 automatic rifles. weapons systems such as M-4 and M-16A2 rifles, M-9 pistol, MK-19 automatic grenade launcher, M-2. "Our armory has 48 different weapons systems," Sergeant Glunt said. To meet all of their requirements for students, courses and cadre, the armory is equipped with enough weapons to support a small army. "It was determined that standard security forces members needed advanced firearms training beyond that of Air Force qualifications courses so the armory and its combat arms section developed an advanced combat rifle and pistol course designed to fill that gap. "The incorporation of live fire came with the Center's Phoenix Warrior course for deploying security forces in August 2006," Sergeant Glunt said. However, they know they are providing a "great" service for their fellow Airmen to include an ever-increasing amount of live-fire training not available in many other training venues in the Air Force. There is no doubt the armory's caretakers are busy. Without the armory keeping the 421st qualified on their respected weapons, the cadre could not instruct the courses they teach." For the 421st, however, we're required to maintain their qualifications on the weapons needed to conduct their various courses. "Quite often, we work with the 305th Security Forces Squadron's combat arms section at McGuire (Air Force Base, N.J.) to get qualification training completed. Charles Glunt, NCO in charge of the armory. "Unfortunately, though we are combat arms instructors, we are limited to the amount of qualification training we can support due to current course requirements placed on the section," said Tech. However, it mainly supports instructors in the Center's 421st Combat Training Squadron. They also coordinate weapons qualification training for many Airmen on the USAF EC staff. That's more than 7,000 students every year. The armory supports many courses for the USAF EC including Air Force Exercise Eagle Flag, Advanced Contingency Skills Training, Air Advisor, Phoenix Warrior, Phoenix Raven and Contingency Response Mission Orientation. And those numbers don't even include those people who help out as opposing forces for training." On a busy month, we can arm close to 650 students. That said, on a slow month, we could arm 270 students. "The number of students we arm up fluctuates month-to-month because of course schedules. Sean Heraty, assistant NCO in charge at the armory. "In any 30-day span, we've had from 50 to more than 800 guns out at any given time," said Tech. Air Force Expeditionary Center's armory and its staff help Airmen get more "bang for their buck" for pre-deployment training. Aided by having the largest store of foreign weapons in the service, the U.S.
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