WARRENTON – Natalie Dings’ job just got a little easier.

As a gunner’s mate stationed at U.S. Coast Guard Group, Air Station Astoria, Dings helps run the armory for the seven units within the Group. That means keeping track of all weapons and ammunition used in training and while carrying out the Coast Guard’s safety and security missions.

She and fellow gunner’s mate Michael Crawford are certified to teach others how to use small arms like a pistol, M16 or a shotgun, and have earned the title Small Arms Instructor.

“In order to carry, we have to be qualified,” Dings said.

Until recently, Dings would have to take anyone getting their own small arms certification to one of the area’s outdoor firing ranges to practice and learn how to use weapons safely. But those facilities were getting old and in disrepair, and because many were far away, traveling to those ranges took up a lot of time.

“I had six full days of range training last month,” she said Wednesday. She’ll routinely instruct as many as 12 people in a day, shuttling them back and forth to the range at Cape Disappointment in Washington, for example.

But then Dings got word that a mobile small arms firing range would soon be assembled at the air station, allowing her to get up from her desk and walk down to the indoor range in a matter of minutes.

The $1.4 million training tool, built by Laser Shot Incorporated, was unveiled at a Wednesday ribbon- cutting ceremony. Commanding Officer Capt. Peter Troedsson celebrated the new addition by shooting a few christening rounds in the high tech range.

“This is a modern facility with a lot of conveniences, and it will really come in handy to people doing the training,” Troedsson said. The new range offers vast improvements to the environment, because it is completely self-contained, he said. Outdoor ranges in the area, like the one that was being used at Cape Disappointment, can release lead from bullets into the soil, and shifting training to the new range will allow for clean-up.

It’s an imposing looking set-up, so plain it’s almost unrecognizable from outside to an untrained eye. Imagine two 106-foot-long tractor trailers, each made out of two 53-foot trailers attached end to end. The exterior is clad in3/8 inch armor-plated steel that’s been riveted into place to keep flying bullets on the inside.

Trucking the four 60,000 pound trailers up from Houston wasn’t a quick trip because of driving restrictions when carrying such a load, said Chief Warrant Officer Brian Addicott, the facilities engineer.

“Because the drivers could only drive seven hours day, it took them almost two weeks to get here,” Addicott said. He’d been working on the project for a solid eight months, coordinating every element of the plans.

It cost about $20,000 to bring power out to the site, he said, needed to support the HVAC system for the trailer. The system removes 97 percent of the dangerous particulate matter – like lead, heavy metals and even unburned gunpowder – which can result from repeated gunfire in the space, Addicott said. Negative pressure is also created, pulling any ballistic flash downrange, he said.

A range master can view the shooting booths on a flat screen television from a remote office at the back of the trailer. The ceiling and walls of the 75-foot long shooting compartment are insulated, and the floor is covered with a rubber ballistic tile. The Coast Guard chose smaller tiles that would be easier to replace as needed.

As Troedsson prepared to fire the first round, Crawford and Dings demonstrated the specific safety procedures that are always in place when a firearm will be used. Crawford performed a pre-fire brief with the captain, ensuring he was familiar with the pistol he’d be using. Dings explained that the brief was not optional.

“We have to do it every time we shoot,” she said.

Next, as the coach inside the shooting chamber, Dings passed out earplugs, protective headphones and eyewear. A baseball hat or “ball cover” is necessary, she said, to keep flying shells from lodging themselves in ones’ forehead.

“Going to the range is serious business. We want shooters to be at ease, but ultimately, safety is number one,” Dings said.

Troedsson waited until he heard Crawford, acting as range master, say “range is hot” and “fire at will” from the control room before shooting at the target from 5, 10 and 15 yards with the pistol. Dings stood behind Troedsson, in her normal coaching role, ensuring that all safety procedures were being followed.

The bullets pass through five layers of rubber to stop their trajectory, in the form of thick hanging conveyor belt material at the end of the trailer. The bullets fall into a trap that is then emptied from the outside.

After the ceremonial rounds were fired, Addicott reflected on all the coordination that went into making the new range a reality. Now he needs to get to work on planning upkeep and maintenance, he said, to make sure it will last through decades of regular use.

“Now the real work begins. Getting it here was just a small fraction, ” he said.