Post by bazooka on Dec 30, 2019 11:59:39 GMT
The Art of Sniping
by Leon Peters-Malone
Rebuffed by a Sniper Training Academy Instructor in the United States Special Forces (Rebuff comments in bold and bracketed).
Note from Editor Jonathan Dunder: What started as an essay from a FIS contributor about sniping now serves as great article to clear up common misconceptions about snipers and what they do. I know that many people share Mr. Peters-Malone's misguided thoughts regarding snipers, therefore I am keeping this rebuffed version of the article up.
[First off, I don't know Leon Peters-Malone and don't know his background, but I do know mine. My credentials are simple: I was qualified with the ASI B4 while serving in an Infantry unit quite some time ago. I was a black hat (instructor) for both the Sniper School and the RTB (Ranger Training Brigade) at Fort Benning Georgia. Additionally, I spent the last 12 years of my career wearing a green beret with Special Forces Units throughout Europe. I retired from active duty last year and took serious issue with some comments presented in this article that is posted on your website.]
Snipers have bad reputations due to the media. All they say is that a ‘sniper' has killed someone, with multiple shots in an ambush. This is very wrong; a sniper can kill with one shot, not two or three. The best quote for this is, "Firepower usually means an increased number of misses a minute, one shot is firepower," this quote originated at Quantico, a sniper target range.
True snipers are those Army Infantry snipers, while Special Forces and Polices forces all have marksmen, they don't really undergo the same training or are expected to live up to the very high standards. The simple fact is that their jobs, while similar, are totally different and DO NOT have the same level of difficulty and risks. Special Forces will come close, but still the Army Infantry sniper will be better. The level of accuracy might be the same, but only the Army Sniper has to deal with detection, crew-served weapons, artillery, and other nasty things on the battlefield. [This is utter bullshit. Over 90% of the individuals that I worked with on the SF teams were qualified as Army snipers. In fact, most of them were qualified marine snipers as well (and personally, the marine sniper program is not only physically more challenging, but almost mentally more difficult). To state that Special Forces do not have to deal with "detection, crew-served weapons, artillery, and other nasty things" is a sure indication that Mr Peters-Malone has never spent a day with a team. Additionally, where the SF sniper is allocated a huge budget for weapons qualifications, the average Infantry sniper is qualified with the M24 only once (or twice) a year.]
The areas a sniper is skilled in are: Camouflage, Observation, Navigation, and Shooting.
Camouflage:
Snipers are given the best equipment to camouflage themselves. [He cannot be serious. Snipers are NOT given the best equipment to camouflage themselves. In fact, most ghille suits are made for under $50. They are made from cut burlap, old BDUs, and natural vegetation. The fancy (read: expensive) camouflage is reserved for Hollywood.] They appear to be a part of the background, neither here nor there. The ultimate ‘trick' a sniper has is to be totally invisible. After all, the sniper who is caught cannot complete his mission.
Successful use of camouflage means breaking up all lines. Squares, circles and other man-made shapes don't appear in nature. That's why the lenses of scopes, binoculars and other range finders [Range finders? Snipers graduating from the schools are all capable of range estimation and will rarely carry additional equipment that is unnecessary.] are concealed with netting and other means. The green tape used to repair the Nuclear Biological and Chemical Suits is used in this way. ["The green tape" (commonly called 100mph tape) is neither used to repair an NBC suit nor taping of the scope. In training exercises, sure…use tape to repair your suit. But in real life, 100mph tape will not adhere to the cloth sufficient enough to repeal a chemical attack.] The tape is applied in such a way to not block the scope, or is placed across the scope without touching the lens and then a hole is cut carefully and the tape removed. [Why anyone would tape a scope confuses the heck out of me. There are numerous adjustments on a scope that must be adjusted quickly and would be covered with tape. And if "a hole is cut carefully" from the front, wouldn't this be the same "circular shape" that he is trying to prevent in the first place?]
Paint is used to disguise the face and hands. This means matching the colors to your surroundings, and adding white streaks to the face to prevent the eyes from being seen. [White is rarely (if ever) used for camouflage. A combination of loam and light green are used during training, with blacks and browns being added for real world situations – dependant upon the surroundings. White isn't even used in situations where arctic conditions are prevalent.] Even the hands can be spotted by the enemy due to the fact that there are few colors like the human skin in nature. Gloves can be worn, but camouflage paint is still added, and reapplied.
The body and rifle will be camouflaged by ghillie. This is a suit which breaks the human outline to the point of you appearing to be a pile of leaves if done properly. The rifle is covered in such a way to cover the scope and most of the barrel. Free floating barrels can't be camouflaged with ghillie due to the fact that the shot will be so inaccurate you might as well not bother. However painting the front of the barrel to match the environment is often more than adequately effective. [Alright, now I am confused. Only two paragraphs ago, we were subjected to the virtues of removing man-made shapes from nature…now, "painting the front of the barrel" is adequate. How easy would it be to detect a perfectly straight horizontal line (e.g., his un-camouflaged barrel) when nothing in nature grows horizontally straight?]
Observation:
The sniper is an observer before he is a killer. He will sight his weapon to know distances, i.e. soccer or football pitch, and estimate the drop of the shot. He my also be asked to act as a scout or an artillery spotter. Sniper training is a lead on from Recon training in some countries. This means that the sniper is not a killer; he is an observer first and foremost. [Buzz. Wrong answer. A sniper "is" a killer first and foremost. Otherwise, we would have sent out a scout. Or a LRRP (long-range reconnaissance patrol) team. When a sniper is sent into an area, it is to neutralize an enemy and lower their morale. Sure, we can ask them to direct fire missions, but their principal mission is to kill. Period. When snipers are sent into a zone, they are sent with a specific mission and told to handle TOO (targets of opportunity) as they deem fit. Placing a SF team on the ground for observation would be more appropriate.]This means that he, with further training [Fire support missions are taught in the Infantry Common Core Tasking Training and is not considered "special" training.], can call in Air strikes and artillery bombardments. This makes sure that his unit knows what's ahead and is dealt with if direct fire is needed.
Navigation:
The sniper is useless unless he can find his way to the objective area. Whether the deployment is on boot, Quad, 4x4, helicopter, or parachute, the sniper WILL need to know where he is and where to go. His mission may take him up to 20 km (32 miles) [Rarely, if ever, does a sniper team operate that far forward of their unit. Snipers are considered forward elements, yes, but not independent elements. They are used as a force multiplier – not as a unique force.] from his unit. How is he to get back to his unit if he is that far away and can't navigate? [Umm…I am thinking that he would call in for an air-evac…]
Shooting:
Anyone can be taught to shoot a scoped rifle. Before a soldier should be considered for training, he must be a marksman, or similar rank [Marksman is the lowest rank of military weapons qualification (followed by Sharpshooter, then Expert). A "rank" of marksman implies that the individual can miss 20-35% of his targets. This is ridiculous. In order for a solider to be recommended to the Sniper School, they should at least qualify "Expert" with his assigned rifle.]. This generally means a tight cluster at the 100m (110 yards) point on the range with the standard issue rifle. Marksmanship badges would be the proof of skill and may assist a sniper in being selected. The real part of the shooting is to judge the target and make adjustments for wind, motion and gravity. This means someone with an M 82 A1 or M 99 could kill someone in an armored vehicle at 1.5km with one shot, and only one shot. This allows long range sabotage, which can be used to disable a tank or helicopter. Also, communication dishes can be disabled without the need to be within 500m (800yrds).
The sniper's features are: Above Average Military Skills, Intelligence, Maturity, Fitness and sense of humor.
Military Skills:
This DOES not mean shooting. Anybody can be trained to be able to shoot at the standards of the sniper. Fieldcraft and survival training need to be Advanced or higher. Camouflage needs to be at a very high standard. ["Anyone" cannot be taught to shoot at the standards of the sniper. Sure, shooting a scoped rifle is easier than shooting with iron sights, but the standard is not as easy to attain as you would think. Otherwise, everyone would be given this advanced marksmanship training and we would have a more lethal, more accurate fighting man. BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship) is used to identify those soldiers that have a talent for shooting and would benefit from additional training. As for the statement "fieldcraft and survival training need to be advanced or higher", exactly how is this tested prior to entrance to training? I can teach a person how to use the field to survive; and I can teach them how to survive in the field; but I cannot teach them how to shoot if they don't have the talent to begin with.]
Intelligence:
A sniper isn't the dumb grunt Light Weapons infantryman. He is a smart individual. The amount of knowledge a Sniper is required to know is astounding. Then again, remembering mission objectives and reporting what he has seen, can anyone with nothing short of photographic memory do? Yes. Memories can be trained, but only if the potential is there
Maturity:
The Sniper has to be a mature person. He can do what scares the bejesus out of everybody. He can kill people with the same emotion of a man zipping his fly. He can just go and shoot the first enemy that lands in his scope. He has to make the judgment of when to shoot and only a mature person can be deemed worthy of sniper training.
Fitness:
The sniper has to be a fit soldier; if he is unfit he will be caught. The sniper should not be a smoker, because if he has to light up in enemy territory, thermal scopes and sights will pick him up [Thermal scopes and sights can be beaten easily. It is done on a daily basis. Common acetate (thick transparency) over a window will prevent any heat signatures from escaping, but will allow perfect visibility to the outside. But if a sniper "lights up" in enemy territory, he deserves to be shot.]. He has to be able to cover large distances with more than the standard kit, and be able to do it reasonable amounts of time [Mr Peters-Malone is correct in stating that a sniper shouldn't be a smoker, but that's only because a non-smoker can detect the smell of a smoker easier. Quite a few smokers can still run sub-5minute miles. Come to think about it, most snipers that I know smoke when not in the field.].
Sense of Humor:
A sense of humour is another essential. If you working in a situation that means you could die any number of unpleasant ways you NEED to be able to laugh [Does this mean that all of our servicemen and women should have the "essential sense of humor"? I am quite sure that the transportation soldier that is ambushed in Iraq could die in any number of unpleasant ways (is there ever a PLEASANT way to die on the battlefield). No…a sense of humor is not essential. But the maturity to rationalize what you do for a living is very important.]. I have been in some very nasty situations where I could have died, but I didn't [Crossing the street during rush hour, does not count.]. No ifs or buts, some of the police marksmen are far too serious, the same goes for lots of others with marksman badges [Somehow, when the police are taking shots at people in a crowded city, I would "prefer" them to be deadly serious and not make mistakes. You cannot compare the actions of a police sniper to a military sniper; these are two very different animals.]. The sniper has to laugh, if only to get himself up every day and make sure he knows he's alive. The other part of this is the fact you may start telling people exactly how you feel then and there and pull no punches, whether they are absolutely gorgeous or total dickheads, after all, do you want to die and not have the woman you love not know how you feel? (This has its bad parts. I am like this and I open my mouth and tell a very beautiful woman how I feel and embarrass her royally.) [No comment.]
What Makes a Sniper Rifle?
A sniper rifle is a highly engineered piece of equipment. It is generally bolt action, made of artificial materials, has a scope and has a relatively large bullet. The choice of bolt action over all other types is the inherent accuracy of the bolt action. Semi automatic rifles exist, such as the H&K MSG 90, however they are seen more as a marksman weapon than a true sniper rifle. This also fits in with sniper training, as the most shots ever fired from one position should be two. The training says one shot, move, one shot, move, etc etc. As you can see, the lot action prevents the sniper being caught out as he blazes away Hollywood style [Actually, the acoustics will prevent this from happening as well. If hidden near a sheer rock wall, I could fire 15+ rounds and would still be undetectable – not that I would, but realistically, it is feasible.]. The choice of chemically inert Kevlar is also important. This choice is simple, wood warps over time, damaging the rifle, even destroying it. Kevlar on the other hand is inert, it will not do anything like wood. The receiver and barrel are almost perfectly aligned. This means the shot trajectory is very flat to about 300m (480yrds), with the addition of a high powered optical scope the sniper can shoot up to 1.5km (2400yrds) accurately, depending on the rifle.
The size of the ammunition ranges from 7.62mm to 0.5 Caliber shells. These shells are of the heavier, longer range variety. These bullets are able to do more damage at longer ranges over the standard issue ammunition [Although the 7.62match used for the M24 is calibrated, it does not "do more damage" at longer ranges than a linked 7.62ball from a M240B (the dismounted replacement to the M60 Machine Gun). The only difference is the accuracy aspect.].
Training Sections:
Camouflage
Navigation
Observation
Shooting
Can't say much more due to multiple laws regarding the actual courses [How about you cannot say much more because you have never BEEN to the actual courses. If a person wanted to know what goes on during sniper training, they have only to do a GOOGLE SEARCH for "sniper school fort benning". Everything from the stalking to the KD ranges is spelled out for them. Even the sniper training circulation (TC23-14) is available on EBay as well as the entire Sniper School outline from USAIS ( United States Army Infantry School). So enough with the hush-hush spook stuff, Leon, we are not buying it.].
by Leon Peters-Malone
Rebuffed by a Sniper Training Academy Instructor in the United States Special Forces (Rebuff comments in bold and bracketed).
Note from Editor Jonathan Dunder: What started as an essay from a FIS contributor about sniping now serves as great article to clear up common misconceptions about snipers and what they do. I know that many people share Mr. Peters-Malone's misguided thoughts regarding snipers, therefore I am keeping this rebuffed version of the article up.
[First off, I don't know Leon Peters-Malone and don't know his background, but I do know mine. My credentials are simple: I was qualified with the ASI B4 while serving in an Infantry unit quite some time ago. I was a black hat (instructor) for both the Sniper School and the RTB (Ranger Training Brigade) at Fort Benning Georgia. Additionally, I spent the last 12 years of my career wearing a green beret with Special Forces Units throughout Europe. I retired from active duty last year and took serious issue with some comments presented in this article that is posted on your website.]
Snipers have bad reputations due to the media. All they say is that a ‘sniper' has killed someone, with multiple shots in an ambush. This is very wrong; a sniper can kill with one shot, not two or three. The best quote for this is, "Firepower usually means an increased number of misses a minute, one shot is firepower," this quote originated at Quantico, a sniper target range.
True snipers are those Army Infantry snipers, while Special Forces and Polices forces all have marksmen, they don't really undergo the same training or are expected to live up to the very high standards. The simple fact is that their jobs, while similar, are totally different and DO NOT have the same level of difficulty and risks. Special Forces will come close, but still the Army Infantry sniper will be better. The level of accuracy might be the same, but only the Army Sniper has to deal with detection, crew-served weapons, artillery, and other nasty things on the battlefield. [This is utter bullshit. Over 90% of the individuals that I worked with on the SF teams were qualified as Army snipers. In fact, most of them were qualified marine snipers as well (and personally, the marine sniper program is not only physically more challenging, but almost mentally more difficult). To state that Special Forces do not have to deal with "detection, crew-served weapons, artillery, and other nasty things" is a sure indication that Mr Peters-Malone has never spent a day with a team. Additionally, where the SF sniper is allocated a huge budget for weapons qualifications, the average Infantry sniper is qualified with the M24 only once (or twice) a year.]
The areas a sniper is skilled in are: Camouflage, Observation, Navigation, and Shooting.
Camouflage:
Snipers are given the best equipment to camouflage themselves. [He cannot be serious. Snipers are NOT given the best equipment to camouflage themselves. In fact, most ghille suits are made for under $50. They are made from cut burlap, old BDUs, and natural vegetation. The fancy (read: expensive) camouflage is reserved for Hollywood.] They appear to be a part of the background, neither here nor there. The ultimate ‘trick' a sniper has is to be totally invisible. After all, the sniper who is caught cannot complete his mission.
Successful use of camouflage means breaking up all lines. Squares, circles and other man-made shapes don't appear in nature. That's why the lenses of scopes, binoculars and other range finders [Range finders? Snipers graduating from the schools are all capable of range estimation and will rarely carry additional equipment that is unnecessary.] are concealed with netting and other means. The green tape used to repair the Nuclear Biological and Chemical Suits is used in this way. ["The green tape" (commonly called 100mph tape) is neither used to repair an NBC suit nor taping of the scope. In training exercises, sure…use tape to repair your suit. But in real life, 100mph tape will not adhere to the cloth sufficient enough to repeal a chemical attack.] The tape is applied in such a way to not block the scope, or is placed across the scope without touching the lens and then a hole is cut carefully and the tape removed. [Why anyone would tape a scope confuses the heck out of me. There are numerous adjustments on a scope that must be adjusted quickly and would be covered with tape. And if "a hole is cut carefully" from the front, wouldn't this be the same "circular shape" that he is trying to prevent in the first place?]
Paint is used to disguise the face and hands. This means matching the colors to your surroundings, and adding white streaks to the face to prevent the eyes from being seen. [White is rarely (if ever) used for camouflage. A combination of loam and light green are used during training, with blacks and browns being added for real world situations – dependant upon the surroundings. White isn't even used in situations where arctic conditions are prevalent.] Even the hands can be spotted by the enemy due to the fact that there are few colors like the human skin in nature. Gloves can be worn, but camouflage paint is still added, and reapplied.
The body and rifle will be camouflaged by ghillie. This is a suit which breaks the human outline to the point of you appearing to be a pile of leaves if done properly. The rifle is covered in such a way to cover the scope and most of the barrel. Free floating barrels can't be camouflaged with ghillie due to the fact that the shot will be so inaccurate you might as well not bother. However painting the front of the barrel to match the environment is often more than adequately effective. [Alright, now I am confused. Only two paragraphs ago, we were subjected to the virtues of removing man-made shapes from nature…now, "painting the front of the barrel" is adequate. How easy would it be to detect a perfectly straight horizontal line (e.g., his un-camouflaged barrel) when nothing in nature grows horizontally straight?]
Observation:
The sniper is an observer before he is a killer. He will sight his weapon to know distances, i.e. soccer or football pitch, and estimate the drop of the shot. He my also be asked to act as a scout or an artillery spotter. Sniper training is a lead on from Recon training in some countries. This means that the sniper is not a killer; he is an observer first and foremost. [Buzz. Wrong answer. A sniper "is" a killer first and foremost. Otherwise, we would have sent out a scout. Or a LRRP (long-range reconnaissance patrol) team. When a sniper is sent into an area, it is to neutralize an enemy and lower their morale. Sure, we can ask them to direct fire missions, but their principal mission is to kill. Period. When snipers are sent into a zone, they are sent with a specific mission and told to handle TOO (targets of opportunity) as they deem fit. Placing a SF team on the ground for observation would be more appropriate.]This means that he, with further training [Fire support missions are taught in the Infantry Common Core Tasking Training and is not considered "special" training.], can call in Air strikes and artillery bombardments. This makes sure that his unit knows what's ahead and is dealt with if direct fire is needed.
Navigation:
The sniper is useless unless he can find his way to the objective area. Whether the deployment is on boot, Quad, 4x4, helicopter, or parachute, the sniper WILL need to know where he is and where to go. His mission may take him up to 20 km (32 miles) [Rarely, if ever, does a sniper team operate that far forward of their unit. Snipers are considered forward elements, yes, but not independent elements. They are used as a force multiplier – not as a unique force.] from his unit. How is he to get back to his unit if he is that far away and can't navigate? [Umm…I am thinking that he would call in for an air-evac…]
Shooting:
Anyone can be taught to shoot a scoped rifle. Before a soldier should be considered for training, he must be a marksman, or similar rank [Marksman is the lowest rank of military weapons qualification (followed by Sharpshooter, then Expert). A "rank" of marksman implies that the individual can miss 20-35% of his targets. This is ridiculous. In order for a solider to be recommended to the Sniper School, they should at least qualify "Expert" with his assigned rifle.]. This generally means a tight cluster at the 100m (110 yards) point on the range with the standard issue rifle. Marksmanship badges would be the proof of skill and may assist a sniper in being selected. The real part of the shooting is to judge the target and make adjustments for wind, motion and gravity. This means someone with an M 82 A1 or M 99 could kill someone in an armored vehicle at 1.5km with one shot, and only one shot. This allows long range sabotage, which can be used to disable a tank or helicopter. Also, communication dishes can be disabled without the need to be within 500m (800yrds).
The sniper's features are: Above Average Military Skills, Intelligence, Maturity, Fitness and sense of humor.
Military Skills:
This DOES not mean shooting. Anybody can be trained to be able to shoot at the standards of the sniper. Fieldcraft and survival training need to be Advanced or higher. Camouflage needs to be at a very high standard. ["Anyone" cannot be taught to shoot at the standards of the sniper. Sure, shooting a scoped rifle is easier than shooting with iron sights, but the standard is not as easy to attain as you would think. Otherwise, everyone would be given this advanced marksmanship training and we would have a more lethal, more accurate fighting man. BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship) is used to identify those soldiers that have a talent for shooting and would benefit from additional training. As for the statement "fieldcraft and survival training need to be advanced or higher", exactly how is this tested prior to entrance to training? I can teach a person how to use the field to survive; and I can teach them how to survive in the field; but I cannot teach them how to shoot if they don't have the talent to begin with.]
Intelligence:
A sniper isn't the dumb grunt Light Weapons infantryman. He is a smart individual. The amount of knowledge a Sniper is required to know is astounding. Then again, remembering mission objectives and reporting what he has seen, can anyone with nothing short of photographic memory do? Yes. Memories can be trained, but only if the potential is there
Maturity:
The Sniper has to be a mature person. He can do what scares the bejesus out of everybody. He can kill people with the same emotion of a man zipping his fly. He can just go and shoot the first enemy that lands in his scope. He has to make the judgment of when to shoot and only a mature person can be deemed worthy of sniper training.
Fitness:
The sniper has to be a fit soldier; if he is unfit he will be caught. The sniper should not be a smoker, because if he has to light up in enemy territory, thermal scopes and sights will pick him up [Thermal scopes and sights can be beaten easily. It is done on a daily basis. Common acetate (thick transparency) over a window will prevent any heat signatures from escaping, but will allow perfect visibility to the outside. But if a sniper "lights up" in enemy territory, he deserves to be shot.]. He has to be able to cover large distances with more than the standard kit, and be able to do it reasonable amounts of time [Mr Peters-Malone is correct in stating that a sniper shouldn't be a smoker, but that's only because a non-smoker can detect the smell of a smoker easier. Quite a few smokers can still run sub-5minute miles. Come to think about it, most snipers that I know smoke when not in the field.].
Sense of Humor:
A sense of humour is another essential. If you working in a situation that means you could die any number of unpleasant ways you NEED to be able to laugh [Does this mean that all of our servicemen and women should have the "essential sense of humor"? I am quite sure that the transportation soldier that is ambushed in Iraq could die in any number of unpleasant ways (is there ever a PLEASANT way to die on the battlefield). No…a sense of humor is not essential. But the maturity to rationalize what you do for a living is very important.]. I have been in some very nasty situations where I could have died, but I didn't [Crossing the street during rush hour, does not count.]. No ifs or buts, some of the police marksmen are far too serious, the same goes for lots of others with marksman badges [Somehow, when the police are taking shots at people in a crowded city, I would "prefer" them to be deadly serious and not make mistakes. You cannot compare the actions of a police sniper to a military sniper; these are two very different animals.]. The sniper has to laugh, if only to get himself up every day and make sure he knows he's alive. The other part of this is the fact you may start telling people exactly how you feel then and there and pull no punches, whether they are absolutely gorgeous or total dickheads, after all, do you want to die and not have the woman you love not know how you feel? (This has its bad parts. I am like this and I open my mouth and tell a very beautiful woman how I feel and embarrass her royally.) [No comment.]
What Makes a Sniper Rifle?
A sniper rifle is a highly engineered piece of equipment. It is generally bolt action, made of artificial materials, has a scope and has a relatively large bullet. The choice of bolt action over all other types is the inherent accuracy of the bolt action. Semi automatic rifles exist, such as the H&K MSG 90, however they are seen more as a marksman weapon than a true sniper rifle. This also fits in with sniper training, as the most shots ever fired from one position should be two. The training says one shot, move, one shot, move, etc etc. As you can see, the lot action prevents the sniper being caught out as he blazes away Hollywood style [Actually, the acoustics will prevent this from happening as well. If hidden near a sheer rock wall, I could fire 15+ rounds and would still be undetectable – not that I would, but realistically, it is feasible.]. The choice of chemically inert Kevlar is also important. This choice is simple, wood warps over time, damaging the rifle, even destroying it. Kevlar on the other hand is inert, it will not do anything like wood. The receiver and barrel are almost perfectly aligned. This means the shot trajectory is very flat to about 300m (480yrds), with the addition of a high powered optical scope the sniper can shoot up to 1.5km (2400yrds) accurately, depending on the rifle.
The size of the ammunition ranges from 7.62mm to 0.5 Caliber shells. These shells are of the heavier, longer range variety. These bullets are able to do more damage at longer ranges over the standard issue ammunition [Although the 7.62match used for the M24 is calibrated, it does not "do more damage" at longer ranges than a linked 7.62ball from a M240B (the dismounted replacement to the M60 Machine Gun). The only difference is the accuracy aspect.].
Training Sections:
Camouflage
Navigation
Observation
Shooting
Can't say much more due to multiple laws regarding the actual courses [How about you cannot say much more because you have never BEEN to the actual courses. If a person wanted to know what goes on during sniper training, they have only to do a GOOGLE SEARCH for "sniper school fort benning". Everything from the stalking to the KD ranges is spelled out for them. Even the sniper training circulation (TC23-14) is available on EBay as well as the entire Sniper School outline from USAIS ( United States Army Infantry School). So enough with the hush-hush spook stuff, Leon, we are not buying it.].
