Dyess CATM hosts beta testing for open shooting range

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  • 7 Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Six shooters stepped up to the firing line as volunteer range safety advisors and combat arms training and maintenance instructors prepared them to fire. The first trial run of the Shooting Proficiency program at Dyess was underway.

First, the participants were given a safety brief; then, they set up their targets and waited for the command from the range master to begin firing. Each Airman brought up to 150 rounds of their personal ammunition to fire at their own pace. After everyone expended their ammo, they cleaned up the spent brass casings from the range and gathered up for a debriefing from the range master.

Typically, none of those Airmen would have been at the firing range, unless they were qualifying in an official capacity, and they definitely wouldn’t have been able to shoot with their personal weapons. But thanks to a new program, all of that could be changing.

Air Force Manual 36-2227 states the Air Force will provide members “with the minimum training, weapon safety, mechanical, operator maintenance, handling, marksmanship skills and performance evaluation for qualification.” By participating in the Shooting Proficiency program, Airmen will be able to improve their marksmanship skills and familiarity with firearms in addition to the minimal training needed to maintain mission readiness.

“Due to limitations such as munitions and facilities, the Air Force divided training into groups based on how frequently you will have to handle a weapon during the course of your job,” said Tech. Sgt. Ricardo Nunez, 7th Security Forces Squadron CATM NCO in charge. “There are two arming groups in the Air Force--Group A and Group B. Group A are personnel who are armed to perform their duties as required by their primary career field. Some examples of Group A personnel are Security Forces, Office of Special Investigations, and battlefield Airmen such as combat controllers or pararescuemen. These personnel are required to complete qualification training once every 12 months and sustainment training at the middle of their 12-month qualification.

“Individuals in career fields who are not armed in-garrison or identified as Group A and are only armed for contingencies are Group B. These individuals complete weapons qualification training only when designated by their commander to fill a deployment tasking. Group B qualifications are valid for 12 months or the length of the deployment, whichever is longer.”

Overall, the Shooting Proficiency program is designed to enhance the mission readiness of Group B individuals through marksmanship training and allow them to shoot recreationally in a safe and controlled area. In addition, participation in the program fulfills a Comprehensive Airman Fitness credit.

“The goal of CAF is to give people opportunities to build the knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed in their personal and professional lives,” said Bob Sayer, 7th Bomb Wing community support coordinator. “This event also includes the ability to face adversity and the stress of military service by having resources to recover quickly and looking for opportunities to grow from these experiences.”

One of the Airmen who participated in the beta test was Lt. Col. Michael Sims, 7th Bomb Wing director of staff, who explained how he felt the Shooting Proficiency initiative, if incorporated into the CAF program, could assist others on base.

“Developing this skillset teaches me discipline, detail and hand-eye coordination, and it is relaxing and fun at the same time,” Sims said. “CAF shooting events provide a low-cost way to utilize a great shooting range and develop skills beneficial to life. “

If the program is approved and further developed, the firing range will be supervised by CATM instructors from the 7th Security Forces Squadron and volunteer Range Safety Officers who have been vetted and certified.

“Right now, the CAF activity includes using a combination of official CATM instructors and certified volunteer range safety officers,” Sayer said. “Together, they provide range oversight and ensure the highest level of safety standards are being followed.”

“What we are looking at is pairing new shooters with experienced ones to help them get more familiar with the safe handling of firearms,” Sayer said. “In some cases, the new shooters might be Airmen in the dorms who do not own— and probably have no plans to own -- firearms for a while. We would try to pair that person with a mentor who might let the beginner learn to shoot using their mentor's firearms. Prospective mentors would be screened by the RSO team to ensure that they have the skills and abilities to work with a novice population.”

The initial test run of the program saw no major issues and the entirety of the course went smoothly. At the end of the day, six Airmen safely left the firing range with trigger fingers, smiles on their faces and a CAF credit to boot. The instructors were also pleased with the overall results of the trial phase.
“The Shooting Proficiency program was great,” Sims said. “We have an outstanding CATM range here at Dyess, and I enjoyed the opportunity to use it outside of an Air Force Qualification Course. I would love to see this program expand and be available to all Airmen.”