509th SFS Airmen take aim with MK-19

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stephen Linch
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  The legendary 1873 Colt Peacemaker is often acclaimed to be "the gun that won the West." 

It was a Peacemaker wielded by Pat Garrett that ended the life of Billy the Kid July 14, 1881, at Fort Sumner, N.M. 

Although the "gun that won the west" was also carried by such frontier legends as Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and Jesse James, the famous six-shot, single-action revolver wouldn't cut it today. 

What would cut it in today's modern era of combat is the MK-19 automatic grenade launcher or machine gun -- a weapon that causes so much damage, the Air Force has yet to decide if it will be employed at stateside bases according to Maj. Joshua James, 509th Security Forces Squadron. 

Preparing for deployment or the weapon to be authorized at Whiteman, 509th SFS members familiarized themselves with the weapon Feb. 27. 

The familiarization training is used to re-qualify Airmen who have taken the initial classroom training here and range qualifications at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., or Fort Chaffee, Ark. 

"The training is necessary. Particularly when your weapon does as much damage as a MK-19," said Senior Airman Gregory Lenz, 509th SFS. "This gun is a beast." 

The MK-19 is a self powered, air-cooled, belt-fed, blowback operated, crew-served weapon that is currently in the process of being authorized at Whiteman. 

"We may not be able to employ the weapon here since we are a contiguous United States base ," said Major James. "(The MK-19) allows us to dominate our battle space."
It brings a lot to the fight, he added. 

The MK-19 firing rate is more than 350 grenades per minute and has an effective range of more than 2,200 meters. The system was deployed in Southwest Asia during Operation Desert Storm and devastated enemy infantry. 

The MK-19 is mounted on HMMWV's, trucks and M88 Recovery Vehicles to deliver intense suppressive fire against enemy personnel and lightly armored vehicles or bunkers. 

"(It) allows security forces personnel an increased standoff capability to repel hostile forces," said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Camara, non-commissioned officer in-charge of 509th Security Forces Armory. "It is a force multiplier in that it provides heavy volumes of lethal fire from a standoff position." 

"It is the ability to designate ahead of time where the weapon would be positioned to counter adversaries on base that mitigates collateral damage and would open the door for use at Whiteman," said Lt. Col. Paul Barney, 509th SFS commander. 

These Airmen will follow-up their training with live-fire training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., or Fort Chaffee, Ark. in the up-coming months.