globemaster3
New member
For those on active duty, this will probably seem boring.
For those in the Army and Marines, this will probably seem ridiculous.
For those retired or interested in current training conducted in the USAF these days, I hope this satisfies an itch.
I went through the M-4 qualification course yesterday for an upcoming TDY requiring some extended ground time, a significant shift for this aviator. Some may remember my previous thread about the M-68 vs EOTECH, of which my unit deployment manager made a mistake and I really didn't have an option after all.
The typical CATM classroom brief hasn't changed much from an M-16 course I did as a young LT. Assembly, disassembly, effective ranges, basic safety rules, differences between an M-16A2 and an M-4, etc. What really made things interesting was the course of fire.
The old course of fire I remember from the M-16 was 40 rounds of practice followed by 40 rounds of qualification, or counters as we called them, all using real ball ammo.
This differed greatly. First was the ammo. Since the USAF has gone "green" on it's ranges at the last 2 bases I've been stationed at, all you can shoot is lead free, frangible ammo. I've shot the M-9 with this new ammo a couple times. I couldn't really tell the difference looking at it up close.
The 5.56 stuff yesterday was quite a bit different from M855. First, the headstamp was WCC11, which was the same as on the boxes issued to us with an NSN and other nomenclature, all of which was Greek to me and bore no resemblance to the familiar M855, M856, SS109, etc. The ammo had a round-nosed bullet, with the exposed nose colored tannish-brown. The copper jacket also was shorter than you'd expect on a tyical hunting round nose. The case appeared normal with the typical annealing discoloration on the case shoulder.
My issued M-4 was serial # W817602 and was dressed out with the new M-68 (AA batteries, with the compartment located at 4:00 as viewed from the rear) and was marked as an Aimpoint COMP M-4s. It also had the range-graduated BUIS behind the M-68.
The course of fire consisted of the traditional positions shot on M-16A2 targets (6 silhouettes, 3 left, 3 right, 75M-300M marked) as well as a 300 yd zero target. These were arranged on 2 M-9 silhouette target backers hung upside down, with a zero targets located at each head and an M-16A2 target located on each torso. These were hung at 25 meters from the firing line.
Positions were shot prone supported, prone unsupported, knealing unsupported, and barricade. After taking shots with irons and the M-68 on the zero targets, then we began working 1 mag of irons, 1 mag of M-68, shooting irons on the 3 left and M-68 on the 3 right silhouettes on the same M-16A2 target.
After practicing that course of fire, we shot a counter course.
Afterwards, we shot M-9 style silhouette targets arranged 2 per shooter, side by side, each marked with a circle in the head and a circle inthe torso. We began firing 3 second drills on the firing command, alternating 2 rounds to each torso followed by 1 head shot to each target.
Then the targets were placed at 15 meters and we began shooting barricade right and left, followed by moving drills, advancing from the ready line to the firing line, loaded, to shoot barricade right and left.
Then we had a couple mags to work 3 round burst.
Mixed in there were stoppage drills. Each person loaded 2 mags configured with 5 dummy rounds (configured with no primer and an orange, rubber bullet) and 5 live rounds. Then you traded mags with someone else in the class, so you had no idea what you were being handed. From there, you shot 1 mag prone, unsupported and the other kneeling, unsupported. The instructors used that to gauge your proficiency on emergency actions.
The biggest surprise was the sight configuration. If you had the BUIS up, the M-68 had to be off. I asked about it, because I would think a logical configuration would be to have the BUIS up and M-68 on, as they co-witness and in case of battery or optic failure, you'd be able to make an immediate switch to irons. Nope. The instructor claimed "you can't see the target with the M-68 if you are looking through the BUIS"...
So, overall, it was a great way to spend a day. I felt the course was much improved over the sterile experience I had as an LT, and really exercised your skills with the rifle. I didn't count, but I am guessing I shot somewhere close to 250-300 rounds based upon the number of stripper clips I had to throw away afterwards.
For those in the Army and Marines, this will probably seem ridiculous.
For those retired or interested in current training conducted in the USAF these days, I hope this satisfies an itch.
I went through the M-4 qualification course yesterday for an upcoming TDY requiring some extended ground time, a significant shift for this aviator. Some may remember my previous thread about the M-68 vs EOTECH, of which my unit deployment manager made a mistake and I really didn't have an option after all.
The typical CATM classroom brief hasn't changed much from an M-16 course I did as a young LT. Assembly, disassembly, effective ranges, basic safety rules, differences between an M-16A2 and an M-4, etc. What really made things interesting was the course of fire.
The old course of fire I remember from the M-16 was 40 rounds of practice followed by 40 rounds of qualification, or counters as we called them, all using real ball ammo.
This differed greatly. First was the ammo. Since the USAF has gone "green" on it's ranges at the last 2 bases I've been stationed at, all you can shoot is lead free, frangible ammo. I've shot the M-9 with this new ammo a couple times. I couldn't really tell the difference looking at it up close.
The 5.56 stuff yesterday was quite a bit different from M855. First, the headstamp was WCC11, which was the same as on the boxes issued to us with an NSN and other nomenclature, all of which was Greek to me and bore no resemblance to the familiar M855, M856, SS109, etc. The ammo had a round-nosed bullet, with the exposed nose colored tannish-brown. The copper jacket also was shorter than you'd expect on a tyical hunting round nose. The case appeared normal with the typical annealing discoloration on the case shoulder.
My issued M-4 was serial # W817602 and was dressed out with the new M-68 (AA batteries, with the compartment located at 4:00 as viewed from the rear) and was marked as an Aimpoint COMP M-4s. It also had the range-graduated BUIS behind the M-68.
The course of fire consisted of the traditional positions shot on M-16A2 targets (6 silhouettes, 3 left, 3 right, 75M-300M marked) as well as a 300 yd zero target. These were arranged on 2 M-9 silhouette target backers hung upside down, with a zero targets located at each head and an M-16A2 target located on each torso. These were hung at 25 meters from the firing line.
Positions were shot prone supported, prone unsupported, knealing unsupported, and barricade. After taking shots with irons and the M-68 on the zero targets, then we began working 1 mag of irons, 1 mag of M-68, shooting irons on the 3 left and M-68 on the 3 right silhouettes on the same M-16A2 target.
After practicing that course of fire, we shot a counter course.
Afterwards, we shot M-9 style silhouette targets arranged 2 per shooter, side by side, each marked with a circle in the head and a circle inthe torso. We began firing 3 second drills on the firing command, alternating 2 rounds to each torso followed by 1 head shot to each target.
Then the targets were placed at 15 meters and we began shooting barricade right and left, followed by moving drills, advancing from the ready line to the firing line, loaded, to shoot barricade right and left.
Then we had a couple mags to work 3 round burst.
Mixed in there were stoppage drills. Each person loaded 2 mags configured with 5 dummy rounds (configured with no primer and an orange, rubber bullet) and 5 live rounds. Then you traded mags with someone else in the class, so you had no idea what you were being handed. From there, you shot 1 mag prone, unsupported and the other kneeling, unsupported. The instructors used that to gauge your proficiency on emergency actions.
The biggest surprise was the sight configuration. If you had the BUIS up, the M-68 had to be off. I asked about it, because I would think a logical configuration would be to have the BUIS up and M-68 on, as they co-witness and in case of battery or optic failure, you'd be able to make an immediate switch to irons. Nope. The instructor claimed "you can't see the target with the M-68 if you are looking through the BUIS"...
So, overall, it was a great way to spend a day. I felt the course was much improved over the sterile experience I had as an LT, and really exercised your skills with the rifle. I didn't count, but I am guessing I shot somewhere close to 250-300 rounds based upon the number of stripper clips I had to throw away afterwards.
