Airman finds fulfillment in weapons instruction

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Senior Airman Jamarcus Perry's average work day "at the office" includes teaching classrooms full of people about marksmanship, handling and issuing various weapons, and running a firing range at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

A first-term Airman with six years of service, serving as a Combat Arms Training and Maintenance instructor wasn't what he expected to be doing when he grew up.
Perry had been thinking about joining the military since eighth grade, when his math teacher recommended he try ROTC.

When he started high school, he learned they had an Air Force Junior ROTC program and signed up.

"She said try it out, and if I didn't like it after the first two years, get out," the native of Newport News, Virginia, said. "I think it was worth it; they show you some good stuff. I ended up staying in all four years."

After high school, he saw two choices for himself: college or the military.

"I wasn't ready for the freedom of college," he said. "I wanted the stability. I wanted the self-discipline. I believe it was worth it. [JROTC] shows you good stuff to help get by in [Basic Military Training].

"Facing movements came easy. Marching and the commands came easy. They show us how to wear the blues jacket and ribbons and stuff. When we got to that point in basic, I was already a step ahead."

Today, Perry is a Combat Arms instructor with the 673d Security Forces Squadron.
"I think I've grown a lot," he said. "Security Forces was actually my last choice, but I love working and interacting with people, getting to meet new people, so I figure having the chance to be an instructor, and work with the weapons, that's a win-win - make the best of the situation."

The training was challenging, he said, but it helped him realize he wanted to teach it to others.

"When I first started the weapons course, it was kind of hard. But after a while, it got easier. I just wanted to make it easier for somebody else."

"Airman Perry teaches a lot; he runs the weapons vault and the firing line," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Aric Shott, CATM instructor and a native of West Palm Beach, Florida. "He helps people qualify on the M4 carbine and M9 pistol for their deployment or their temporary duty, or their next assignment."

Combat Arms instruction exists to familiarize Airmen with the basics, he said.

Perry said one of the reasons he loves his job are some of the unusual things being in Alaska offers - such as an indoor firing range, which has been upgraded over the last few years.

"I really thought the range was the best part of coming to Alaska," he said. "That made Alaska so much better. It's been upgraded - we've got the target retrieval system that brings the targets up and takes them back for us.

"We actually have an iPad so we can do it from the computer. We can run the range from the tablet from outside of the room. It makes it much easier."

Perry said teaching is his favorite part of the job.

"It's the interaction - getting the chance to teach somebody something new," he said. "We have a good time in class, it makes it enjoyable for everybody. I know for a fact, if you do get into a fire fight [while deployed], you'll need to know how to operate in case something happens.

"If someone's weapon goes down, or your weapon goes down, you'll at least know how to get it operational enough to defend yourself. What we teach, and what the students teach us, can be important in dire situations," Perry said.

"That's why we make sure everybody gets the basics down in class - to be able to defend yourself and your comrades."

The most interactive part of the class is when they start breaking down the weapons and naming the parts, he said.

"You get to talk to them about what the weapon does and what it can do," he said. "You get some pretty good answers."

Perry said he continues to grow and improve his skill set, better himself as a person, and better support his and JBER's mission.

"It's great, I love it," he said. "It really helps that we're here to get everybody on the right track. I'm doing my best, everyday becoming a better person than yesterday. That's the goal."