Grissom Combat Arms train 934th SFS

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Harrison Withrow
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  Airmen from the 934th Security Forces Squadron from Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station, Minnesota joined Airmen from the 434th SFS for calibration and training with the M107A1 anti-materiel rifle and the M14 battle rifle at Camp Atterbury-Muscatatuck, Indiana, April 19, 2017.

Master Sgt. Chet Nance, 434th SFS combat arms non-commissioned officer in charge, was lead coordinator for the event. He has more than 20 years experience in combat arms, and his reputation for running a tight show is known throughout Air Force Reserve Command.

“The NCOIC at Minneapolis-St. Paul was having some problems with his weapon systems, and it was suggested to him to contact us and see if we could help,” said Nance.

To start training, Nance invited personnel from the 934th SFS to Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana, where they conducted a class and inspected the weapon systems in preparation for the joint training.

“Grissom invited us to calibrate our weapons with them, as our unit trains on how to use those weapons,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Garrison, 934th SFS combat arms specialist. “We took the weapons out to the range, got them zeroed in and made sure everything was working properly.

“We’ll be able to take that information back to our home unit, and then we’ll be good to go with those rifles,” he added.

“Everything went exactly as planned,” said Nance. “We developed a specific training program for this operation, which we sent to them ahead of time so they could arrive prepared.

“It really sped up the training process and we were able to have everyone walk away qualified on the weapons,” he added.

Garrison and his team of combat arms specialists worked closely with their Grissom counterparts throughout the day, and were pleased with the experience.

“This is our first time working with the 434th and I have to say, they’re a very squared-away unit,” said Garrison. “They know what they’re doing, they work efficiently and overall it’s just a great crew.”

Though the 934th SFS had not worked with Grissom on weapons training before, Nance believes that additional collaborations will happen down the road, he said.

“We do this type of training two or three times a year, and now that we’ve established this relationship, we can help them to overcome any restrictions or shortfalls they may have at their own facilities,” said Nance.

“This is a new thing for us,” added Garrison. “I could not have been happier with the way things turned out, and I very much look forward to working with Grissom again in the future.”

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.

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