Altus AFB hosts M2 machine gun training

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Dillon Davis
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --   Combat arms training and maintenance instructors from the 97th Security Forces Squadron hosted an M2 machine gun instructor training course for two CATM
instructors from 82nd Security Forces Squadron at Sheppard AFB, Texas, Aug. 6-7.

The training course included M2 machine gun assembly, disassembly, timing and head space checks, maintenance and firing qualifications.

Each CATM instructor must complete this training course before they can train deploying Airmen who need to be qualified on the M2 weapons system.

"We take the students through mechanical training, fundamentals of firing, mounting, dismounting and placing the weapon, respective fire, mechanics nomenclature and just about everything you could want or need to know about with this gun," said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Treadwell, 97th SFS NCO in charge of CATM. "The drilling and the repetitive training on this weapon build up that muscle memory so the operator is less likely to make mistakes when they get into a firefight. The end goal of this training is to be qualified and competent on this weapon system."

Proper training on the weapons system ensures Airmen are continually ready and qualified to fulfill the mission.

"Here at the 97th SFS, as well as Altus AFB, we forge combat mobility forces and deploy Airmen warriors and there is no better office that does that than ourselves," said Treadwell. "No Altus AFB Airmen deploy without coming through this shop right here. And that is true at every other Air Force base. You have to be qualified and competent on the weapons before the Air Force sends you down range."

By inviting CATM instructors to the annual training, both bases are able to receive and maintain their instructor certifications on the weapons system.

"Sheppard Air Force Base is in the process of getting the M2 machine gun weapons system and what we are trying to do is reach out to them to offer this training at no cost to them so they can come up here, fire a few rounds off, and get qualified on the weapon and they don't have to spend thousands of dollars on a week-long temporary duty at Lackland Air Force Base," said Treadwell. "So not only are we saving the Air Force money, we are saving Sheppard AFB money as well as building comradery with our CATM brothers and sisters. It's sharing resources and working together to accomplish the mission."

Not only did the course help save money, but it also allowed CATM instructors from Altus AFB and Sheppard AFB to work together to expand and standardize M2 weapons systems training for Airmen.

"I believe it is important for us to be trained on the M2 machine gun so we can have the knowledge to successfully teach our students how to safely use the weapons system before they deploy," said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Bradley Primmer, 82nd Security Forces Squadron CATM instructor. "It's really important to me and my fellow Airmen at Sheppard AFB to get this training, because we need to be able to teach this course at our base once we receive the weapons system. I think the most important thing I learned in this course was timing and head-space check. Without this step, you can have catastrophic weapons incidents leading to injury or death."

Because the M2 machine gun has a large caliber and long-range of travel, the firing qualification must take place at a range that meets the safety standards for the weapon. Altus AFB and Sheppard AFB utilized the closest range that meets M2 firing standards, which is located at Fort Sill.

"The U.S. Army gives us a place to shoot," said Treadwell. "If we couldn't go there we would have to find a place that has five or six miles of dead zone for us to fire the weapon because we're talking about a .50 caliber machine gun that the lesson plan says, 'if you can see it you can hit it.'"

For the CATM instructors, their job goes beyond safety and cost savings.

"Being a weapons instructor in the Air Force is, in my opinion, the greatest job there is because I get to train the Airmen how to do things the correct way and how to go down range and use that knowledge. Everyone that I train has the possibility of getting into a firefight or a chance where they may have to save another person's life and the quality of training that I provide them will dictate how well they perform in that instance. We take this job seriously, we are passionate about it, and if we could, we would stay doing this job forever," said Treadwell.