LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- When Airmen receive orders to deploy, there are multiple tasks they have to complete before leaving the home station, such as filling out paperwork to out-process. And for those going to a combat area, they must qualify on certain weapons.

Airman 1st Class Julius Prefontaine-Gomez and Airman 1st Class Skyler Mills, both 56th Security Forces Squadron patrolmen, completed a two-day course on the M-240B machine gun Aug. 14 and 15 at the Luke Air Force Base Combat Arms Training and Munitions building.

The M-240B is a ground or vehicle-mounted machine gun that can require two people to operate due to the weight of the weapon and its ammunition, and fires bullets larger than a standard rifle. The rounds can reliably hit a target the size of an SUV at more than 1.1 miles and a person at just under half a mile.

The Airmen went through the classroom portion of the training on the first day. They learned the fundamentals and characteristics of the weapon, the fundamentals of firing, how to clean and troubleshoot it, and their role as a M-240B gunner in a squad when downrange.

The fundamentals of firing at specific targets came into play during the second day when the Airmen shot the weapon. Moving targets were used to give the shooters an added challenge.

"It's important for the Airmen to receive proper training on how to operate the weapon, what their role in the squad is and the key elements they play when it comes to tactics and moving as a squad," said Senior Airman Andrew Nadeau, 56th SFS Combat Arms Training and Munitions instructor.