Instructors work at improving Airmens’ aim

  • Published
  • By A1C Jack Sanders
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDOSN, Alaska --  "If you're one of my alibi shooters, here's your target."

The saying is one every combat arms instructor knows and hates to say, said Air Force Staff Sgt. William Waidner, 673d Security Forces, combat arms instructor.

Combat arms instructors realize nobody is going to be the perfect shooter, but many Airmen deploying from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson must qualify with a minimum score on multiple weapons; the M9 pistol, the M16A2 rifle and M4 carbine.

Their goal isn't to bring out the primal beast inside of everyone, or to make their students the perfect killers, Waidner said.

"My goal is to make sure everyone in this class survives," Waidner told his M9 training class Oct. 29.

A CATM student, Waidner explained, can be anyone in the military who fires weapons daily in their off time, or someone who has never fired other than during basic training.

"The most rewarding part of the job is seeing troops come through the front door scared of firing," Waidner said.

"They sit through a class and then hit the firing range. As they fire, you can see the smile on their face just getting bigger and bigger."

Students leave the class with a better understanding of how to effectively shoot, Waidner said.

"The mentality of a CATM instructor is we love weapons and teaching that love and skill to anyone that walks in the front door of the CATM Shop," Waidner said.

"You must have the ability to step back and work with an Airman that is having problems.

Anyone can learn, it is just how you can reach that person so they will learn what you are trying to teach."

It's not hard to see Waidner's enthusiasm when entering his classroom.
He might be standing on the table, demonstrating the correct stances for firing, or pinned to a wall demonstrating how to fire from cover.

"People don't get to see what we can see behind this glass," Waidner explained during the firing session of his M9 class.
 
"Out of everything we go over in the classroom, so many people forget to put it into practice when they are firing.

It's different for everyone; some people forget to go to a knee when they reload, and some do it even when behind a barricade."

There are many things that go on at the CATM shop which can only be seen "behind the glass."

"Airmen come to the CATM Shop and the classroom is all set up," Waidner said. "They go out to the firing range and that is all set up for them with targets and ammo. Once they are done, head into the cleaning room to clean that weapon and then they are done.

"CATM has to make sure people from all over JBER are here on the right day and for the right type of training," Waidner said.
 
"Weapons are a big part but, as CATM we have to inspect all of JBER's weapons at least once a year.
 
Do you want the weapon that you are taking down range to fail? Well, before that weapon leaves for deployment it has to come to us for an inspection to make sure it is ready for the deployment.

"That drives a parts program that maintains about 20,000 different parts. The CLP, Cleaner, Lubricant, and Preservative, that everyone uses for the weapons is HAZMAT along with all the used patches and pipe cleaners," Waidner said.

"The firing range uses lead ammo meaning every bullet fired has to be cleaned up by a HAZMAT cleaning company. That's not cheap for the Wing to pay for, but the missions down range can't wait because the range is dirty."


Before a CATM instructor's day is finished properly there is still a mountain of paperwork that has to be filled out.

"People never see is all the paperwork in the form of 522's, ammo accountability, HAZMAT storage and removal," Waidner said.

Even though there are many things in his job that may never get noticed or brought to light he, like many other CATM instructors has the joy of sharing his passion for weapons with others, Waidner said.