I will agree with you, and I personally could do without all of the childish stupidity that this thread is full of. Yeah, I get that it is the Bear Pit, and it is all just fun & games. I guess maybe we need to create 2 topics, one here for the the goofy BS, and one elsewhere for the serious discussion?
QUOTE "this is a chance to learn some new TTPs and take them back to your units to make everyone better. That is the point of this competition, same as the BRC."
Competitions should about validating your TTPs against your fellow competitors. If you have highly effective TTPs, and they are executed properly in a valid competition format, then the "best" should come out on top. You should be focused on execution in a competition, and you should be focused on learning in training. Yes I do learn from the competitions that I go to, but the format that the ISC is executed in, is very POOR and RESTRICTIVE when it comes to true learning opportunities. The ISC used to actually be a good combination of competition and training, but that has gone out the window in most recent years.
QUOTE "I had the chance to talk to some young snipers at the banquet after the comp this year that were stoked about some of the scenarios they were presented and being able to take them back to their units to better their training. That is what this is all about..."
Sadly that was probably the case, because when you have had $#!@ for initial and ongoing training, then it really doesn't take much to impress you. Per your own comments most Snipers are operating without jack$#!@ when it comes to everything, so anything that they can get is better than nothing.
QUOTE "Further more the results of a comp like this has very little to do with determining the best snipers out there or the best sniper program out there. There are too many variables in a comp like this for that to even make since sense."
There is some truth here, because the way the ISC events and scoring are setup, and the variation within the teams (training, exp, gear, etc), it can be a very uneven playing field that produces some erratic outcomes. Things have improved some since AMU has become more involved, but the bottom line is the majority of people calling the shots actually know very little about setting up or running competitions.
QUOTE "We are truly fortunate to have the best sniper schools (all of them!) in the world here"
Sorry, the best compared to what? How many examples do I need to provide about how piss poor the majority of the programs really are? There has been a set of moving targets sitting in a pile at Burroughs range for probably over 15 years, and they were still shooting popsicle stick targets being walked behind a berm. They waste countless amounts of time on ghillie washing and stalking. When was the last time that anyone downrange actually put on a ghillie and stalked down a target? I can go on, but there are plenty 1-2 week Civ schools that you would get more out of than going to a 7-8 week Mil school. You said it yourself, it is not the fault of the troops who want to be Snipers, it is the fault of the people who are tasked with making it happen. If you also look at the current direction of the ISC, it is not about doing everything possible to send the troops home better off then when they showed up.
QUOTE "Luckily there are organizations like the Army Sniper Association who fundraise to help buy equipment these guys need. There are other organizations like the ASA out there, but I have very close ties to the ASA and have been able to see what they do."
Nothing against ASA, I am a Life member, and I have supported them and the ISC for years. You also have to mention American Snipers
https://www.americansnipers.org/
Brian and his crew have done more than anyone else that I know to support Snipers downrange.
Last but not least, people have to take a really long, hard, and honest look at things and call BS where necessary, before things can really get better. There are plenty of people who could really turn the ISC into a truly flagship event, but they are not being involved in anyway. I really want to see the programs and events improve, but at some point I am also not going to continue to be an enabler for the crap that is going on.
My 2 cents, which ain't worth anymore than anyone else's 2 cents!