Combat Arms, Ammo: An asset to Airmen

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Cody Stocker
  • 48th Munitions Squadron
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  There is a daunting list of objectives all Airmen must meet before deploying to areas where enemy engagement is expected.

In order to counter threats, Liberty Wing Airmen are cycled through the 48th Security Forces Squadron's combat arms program. This program includes the handgun Air Force Qualification Course, or AFQC. With only a handful of instructors, the combat arms program is responsible for training and fulfilling the readiness requirements of all deployable Airmen from RAFs Lakenheath, Mildenhall, Alconbury and Croughton.

Over the course of 2015, the 48th SFS combat arms program trained 5,000 Airmen. That's 400 more than the total number of Airmen assigned to RAF Lakenheath. Despite these heavy numbers, the quality of service from the combat arms program has never wavered.

The unit's unfaltering commitment stems back to the sacrifices made by the Air Police during the Korean War. Specifically, due to the events that occurred at Kimpo Air Base when it was overrun by Chinese communists. The assigned Air Police were unable to hold the airfield against the massive assault and, eventually, the communists overran their position.

Assessing the aftermath, the Air Force realized many non-Air Police Airmen stationed at the airfield were not sufficiently trained to handle firearms effectively. Had they been properly trained, they may have stalled the enemy long enough for reinforcements to arrive. From that moment, the Air Force decided to develop a police force that was capable of training and providing every Airman with the necessary weapons training prior to deploying. It was that vision that led to the development of the modern-day combat arms program.

Since the establishment of the program, its mission has "no limits," and each course offers a degree of flexibility to guarantee that all Airmen receive thorough training and weapons familiarization to the highest standard. As a display of this commitment, the 48th SFS requires support from other agencies to maintain course integrity.

The 48th Munitions Squadron is one such agency. They provided 826,148 rounds and 3,232 grenades to the students enrolled within the two basic AFQCs. This support is provided by multiple ammo work centers; most notably, munitions accountability. 

This support not only ensures the success of the combat arms mission, but also provides every Airman with the firearm expertise they require and deserve before departing to austere locations.

We have an amazing team at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, and every squadron has made that possible. Without the Liberty Wing's security forces and the support from other squadrons like the 48th MUNS, four installations would lack the most combat-adept Airmen that U.S. Air Forces in Europe has ever seen!