AIT Rifle Qualification

The Training Challenge:
Provide soldiers combat critical reinforcement training in rifle handling and marksmanship.

The Logistical Challenges:

Provide the training when ranges, rifles, and ammunition are all in short supply.

Provide the training to soldiers who are not at locations with training ranges available.

Conduct long range planning to institutionalize this training and support it

The Requirement is about 60,000 Soldiers to Shoot in AIT Who Do Not Shoot in AIT Now

The Resource Bill is Varied and Involves only a few Expendable Supplies, But Requires Personnel, Durable/Non Expendable Supplies and Transportation

The Requirement is about 60,000 Soldiers to Shoot in AIT Who Do Not Shoot in Training Now

The Resource Bill is Varied and Involves only a few Expendable Supplies, But Requires Personnel, Durable/Non Expendable Supplies and Transportation

Training Facilities and Land

Support Facilities: Arms and Ammo

Storage, Training Support

Range Availability and Targets

TADSS

Training Products: POI Modifications

Training Services

Acquiring More Ammo, Rifles, LCE

Personnel Support; Medics, Range Opns, Instructors

Navy/USAF Sites With Long AIT & Without Ranges:

NCBT Gulfport, MS – Eng Bldg Const 8 wks 649 yr

NTTC Pensacola, FL – MI Coms Prcsng 16 wks 92 yr

ND&STC Panama City, Fl – Eng Diver 26 wks 60 yr

NOB Norfolk, VA – Bandsmen 23 wks 197 yr

NWS Yorktown, VA – Optical Spec 24 wks 48 yr

Eglin AFB, FL – EOD 24 wks 248 yr

Sheppard AFB, TX – Avn Hydrlcs, Med Eqp Rep 41wks 251 yr

Goodfellow AFB, TX – Eng Firefighters, MI Coms Intercept 18 wks 1,600 yr

Army Sites With Long AIT & Without Ranges:

Ft Meade, MD – DINFOS 10 – 17 wks 1,324 yr

Ft Belvoir, VA – Mapping 14 – 17 wks 148 yr

APG, MD – Ordnance 8 – 24 wks 5,927 yr

RSA, AL – Msl/Ammo 11 – 38 wks 1,506 yr

Some TRADOC AIT Sites w/Ranges Need More Lanes now – Gordon and Eustis

Some Non TRADOC Sites Need Ranges in Future Due To Load – APG and RSA

Some TADDS Will Bring a Facilities Bill

Long Lead Time for Most MCA

Arms Rooms – Both New and Enlarged With Security Upgrades

Even If Available, May Not Have Capacity – Training Load at Eustis Diverts Some to AP Hill – Now!

Use of NG Ranges Key But- Priorities, Summer Surge, State Missions?

Training needs to be near graduation for max retention after AIT – time delay factor

Not Available on Navy/AF AIT Sites: Sheppard, Eglin, and Goodfellow AFBs; Panama City, Pensacola, Norfolk, and Biloxi Navy sites

Not Available on Some Army Posts With AIT: APG, RSA, Meade, Monterey

TRADOC Sites Have Ranges but Availability is ?

Shelby, Roberts, Blanding Could Support but NG Range Availability During Summer ADT is Doubtful

Travel Time – Goodfellow in San Angelo is 4 hrs from Sam Houston and From Killeen

LMTS

– No Quantity Buy for TRADOC – Yet

– Requires Soldier’s Rifle for Use

– Requires no Additional MCA

EST 2000

– Flexible: Individual Marksmanship, Collective/Crew/Served, and ROE Training

– Large Buy Army-Wide But Not Many Avail NOW

– MCA Impacts

– Not Used by Navy or AF at AIT Sites

.22 Rimfire Adapter

– Low Cost/ USAF Use

– Lack of Realism/Need Dedicated Rifles

POI Modifications

Time Adjustments

Instructional Firing (Familiarization Firing?)

Manpower Adjustments

Use of IMI and Self Development Approaches

Additional resources will be needed in
the following areas:

Ammunition for Instructional Firing (For AIT 8 to 16 Weeks)

– Assume TADSS not Available at Most Sites

– No Defined Program for “Instructional” Firing

– One Course of Action:

— Some PMI (Load-Unload-Clear-Clean, Review Marksmanship Basics)

— 18 Rounds Grouping/Zero Combined

— 18 Rounds Field Fire Table 2 (Single Target, 8 Engagements – 5/175/300m)

Bill = 1.6 M Rounds 5.56mm a year

Operational Demands

Rebuild Rates

Conversion to a New Rifle

TRADOC at Present, Auth = O/H (-)

Only Way to Teach Mechanical Handling
(Load, Unload, Clear a Jam)

Only Way to Teach Cleaning – “It Ain’t Ready Yet, Next Time Clean the Bolt!”

Range Operations Personnel

Drivers

Armorers

Qualified Instructors

Supply Personnel

Medics with Ambulance

Security/ Ammo Handling

Vehicles to Move Personnel, Weapons and Ammunition to the Range Site (That May Be In the Next State . . .)

The Closest Site May Not be the Available Site Due to Current Demands, Maintenance, Etc

Some Distances Involved:

Goodfellow to Ft Sam or Hood = 190 mi

Shepphard to Ft Sill = 65 mi

Biloxi to Camp Shelby = 79 mi

Pensacola to Camp Shelby = 204 mi

Panama City to Camp Shelby = 295 mi

to Camp Blanding = 240 mi

APG to Ft Indian Town Gap = 140 mi

RSA to Ft McClellan = 100 mi

Weapons Cleaning Supplies (= Hazardous Waste)

Magazines and Dummy Ammo

Weapons Racks

LCE and Kevlar (Vest?)

Armorer’s Tool Kits

Class IX Repair Parts

Field Feeding on Range

No Change to Evaluation and Evaluation Processes

Existing Resource Processes Used to Quantify Additional Resources Required to Execute Weapons Firing in AIT Over Eight Weeks Long

Range Capacities (Working)

Ammo Availability (Working)

Ability/Willingness of Other Commands to Provide Range Time (NG/USAR – Direct Coordination?)

Transportation Costs

Costs of Supplies, Field Feeding

MCA Impacts – Arms Rooms, Security Requirements, Range Upgrades, TADSS Support Buildings

Summary

Bill for ammo, rifles and ranges will be big

Use of TADSS can reduce bill for ammo and can reduce other costs to include targetry, transportation, additional personnel, maintenance supplies and spares

LMTS for AIT sites not in current buy

Cost-Benefit analysis needed to determine Best Approach to AIT qualification requirement

AND WE HAVEN’T LOOKED HARD AT TIME REQUIREMENTS

A Numbers Check:

45K AIT Students in AIT from 8 to 16 Weeks – Annual Training Requirement

13K in AIT lasting at least 17 Weeks

12 AIT Locations have Qualification Ranges, 12 Do Not (Mostly AF, Navy, APG, RSA)

10 of The Sites With Ranges are TRADOC installations, Two are not (MEDCOM [Ft Sam], FORSCOM [Ft Bragg])

Questions ?

Guidance

Ammo

TADSS

Ranges

Rifles

MCA

People

Transport

Supplies

Time

COA #3. TADSS are used, EST 2000

Assumes 6 rds saved on Zero and 6 rds on practice and record shoot compared to COA#1

Shorter AIT gets 12 rds to Zero, and 14 rds for an “instructional” practice shoot.

Longer AIT gets 12 rds to zero plus 34 rds for a record qualification shoot. Ammo Bill = 1.9 M rds of 5.56mm

40 Hours of Training Time (+/-)

Assume EST 2000 and LMTS not available Near Term

Students in AIT Lasting 8 to 16 Weeks get 18 Rounds to Zero and 40 Rounds to Fire Practice Qualification or Field Fire – Depending on What is Available

Students in AIT Over 16 Weeks get 18 Rounds to Zero and 80 Rounds for a Practice and a Record Fire – if Ammo Available

Work Out Resource Bill for Transport, MCA Impacts, Supplies