BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- This month's Unit Spotlight is Combat Arms Training and Maintenance!
Combat Arms Training and Maintenance, or more commonly known as CATM, is responsible for pre-deployment and routine requalification for base personnel on small arms, which includes rifle and pistol, and Security Forces qualifies on the grenade launcher, light machine gun and heavy machine gun in addition to small arms. Additionally active duty Air Force members train on mortars, 50 caliber, sniper rifles and more. In addition to the normal base personnel, CATM also works with local active duty Air Force detachments.
“Combat arms is the one stop shop. You usually recognize us by the red hats,” said Senior Master Sgt. Darren Spadoni, current security forces manager and former 14-year CATM instructor.
He also said CATM is responsible for the maintenance of all the weapons on base including the weapons in the security forces armory as well as the weapons assigned to base populous. The maintenance includes gauging parts replacement, shipping broken items back to the depot, and if the installation receives new weapons the do a pre-embarkation or pre-deployment inspection on them to make sure they are good to go.
CATM is an additional duty position that can be completed after going through initial technical training and is located at Lackland AFB where all Security Forces trainings are held.
“Through those 10-12 weeks you will learn all the weapons that 100% of the security forces armories have,” said Spadoni. “So M4 or M4A1 whichever rifle platform it is, M18, M870s for the shotguns, M249, 203s and M240B for the machine guns. You learn about the weapons systems, how they function, disassembly and reassembly.”
“CATM encompasses everything that you see the guy in the red hat do,” said Spadoni.