Not the responses I was expecting. My fault for hurting the sensitive ones feelings. I can see how that may appear as a BAD First post/ BAD first impression... which it may have been. I get irritated when on forums members think they are "subject matter experts" simply because of their belonging to the forum. I see it all the time. My PT is fine ( above 75-75-75 is what the "+" was all about). You seem to have me all figured out don't you Delta 4-3. Were you even in Delta? 11B? probably not.... I don't know the layout of this forum yet either so if this is in the wrong place my fault. Moving on: Still seeking valuable advice from people that could support my current position since I presume some of you on here likely are experienced in this field. Those of you whom would be so kind as to "cast pearls before swine" it would be appreciated. I just got home from a not-so-fun deployment in Afghanistan so I'm still in the pissed off phase of being home/ reintegration.
Dude... it's not about your PT score. You should be able to max the PT test, or the RPFT, simply as a byproduct of being in excellent condition. You are going to have to shoot, stalk, identify targets, etc. when you are dog-tired and hungry. If you're not in excellent condition, you will fail. The purpose of Selection is to assess the character and conditioning of the soldier, before investing in them. If you have an attitude, or think you are good enough already, you will be dropped. If you fall behind on ruck marches or can't concentrate during an activity because you're tired, you will be dropped. If you can't control your anger, or your reactions to criticism, you will be dropped. If you can't present a professional appearance and deliver concise information when you're in a bad mood, you will be dropped. If you can't listen and think critically, you will be dropped. I was a B4, and a Team Leader, and I have selected and dropped soldiers based on the above and much more. We want to see a hard-worker, who wants to earn an opportunity to learn a fascinating skill set and work with other professionals in a challenging environment. If you're one of those kids who looks at being a Sniper as a glamorous career bump, you are going to be sorely disappointed at how hard the work is, and how little credit you will get.
I'm not saying you can't do it, but you are going to be more successful if you are an open book, who is focused on working however hard it takes to be a credit to your unit, by being selected for specialized training. Much of this has been said or hinted at above, but being selected by the Sniper Section is a huge privilege which will require humility. You will need your eyes open to see what makes others successful, and imitate those behaviors.
Right now you need to focus on being a good soldier, so you can have the opportunity to be a good Sniper. Study your Infantry skills, most Sections will test candidates on basic and advanced Infantry skills to include: Land Nav, Casualty Care, Op Orders and Mission Planning, Marksmanship, etc. The Section doesn't have time to train you on Infantry Skills, you should already know them thoroughly. And do more PT, you're not doing enough.
