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The sharpshooter pairs will be trained by instructors at the Air National Guard sniper school at Camp Robinson, Ark.
The Air Force is the only ground combat force without snipers, but for years the guardsmen at Camp Robinson have provided 14-day “counter-sniper” training courses to members of air units that have individually footed the bill to send their people there.
Air Force security forces spent much of the past 18 months looking at the Camp Robinson program. The new CPE training there also will last two weeks, but officials at the school didn’t return calls to discuss if the training has changed.
Army snipers get five weeks of initial sniper training; Navy SEALs get nearly eight weeks and Marines get nine weeks.
Security forces officials decided in May to offer the training, which also will be offered to women, who are not allowed to become snipers in the other services.
Best shot gets the gig
One member of each of the Air Force’s 13-member security forces squads will be picked to be designated marksmen based simply on who is the best shot. They will be issued long-range targeting scopes and undergo longer-range shooting training at their bases.
The training of the sharpshoot-ing teams — which will be chosen from the pool of designated marksmen — will begin in November with 24 security forces members per class, Bandoske said.
The Air Force will review the program after two years and decide if more extensive sniper training will be needed, he said.
In the past, the Air Force has depended on the other services to provide snipers when needed during deployments.
Besides their M24 rifles mounted with eight-level magnifying sights, the sharpshooter pairs will be equipped with binoc-ularlike laser range finders that can be hooked up to portable Global Positioning System receivers.
The Air Force will begin replacing security forces’ M16s with M4s this year, with delivery estimated to start in November and continue at 1,000 carbines per month.
“The M4 is good for security forces troops,” said Tech. Sgt. Joseph Monsivais of the Center of Excellence. “The shorter barrel and collapsible stock make it easier to get in and out of vehicles, which we do all the time.”
The other obvious difference from the M16 is the lack of a carrying handle, the loop on the top of the receiver that also serves as the sight mount.
Instead, the M4 has a flat rail on the top of the receiver that allows quick mounting of a variety of sights and other attachments.
The Air Force version is coming with an Aimpoint M68 close combat optic and a backup iron sight already mounted.