Photo By Mark Olsen | A 177th Security Forces Squadron member with the 177th Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air...... read more read more
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FORT DIX, N.J. - “This month’s training will center on one of our biggest force multipliers, the machine gun,” said Master Sgt. Dave Kovak, noncommissioned officer in charge, Combat Arms Section, 177th Security Forces Squadron, 177th Fighter Wing.
The 17 New Jersey Air National Guard Security Forces Airmen spent the May 2007 drill at Fort Dix’s Range 7 for their annual machine gun qualification.
This annual training was the culmination of classroom instruction and qualification on the required evaluation phases of the Air Force qualification, full distance course.
This included firing more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition.
Now firing more than 10,000 rounds of linked 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm ammunition might seem like a lot, but when shooting both the M249 squad automatic weapon and M240B general-purpose machine gun, that ammunition gets burned up fast.
“A machine gunner should have a more aggressive mindset due to the particular nature and role this weapon plays in air base defense,” said Kovak.
Each Airman was briefed on M249 SAW and M240B nomenclature, types of ammunition and how to care for, handle and preserve ammunition; preparing range cards, tactics and techniques for engaging targets during periods of limited visibility; fire control and target engagement, range determination and lateral distance measurement, as well as weapons function checks and correcting stoppages.
After the briefing, the Security Forces Airmen positioned themselves on the firing line. Firing point instructors Master Sgt. Robert Powell, Tech. Sgt. Bill Peters, Staff Sgt. Stanley Carroll and Senior Airman Justin M. Kelley reminded each shooter to fire “six- to nine-round bursts.”
Two hours later, more than 10,000 rounds had been exhausted.
“The importance of training can never be underestimated,” said Kovak. “As Security Forces, we train to protect not only material assets but our personnel as well, and we take that job very seriously. These weapons systems are an integral part of that mission.”
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2016 14:14 |
| Story ID: | 186741 |
| Location: | FORT DIX, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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