Take this job and love it: CATM instructors teach Airmen defense skills

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Michael Battles
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a series called "Take this job and love it," which are stories based on service members with interesting careers and their experiences.

For Airmen, weapons qualification at the Combat Arms Range is a normal part of being in the Air Force. But for the instructors who teach the course, it's about ensuring Airmen can defend themselves downrange.

CATM instructors have to be ready to teach rigorous classes that will enable members to qualify on the M-4 rifle and M-9 pistol.

"Combat arms is very important to the Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Patrick Kerney, combat arms assistant NCO in charge. "We get individuals ready to go downrange. That's our mission here at the 51st Fighter Wing -- fit to fight, and ready to fight and win tonight."

Since Osan Air Base is considered the most forward-deployed wing in the world, Airmen need to be trained and ready at a moment's notice, he said.

On average, CATM uses more than 300,000 rounds of ammunition annually to keep nearly 500 security forces current and approximately 1,000 service members weapons qualified.

"I love that my job can directly affect someone's life," said Staff Sgt. Katrina Aide, CATM instructor. "If even one of my previous students can defend themselves or their wingman due to the weapons training I provided, then I did my job."

At Osan, CATM also conducts training on M-11 pistols, M-16 and GAU rifles, M-203 grenade launchers, M-249 automatic rifles, M-240B and M-2 machine guns, MK-19 automatic grenade launchers and M-870 shotguns.

"Combat arms instructors should be qualified on all the weapons that are in the Air Force arsenal, because if you have an individual with a tasking or deployment, you have to make sure they're good to go," Kerney said.

During a routine week, an instructor can expect to teach one to five classes, Aide said. Teaching is the primary focus of CATM, but there a number of other duties that CATM handles for the base.

Overall, CATM oversees the safety and security of more than $5 million dollars worth of weapons, parts, ammunition and equipment associated with security forces. Also CATM supports 36 units in weapon inspections and maintenance across Korea.

To qualify to be a CATM instructor, Airmen have to graduate from security forces technical training and can only apply for retraining after becoming a Senior Airman. Airmen then complete a six-week technical school where they learn the ins and outs of every weapon and how to properly instruct a class.

"In the classroom, we teach you how to field strip a weapon and how to take the M-16, M-9, and M-4 apart," Kerney said. CATM instructors go one step further and break weapons down into their most basic components.

CATM instructors are often excellent marksmen in addition to being technical experts on the weapons they teach. Currently the entire Osan CATM team is qualified expert on the M-4, M-16 and M-9.

So if teaching students how to fire an M-16 round at speeds of nearly 930 meters per second isn't enough for these "top shots," then maybe they will find themselves competing on a national television show to really find out who has the best aim.