Langley AFB, Va. –
It takes approximately 10,000 rounds per week to teach Langley Airmen to shoot properly, but without experienced instructors, they may as well be firing blanks.
The 1st Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms Training and Maintenance unit trains Langley Airmen basic weapon knowledge and marksmanship in seven different weapons including the M-4 rifle, M-9 pistol, M-249 machine gun and the M-203 grenade launcher.
Tech. Sgt. Tim Clark, 1st SFS non-commissioned officer in charge of Combat Arms, said the work they do is deadly serious.
“One of the challenges is making people understand the seriousness of it,” he said. “Make people realize that this is to protect themselves and their resources. Some don’t take it as serious as they should.”
The 12-member unit consists of experienced combat arms instructors, most of whom cut their teeth running convoys in Iraq. They said bringing that knowledge and experience to the classroom saves lives.
Staff Sgt. John McTheny, 1st SFS CATAM instructor, said instructors tailor their lessons around the locations their students are deploying to.
“People who have been in that situation have said we’ve gone out of our way to give them extra information,” he said. “All of us have been there. We try to let them know what to expect.”
CATAM fires 10,000 bullets per week teaching Airmen the art of marksmanship, and an average of three people per class qualify for the marksmanship ribbon. Some people need more help, and that is when the CATAM instructors have to really step up.
“We try to get them to understand why they’re there,” Sergeant McTheny said. “It’s the instructor’s job to get them in that mindset. I ask them to take out their ID card and read the top. It says ‘Armed Forces of the United States.’”
Sergeant McTheny said they often get people in classes who haven’t fired a weapon since Basic Training and either don’t feel comfortable firing or don’t see the need.
“If they’re not in the right mindset, we take them out of the class,” Sergeant McTheny said. “I’ve had people freak out before.”
“We try and instill the need for the training,” said Sergeant Clark. “We remind them of the fact that they can deploy on a moment’s notice. Their primary duty is to defend the country.”
CATAM instructors are willing to work with students in order to make sure they understand their weapons.
“You slow down the class and work with them one-on-one,” Sergeant Clark said.
“We tailor our approach to how they’re acting,” Sergeant McTheny said. “You’ll see people undergo a dramatic change, and instructors are a big part of that.”
To help Airmen learn those skills, CATAM always looks for improvement.
“We’re constantly trying to improve training through major projects,” Sergeant Clark said. “One of those is the construction of a new M-240 range starting in May.”
Currently, M-240 and M-203 training has to be done at nearby Army bases such as Fort Eustis. The new range will allow machine gun training to take place at Langley. Normal training will not be affected by the construction, said Sergeant Clark.
CATAM instructors must be qualified to fire, maintain and train on every weapon in Langley’s arsenal. Under CATAM’s instruction, Langley maintains a 98 percent qualification rate.
“We’re professionals, experts in what we do,” Sergeant McTheny said. “There’s only 11 people on base who can do what we do. We give Airmen skills they can use in a real stressful situation, skills that can bring them back alive.”