New rifle course prepares Airmen for combat

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Connor Estes
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
RAF FELTWELL, England --  The combat environment Airmen currently face during deployments has fueled the need for an updated, more intense rifle qualification course.

The RAF Feltwell Combat Arms Training and Maintenance range will implement new procedures starting Dec. 1, 2011.

"Our combatant commanders identified over the last 10 years that we needed to move away from the cold-war-era style of qualification and give our Airmen quality training," said Master Sgt. Scott Brown, U.S. Air Forces in Europe combat arms program manager. "More and more Airmen are actively engaging the enemy down range. And they need to have a higher standard of weapons training."

RAF Feltwell CATM trains Airmen from across all of the U.K., plus 10 units from other areas in Europe, and has a plan in place to implement the higher standard of weapons training.

The new course will be longer and include requirements many Airmen have not seen before.

"The new Air Force qualification course was created based on feedback provided from Airmen coming back from downrange," said Tech. Sgt. Shaun Ferguson, 48th Security Forces combat arms NCO in charge. "That feedback included having training on actual combat tactics, techniques procedures and deployment of the weapon."

During the 9- to 11-hour course, Airmen will still learn the basics of rifle safety, operation, assembly and cleaning.

Once an Airman completes the classroom portion of training and is familiarized with the weapon, it is time to step on the range and begin firing live rounds. However, the new course of fire has some very distinct differences from what Airmen used to experience.

Depending on specialty code, Airmen are designated as Group A or Group B. Group A Airmen are those in combat-oriented career fields; Group B is the majority of the base populace.

During a 200-round qualification, Group B Airmen will complete semi-automatic and three-round burst fire, threat discrimination and tactical engagement of the target. Threat discrimination requires students to engage targets based on instructor commands and tactical engagement of the target requires students to move forward, left and right before firing.

"You will have multiple targets to engage in at the same time with the new course," said Ferguson. "During the threat discrimination portion students must shoot correct targets. This is an effort to prevent friendly fires and shooting people that aren't armed. So it's more of a combat skill instead of just shooting at targets."

The new requirements for movement during fire give Airmen the tools needed to perform in combat.

In addition to increased movement, the course includes a section with dummy rounds. These dummy rounds force students to perform remedial actions and correct a stoppage before they can continue to engage a target.

If a student has been identified by a commander as being dual-armed, there will be a requirement to dry fire an unloaded M-4 Carbine, transition to a handgun and fire two rounds on target.

Group A Airmen have additional requirements on the range. Night firing with laser aiming devices, night scopes and weapon-mounted lights are included in the 280-round course of fire for Group A.

For all students the standards for qualification have increased.

"Qualifications will be tougher so people will have to come prepared to fire," said Staff Sgt. Justin Tentler, 48th SFS senior combat arms instructor. "Out of 24 rounds you'll have to score a 17 to qualify and that's just one portion."

Though the course is more difficult, it is not impossible.

"Yes it will be more difficult, but as long as you apply yourself in the classroom and on the range I don't see why people shouldn't pass," said Tentler. "The most important thing is listen to the instructor and pay attention."

(Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson contributed to this article.)