During their nearly eight weeks of basic military training, Airmen and Guardians will again carry practice weapons. In light of increasing global tensions, this change is necessary, according to Department of the Air Force officials.
Officials with the Air Education and Training Command announced the change this week, saying in a news release that it is “critically important for national security reasons to instill a war mentality in soldiers as soon as they arrive at boot camp.” The M4 practice rifles will be carried by the trainee pilots and Guardians during their transition from civilians to soldiers.
“Using training weapons in realistic scenarios in a controlled environment builds confidence, corrects mistakes and manages stress as regular practice reduces hesitation and increases combat effectiveness,” said Col. Billy Wilson Jr., 737th Training Group commander, in a press release.
Read more: The Army will expand basic training, driven by a new recruiting dynamic
While Army recruits and Marine Corps members have long carried rifles during basic training camp, the Air Force stopped requiring pilots to carry practice rifles in 2012 when the Trainer Weapon Program was suspended, the Air Force said. Now it has reinstated it for pilots and introduced the program to Guardians as well. This comes as the Department of the Air Force prepares for what the military calls “great power competition” — technical jargon used to describe increased attention, spending and training toward adversaries, namely China and Russia.
Retired Chief Master Sgt. Eric Benken, who served as the Air Force’s top noncommissioned officer from 1996 to 1999, told Military.com on Wednesday that he sees the change as positive and that soldiers must be prepared for conflict at all times.
“They should always have that warrior mentality or perspective,” Benken said, adding that it is critical to be aware of the handling of a weapon and the responsibility for it when deployed to a combat zone.
“If they went there without knowing how to use a weapon or without the right warrior mentality, then they are at a clear disadvantage,” he said.
The soldiers and guards receive the non-functional M4 rifle when they arrive for basic military training and are required to carry and maintain it at all times, “except during medical or medical appointments, when wearing any combination of the service uniform, or when a profile does not permit them to carry the rifle,” the service said. The rifles are stored in the recruits’ closets in the barracks.
This represents another major change in basic military training for the Aerospace Forces in recent years.
In September, officials announced they had revamped the first five days of basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas. The goal is to teach Soldiers and Guardians the fundamentals of physical fitness, training and wellness during those first days, reducing the number of dropouts due to injuries and poor fitness tests.
At the end of 2022, the Air Force eliminated its famous week-long exercise BEAST (the acronym stands for Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills Training) and replaced it with the 36-hour PACER FORGE (the acronym stands for Primary Agile Combat Employment Range, Forward Operations Readiness Generation Exercise).
PACER FORGE was built on the Air Force’s philosophy of training “multi-skilled Airmen” – or giving Airmen more responsibility so they can perform missions with fewer personnel.
Related: Air Force revamps boot camp’s “zero week” to get more recruits through
The story continues
