CATM members aim for perfection

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cortney Paxton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Every day, Team Malmstrom members operate a large nuclear mission for the United States Air Force and the country's protection. Individual responsibility for the mission is one of the biggest parts of the base's continuing success.

That responsibility is kicked into high gear when it comes to the members who operate the Combat Arms Training and Maintenance unit on Malmstrom Air Force Base. It could be said that security is a critical part of an Airman's duties, and that weapons system training is a big part of it. If the CATM instructors aren't skilled in their jobs, other members and the base's security could not operate proficiently.

"Our job is to make sure we're trained on whatever weapons training anybody else on base needs and then provide that qualification training to them when they need it," said Master Sgt. Gregory Cotton, 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron CATM flight chief. "There are certain qualifications that would have to be met otherwise part of the mission just won't happen."

The CATM members are in charge of training, maintaining and inspecting 13 different weapon systems. They have to be qualified to shoot the weapons, certified to teach the course of fire - or weapon training course - and proficient in maintaining and inspecting each weapon.

"By the time all of the maintenance inspections, teaching certifications and everything is done, it's about a six- to eight-month process before an instructor is fully certified on all of the weapon systems we have here on Malmstrom," said Kevin Rinehart, 341st Security Support Squadron CATM supervisor. "(Instructor trainees) have to shoot a course before they can get certified to teach it and any weapons that we maintain or do inspections on I have to do all of their certifications for. Also, I'm required to do, with each instructor, at least one no-notice evaluation. So any time an instructor is on the podium they're subject to being evaluated."

Recently, a new course of fire was implemented for M-4s, M-16s and GU5Ps, which are older, sub-machine gun versions of the M-16. This one course will qualify the members who take it on all three weapon systems upon completion.

"With this new course of fire, we have the highest qualification rate in command," Rinehart said.

Along with having current qualification and certifications identified for each weapon, every instructor must be cognizant of all safety procedures relevant to each weapon and shooting range.

"(Safety) is our first and foremost concern," Rinehart said. "If you look at any one of our classes or our lessons plans there's one specific block in every class that is specifically about weapon safety for that one system."

"As far as safety aspects, we have to have what's called a safety danger zone," Cotton said. "The ranges we have now are not full containment ranges. Anytime we're firing we have to try to make sure nobody is in this (safety danger zone). If we're firing on these ranges there's a possibility of rounds ricocheting out of the range and landing somewhere in this area."

Having these zones properly marked for ricocheting rounds prevents injuries to people as well as damage to equipment such as Malmstrom's helicopters or vehicles.

Safety is an everyday thing at the CATM unit, and so is class. Malmstrom may have frequent periods with snow on the ground, but that never stops the mission from continuing.

"Very rarely do we cancel class because of the weather," Rinehart said. "If we do it's usually because of lightning in close proximity. If it's raining we're still out. We train the way we fight."

Through rain and shine, a lot of hard work is involved in successful combat arms training; however, the instructors and other members of the CATM unit enjoy it and find time to develop strong camaraderie among each other.

"I feel like it's a good family inside the military," said Senior Airman Chelsea Moschell, 341st SSPTS CATM instructor. "I love who I work with. Everyone has different personalities so they're kind of like you're brother or sister."

Any member of Team Malmstrom who is up for qualification on a weapon system shouldn't be nervous. Instead they should relax and join the family at CATM during their training days.

"The best thing to remember is that none of these military weapons are going to actually hurt you to fire - they don't kick," Cotton said. "Just relax and enjoy it."