Hunters: U.S. Snipers in the War on Terror (2 page)

On the other hand, killing is part of the job. Fundamentally, the role of a sniper is to deliver death—meaning that the man behind the rifle has to squeeze the trigger when it is called for. The power to take another man’s life is a heavy responsibility, and snipers must be mentally prepared for the act.

Finally, potential snipers need to be proficient with the service rifle. Clearly, sniper units only accept individuals with expert rifle qualifications. This demands that potential candidates have a strong grasp of the basic shooting techniques needed, so that more advanced methods can be built on.

These qualities are just a few of many that potential snipers should have if they want to learn the trade of sniping.

Individuals wanting to become snipers are drawn to many aspects of the trade. The independence of small teams and the ability to be self-reliant are huge reasons people go into this field. Being able to target the enemy with little chance of detection, use advanced weapons and equipment, and learn superior tactics are also benefits. Whatever the motivation may be, potential snipers should be aware that learning the trade is a long, tough journey.

In the world of Special Operations, sniper qualification is merely one skill among many. The U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps each have particular units that fall under America’s tip of the spear, the United States Special Operations Command or USSOCOM. Within this group, each unit employs its own snipers and what is distinctive about being a qualified sniper here is that the men are able to use their skill when the situation is called upon, but they aren’t strictly limited to sniping alone.

U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers, or Green Berets, are excellent soldiers
and
snipers, to say the least. Passing the U.S. Special Forces qualification course is next to impossible, and operating as a member of an ODA or Operational Detachment Alpha, Special Forces A-team member is even harder, so to become a sniper among one of these teams is truly exceptional. To become one, an SF soldier must have consistent expert qualifications with a service rifle. From there, a psychological exam is given to ensure potential candidates are mentally ready for the repercussions of the job. As Green Berets are drawn from many fields, some soldiers arrive to an A-Team having already been sniper qualified through the regular Army’s basic scout/sniper course.

Those in A-Teams who need sniper qualification attend SOTIC. This is the U.S. Army Special Forces eight-week course known as the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course. In this highly prestigious course, soldiers are taught the basics of sniping without the physical repercussions and consequences enforced in the conventional Army sniper schools. Typically, the students are Green Berets, though the doors have been opened to Army Rangers and regular Joes.

U.S. Navy SEALs also have in-house sniper training. To be considered for sniper training, SEALs must have an expert rifle qualification from the regular Navy’s shooting course, usually two deployments as a “team guy” in a SEAL platoon, and a recommendation by the platoon chief or commander. Once the blessing is received, SEALs attend a twelve-week course.

The sniper school is based out of Coronado, California. Here, SEALs learn much of the same skills as those in other services schools. One factor in which SEAL sniper schools differ from their counterparts, though, is the amount of technology involved in learning sniping. With a heavy emphasis in reconnaissance and surveillance, SEAL snipers must master techniques for collecting and reporting information. This is taught in the first two weeks of sniper school, where students learn an in-depth use of cameras and computers along with intricate techniques of employment and enhancement with their tools.

The next ten weeks is broken into two phases. First is the four-week scout phase, where students learn everything from urban hides, to the use of ghillie suits and stalking, as well as traditional sniper skills such as Keep in Memory or KIM games. The final six weeks are when snipers master the art of shooting. This incorporates three different weapons systems.

Another unique aspect that SEAL sniper training covers is mental management. In this instruction, students learn to perform successfully under heavy amounts of stress and in critical scenarios. This proven method was introduced by Olympic gold medalist and eighteen-time World Champion shooter Lanny Bassham.

Becoming a SEAL sniper is one of the hardest routes in the Navy, with a 70 percent fail rate at Basic Underwater Demolition/ SEAL training, and another 50 percent fail rate at SEAL sniper school. Very few individuals ever become SEAL snipers.

The operators from Marine Corps Special Operations Battalions, or MSOB, are given the chance to become snipers after finishing the basic reconnaissance course and a few other military occupational specialty essential schools. Special Operations Marines are selected to attend the basic scout/sniper course after having qualified expert with the service rifle, completed at least one deployment, and receiving a recommendation from his platoon sergeant. However, as it is with Army Special Forces, many Marines join the ranks of MSOB having already served as snipers in the infantry.

Marines already sniper qualified in MSOB can attend another sniper course. It is known as MASC or Marine Special Operations Forces Advanced Sniper Course. One instructor explains the difference between this course and the basic scout/sniper school:

It must be said that the role of scout/snipers among the U.S. Army and Marine Corps infantry is slightly different from those in Special Operations. Special Operations snipers have an extended variety of specialized skills to include sniping, but those in the infantry battalions concentrate exclusively on sniping and working in sniper teams.

The first step to becoming a sniper in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps infantry begins at sniper selection. Every few years, new snipers are needed and candidates are chosen after having taken part in a selection. Good eyes, good behavior, a strong body, and an even stronger will are needed to make it through this trial. Sniper selections test the mental and physical aspects of a candidate. The object is to weed out the soldiers and marines who turn up for the wrong reasons. Those who question themselves or doubt their ability should not attend.

For Army sniper Adam P, his battalion sniper selection was four days long.

In the Marine Corps, selection is known as indoctrination and it stresses the same ideas. One sniper opened up about how he oversaw a selection process:

When the selection process is through, and if you’ve made it into the scout/sniper platoon (Marine Corps) or the reconnaissance and surveillance target acquisition platoon (Army), the next step is the infamous scout/sniper school.

Essentially snipers pride themselves on the ability to do three things well: shoot, move, and communicate. Shooting is the most recognized skill, but without being able to move undetected and the ability to report your activity to higher, shooting is a non-factor. Together, these skills and more are the building blocks taught in scout/sniper basic course.

The U.S. Army Scout/Sniper Basic School is held in two locations. One is at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the other is on Camp Robinson, Arkansas. While the courses teach the same doctrine, there are a few differences. Camp Robinson’s course is instructed by Army National Guard soldiers and is broken up into two segments, while the cadre at Fort Benning is made up of enlisted and former enlisted snipers and is five weeks straight.

Both schools, however, cover the same curriculum. Sniper students learn a combination of several field crafts and skills, including land navigation; patrolling; stalking; target detection; field sketch; range estimation; ghillie construction; urban operations; hide selection, construction, and occupation; as well as tracking and counter tracking and much more.

Marines in the scout/sniper platoons earn the title of sniper at one of four basic scout/sniper schools: First Marine Division on Camp Pendleton, California; Second Marine Division on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Stone Bay at Quantico, Virginia; and Third Marine Division on Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Each of these schools stresses the same curriculum and produces some of the best snipers in the world.

Since 2001, the Marine Corps sniping program has seen many changes, the primary being that the basic course is now eight weeks long as opposed to ten. From this course, students gain a strong understanding of shooting and ballistics, stalking, field skills, and much more. Another change is that the final two weeks are now incorporated with an additional three weeks and are part of the five-week team leaders course. The TL course teaches mission planning, sniper employment, more in-depth training with communications and supporting arms, and other responsibilities directly associated with the TL position. Upon graduation, Marine snipers earn the military occupational specialty of 0317, and just as important, they earn the right to be called a Hunter of Gunmen, or HOG.

Clearly, all military snipers learn the skill to become a sniper through their basic courses. Learning, however, does not stop there. Though sniper schools teach the skill, they also teach a handful of essential qualities not learned through books, with the first being teamwork.

Gone are the days of individual snipers operating alone. Nowadays the concept of at least a two-man team has proven to be more efficient for snipers to kill and to survive. In sniper school, students are never solo and one instructor at First Marine Division Scout/ Sniper School explains why:

To survive school, and combat, snipers learn to trust their teammates. Of course, in school all individuals must master all of the skills independently, but to survive it all, teamwork is also needed. This is true especially during the shooting phase.

Students must master both shooting and spotting to qualify for known and unknown distance shooting. Each must trust in his partner’s ability to provide exact calls for wind, distance, and second-round adjustments to hit the target. If this ability is not there, the spotter will fail the shooter, and the shooter will fail sniper school.

Known distance is the easy aspect of sniper shooting. To pass the known distance portion of First Marine Division Scout/Sniper School, students must hit at least twenty-eight of thirty-five targets starting from three hundred and ending at one thousand yards. Effective communication is necessary, as students will be tested with moving and bobbing targets at six hundred to eight hundred yards, and exact wind adjustments are needed for students to hit targets at one thousand yards.