104th Fighter Wing development for renovates firing range, saves money, increases lethality.
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The firing range at the 104th Fighter Wing went through a series of renovations in 2018. Master Sergeant Michael Gardner, 104th Security Forces Squadron logistics superintendent, and Master Sgt. Christopher Torres, 104th SFS Combat Arms Training and Maintenance non-commissioned officer in charge, said the CATM team had to bring Airmen to Westover Air Reserve Base and Fort Devens to qualify while the range here was being renovated. They qualified over 340 Airmen in preparation for deployments this way.
The two defenders said having the range ready to use here will save money, put less stress on the CATM team and Airmen who are trying to qualify, help build partnerships, and allow security forces to perform different types of proficiency training. “It’s pretty significant money wise and time wise,” said Gardner. “We were extending the duty day, so you’re definitely increasing the strain on the member. A qualification day is a pretty physical process.”
The reopened range has become a place for local police departments and other Air National Guard units, such as the 109th Airlift Wing from New York, to use as a training location. “It has a pretty significant law enforcement impact on this side of the state,” said Gardner.“We just had Chicopee make arrangements to use the range. South Hampton just used the range. It helps us build partnerships with surrounding law enforcement.”
While visiting Shepherd Air Force Base Secretary of the Air Force Matthew P. Donovan, the second highest ranking civilian in the Department of the Air Force, said “Our National Defense Strategy tells us that we’ve got to restore the readiness, increase the lethality of our force.”
Gardner and Torres said they believe having a range open on base will help to increase the lethality of the 104th SFS defenders. “The Air Force’s big push right now is lethality,” said Gardner. “It’s more firing. Where we used to qualify annually, now they want us firing at least quarterly for proficiency. Just for our career field, not even for wing support or regional support, having the range in place is essential with the changes that have been coming down.”
Torres said they have more flexibility now and are able to implement different kinds of training techniques. Airmen can train with M4 carbines, M9 pistols, test-fire heavy weapons, and perform night fire more effectively, he said. “We have our quarterly training where we can kind of mix it up,” said Torres. “It’s not necessarily a qualification. It’s more proficiency and we work on speed, or accuracy, or slow fire at long distances. At the range here we have more flexibility because we own everything that’s out there.”
The two defenders said having the range ready to use here will save money, put less stress on the CATM team and Airmen who are trying to qualify, help build partnerships, and allow security forces to perform different types of proficiency training. “It’s pretty significant money wise and time wise,” said Gardner. “We were extending the duty day, so you’re definitely increasing the strain on the member. A qualification day is a pretty physical process.”
The reopened range has become a place for local police departments and other Air National Guard units, such as the 109th Airlift Wing from New York, to use as a training location. “It has a pretty significant law enforcement impact on this side of the state,” said Gardner.“We just had Chicopee make arrangements to use the range. South Hampton just used the range. It helps us build partnerships with surrounding law enforcement.”
While visiting Shepherd Air Force Base Secretary of the Air Force Matthew P. Donovan, the second highest ranking civilian in the Department of the Air Force, said “Our National Defense Strategy tells us that we’ve got to restore the readiness, increase the lethality of our force.”
Gardner and Torres said they believe having a range open on base will help to increase the lethality of the 104th SFS defenders. “The Air Force’s big push right now is lethality,” said Gardner. “It’s more firing. Where we used to qualify annually, now they want us firing at least quarterly for proficiency. Just for our career field, not even for wing support or regional support, having the range in place is essential with the changes that have been coming down.”
Torres said they have more flexibility now and are able to implement different kinds of training techniques. Airmen can train with M4 carbines, M9 pistols, test-fire heavy weapons, and perform night fire more effectively, he said. “We have our quarterly training where we can kind of mix it up,” said Torres. “It’s not necessarily a qualification. It’s more proficiency and we work on speed, or accuracy, or slow fire at long distances. At the range here we have more flexibility because we own everything that’s out there.”
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