Security Forces armory a storehouse of firepower Published May 6, 2010 By Nick Stubbs 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- It's the trained and ready manpower of the 6th Air Mobility Wing Security Forces Squadron that guarantees the security of MacDill Air Force Base, but it's a job that requires good equipment. Enter the Security Forces Squadron armoror. Put simply, it is the job of the armoror to control and maintain accountability of weapons, equipment and munitions - enough at MacDill to arm each and every member of the security force, said Staff Sgt. Sean Bowes, NCO in charge of the armory. Sergeant Bowes oversees seven security forces members who work in the armory, and is a certified combat arms instructor. Also in his care are M-4 and M-16 rifles, M-240 and M-249 squad automatic machine guns, M-203 grenade launchers, M-870 shotguns and other personal firepower down to the M-9 pistols security forces members wear on their hips. It's a 24-hour-a-day operation, with weapons being checked in and out with each shift. Inventory control and the number crunching that goes along with it is a big part of the job, Sergeant Bowes said. "You have to have a head for it, and a head for numbers," he noted. "There isn't any room for calculation or recording errors." The armory is run in two 12-hour shifts, the morning shift doing an inventory with the night shift when they arrive for the new day. The ritual is repeated at the end of the day when the night shift comes in. While securing and maintaining control of the squadron's weapons is the primary job, the armory also "holds" weapons privately owned by base residents, including servicemembers who live in base dorms, where they are not permitted to have personal weapons. The weapons stored at the Armory also serve as the service weapons that ship out with deploying Security Forces members. Other units on base also have armories to issue weapons to deploying members, and security forces has an auxiliary armory at the Combat Arms range. In addition to firearms, the security forces armory also inventories radios, batons and other security related equipment. For those who take an interest in military hardware, it's a dream job, said Airman First Class Alexander Morley, who has seen an armoror for about three months. "I get to handle weapons, and I've learned a lot about them since I've been here," he said. "I like it a lot." Senior Airman Ryan Williams has been an armoror for about a year. "I love working here," he said. "You get to be hands-on with the weapons; it's one of the perks if you are into guns."