


The Air Force Global Strike Command ordered service members to pause their use of the M18 pistol after a fatal incident at a Wyoming Air Force base raised concerns about the weapon’s safety.
An active duty airman with the 90th Security Forces Squadron, 90th Missile Wing, at F.E. Warren Air Force Base was fatally shot with an M18 on Sunday. Gen. Thomas Bussiere, the top general for the Air Force Global Strike Command, ordered the halt a day later pending the investigations into what happened.
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“Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety and security of our personnel, the pause will remain in place pending the completion of comprehensive investigations by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the [Global Safety Command] Safety office,” command spokesman Charles “Moose” Hoffman said. “During this period, security forces airmen will be equipped with the M4 rifle, ensuring no lapse in AFGSC’s security posture.”
Details of the airman’s death remain uncertain, and there are investigations underway.
“While the investigations are underway, AFGSC is collaborating with the Air Force’s Security Forces Center and Headquarters Air Force Security Forces to conduct a thorough review of the M18 and develop appropriate corrective measures,” Hoffman added. “Furthermore, security forces combat arms airmen at all AFGSC bases will conduct 100% inspections of the M18 handguns to identify any immediate safety concerns.”
Sig Sauer manufactures the M18, a compact semi-automatic 9-millimeter pistol that is based on the commercially available P320 pistol models. The P320 models have been dogged with accusations of “uncommanded discharges,” which is when the weapon fires a round without the trigger being squeezed.
The firearm manufacturer has faced more than a dozen lawsuits over the last decade regarding these safety problems, though the company maintains the weapon cannot discharge without pulling the trigger.
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“Our hearts are with the service members and families impacted by the recent reported event at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base,” Sig Sauer said Wednesday in a statement posted on Facebook.
The rest of the air force and other service branches have not announced any orders to pause or stop using the firearm.