OCR Text |
Show Supplement to th Hilltop HEADS UP Timmt .April 7, 1989 lWPl.iWll I. ,UJH- y f . i- ft- "- Jill 0 OQ .. - 2 ' 5t a ' " U.S. Air Force Photos by TSgt. Bruce Hills r - CATM NCOlC MSgt. WilliamfR. Dawes ft.Tirae Housekeeping Amn. David L. Menlove, center, and TSgt. William B. Wilson, right, help TSgt. John W. Jenkins clean a LAW rocket at the CATM workshop. Instructors teach protection details by TSgt. Bruce Hills headsUp staff writer ... ;;;ov , v.- .x. . : ... instructing members of the D 419th Tactical Fighter Wing in the use of a variety of small arms weapons is the mission of the 419th Combat Arms Training and Maintenance Unit. Last year, CATM members trained 406 reservists during the weekend drills and special training schools, according to NCOIC MSgt. William R. Dawes. Weapons included the 8 grenade launcher, 3 grenade launcher, 0 Smith & machine gun, Wesson Model 15 revolve 9mm Beretta pistol and rifle. the f In the near future, Sergeant Dawes said, CATM instructors expect to also teach reservists the use of the LAW rocket. He said CATM, which just moved into a new office facility near the outside range at Hill AFB, also uses the outdoor range at Lakeside on the west side of the Great Salt Lake. "We expect our outdoor range at M-14- M-6- M-20- .38-calib- semi-automat- er ic M-1- 6 "V. 25-met- Planning meeting Discussing how they conduct an firing session at the outdoor rifle instructors SSgt. Dale D. Neal, Amn. David L, Menlove, will M-1- 6 CATM range are SSgtJ Maria Gilson and SSgt. Luann Thurgood. (l-- r) er ? Hill, which accommodates 20 shooters at a time, will be remodeled " soon." He said the CATM staff, which includes three women and six men, undergoes extensive training in weapons use, maintenance and safety and range management. "We attend periodic training schools to keep our skills sharp. "Reservists see us on the range , and in the classroom conducting weapons training sessions, but they might be surprised to see us carrying a hammer or a shovel doing range maintenance and repairs, up to our elbows jin grease and dirt keeping the wing's weapons in good working order; or bent over a work table repairing a weapon." There is always plenty of work to do during a itnit Training Assembly, Sergeant! Dawes said, and even during the rest of the month, his CATM team jof ten entertains Boy Scouts and others for a tour of the range or somp shooting. "We are alo happy, during non-UThours, to help reservists who are having trouble getting on target. Special instruction is available. Anyone who vants or needs extra help learning a weapon should feel free to ask any of us for special in A structions." ' I Unclaimed wea th ava ilabl by TSgt Bruce Hills headsUp staff writer Too few Air Force Reservists are utilizing the educational benefits of the Montgomery G I Bill, TSgt. Brent R. Boehme, 419th Tactical Fighter Wing training technician, said. He and others in his office are trying to induce 419th reservists to take advantage of the GI Bill, which establishes educational assistance benefits. Full-tim- e students (12 or more credits) can receive time (nine to 11 credits), $140 a month; three-quarthalf-tim(six to eight credits), $70 $105 per month; (one to five credits) a month; and less than half-tim- e can receive $35 a month. Sergeant Boehme said maximum benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill are $5,040. "There are five criteria reservists must meet to be eligible for benefits: be a high school graduate or hold an equivalency certificate, have a reserve enlistment, have completed initial active duty training, be participating satisfactorily in the Reserve and not have a bachelor's degree. "Reservists need to sign a notice of basic eligibila ity form at the 419th Training Office and take copy to their school's Veterans Administration representative," Sergeant Boehme said. GI Bill.benefits They should start getting their within 60 to 90 days, he added. er e six-ye- ar . "Reservists can get credit for their Air Force work experience through the Community College of the Air Force, an accredited college that offers associ: ate degrees in a variety of career fields. "It is not unusual for a reservist who has never attended college to get several credit hours for his attendance at Air Force technical schools and get Air Force upadditional credit for 3- 5- - and grade training." Two CDC courses, Course 6, the NCO Academy course, and Course 8, the Senior NCO Academy course, are each worth about seven credit hours. Sergeant Boehme said the amount of college credit given for technical schools varies. "A electronics technical school could be worth 35 to 40 hours credit." Sergeant Boehme said any 419th reservist can have his experience evaluated. "Just come to the Training Office and we will help you get a transcript of the credits you have already earned from the Community College of the Air Force. "I wouldn't be surprised if many of the 419th reservists who have never been to college could, through the Community College of the Air Force or CLEP (College Level Examination Program) tests, start a college or university program as a sophomore or, in some cases, even as a junior. A lot of people have earned college credits they may not know about," he said. -, 7-le- nine-mont- h : - - ' .i j . -- TSgt. Brent US. 1 A.r Force Photo by TSgt. Bruce Hills R." Boehme 419th Tactical Fighter Wing training technician |