Sniper Continuity, a Warrant Officer Sniper MOS and Lessons Learned

[Christopher Rance]

A new article I wrote highlighting the shortcomings of today's Military sniper and a proposal on how to fix it.


The Thinking Rifleman: Profitable Strategies for the Military Sniper
http://kitup.military.com/2013/03/23655.html

 

[USGILT]

sniper24INF,

Appreciate the insight. As a student of history I agree that many lessons learned from the current 10+ years of combat operations will often be forgotten due to dwindling budgets, complacency, and specific political policys/agendas.

I believe our greatest challenge as a military force will be in retaining those veterans who have the operational experience and captureing it so the hard learned lessons can be taught through standardized training and skillsets ensuring all future snipers are true experts in the basics of marksmanship, camouflage, field craft, infiltration, surveillance, reconnaissance and observation. The other piece is growing leaders that understand the sniper teams true capabilities and what they bring to future fights. We need to ensure combatant commanders understand and be able to effectively support and utilize sniper teams within their true capabilities.

 

[Christopher Rance]

I agree with you 100%.

 

[Unknown]

Great read. Thanks for posting the links.

 

[McCrazy]

Internet sucks here and I can't get the full article to load but from what I can gather you are on a good track. Unless a sniper stays in the Scout platoon (which is only supposed to be a 2 year max stay) then his knowledge and skills evaporate from the Scout platoon. With no career progression as a sniper he usually ends up reverting back to an infantryman or gets out of the Army. Either way, a large loss for the unit and the Army as a whole.

I can't get the full article to pull up but your quotes of 50,000 rds of M118LR and 34,000 rds of .300WM per student are obviously way off.

 

[Garvey]

sniper24INF,

I read your entire article, simply out of curiosity of your craft. I'm not a sniper, or in any branch of the military. I am a long range hunter/ competitor and a Firefighter/ Paramedic, and I suspect you have the same types of problems we have. When the guy that puts boots on the ground has a suggestion to improve the quality of the service delivered, he must go from company officer level to battalion level, to exectutive level to get the suggestion heard and, hopefully, implemented. Many times I've seen excellent ideas come from our front lines and the ideas are shot down by the Fire Chief and/ or Asst. Chiefs because it wasn't their idea. I suspect some have an inferiority complex and they cannot stomach the new and improved methods coming from a man that is at the first point of contact for any incident (engagement in your case). What I've learned is to get backing from as many of the men that are in the same boots, that do the same job, and get them to buy into what you are trying to implement. If the numbers don't lie, then when you come to them with an improvement, they have no choice but to listen. I don't doubt that you already know this. I just hope your leadership will take the hard earned opinion of a man that has been there, done that.

Best Wishes brother!
-Garvey

 

[Christopher Rance]

The figures I posted were straight from FY12 Student handout from United States Army Sniper School. Those totals reflect total rounds per class.

 

[George Az]

Good read. Like beating fists against a brick wall. I don't know if some general in big green will make a decision and eliminate a half a tank or something like that budget wise for more school support and training. We live in a quirky society during a odd time period. You article makes absolute sence to me, I can only hope big Army sees it the same way.

Great article! Congrats! At least you will be heard.

 

[clyde]

The figures I posted were straight from FY12 Student handout from United States Army Sniper School. Those totals reflect total rounds per class.

The problem, I think, is that our reading of the article seems to state that is per soldier. A small detail, and one that, being so clearly impossible, doesn't detract from the thesis.