Do I want to be a Sniper 0341?

[stalkmaster]

Do you want to be a sniper ?

We all have seen the Movie but what is it really like...
This is one of the most demanding and important jobs in the
Corps as far as I am concerned. When I went to Sniper School
1st Mar Div Sniper School Class 1-85 it was a 13 week intense school with lots of Classroom time concerning ballistics, weapons observation techniques,cover and concealment, shooting and making your Ghillie suit.
There are written tests, you will also have ten stalks to complete with the objective to be able to fire 2 shots at your instructors without them being able to walk another instructor onto you.
Most snipers have an original MOS of 0311 (the Grunt)the backbone of the Corps, the marine in the trench.Not everyone that wants to be a sniper becomes one, but it was one of the proudest moments of my life to become part of a distinct faternity of Marines.
But remember what the Snipers mission is, to acquire a prechosen target or one of opportunity and kill them.
This is sometimes necessary and it is not for everyone because it is upclose and personal. I hope this gives some insight to what
it is like to become a Marine Scout/Sniper.

"One Shot One Kill"

Stalkmaster



:marine:

[CPLRapoza]

I'm looking into it. I'll give it a year once I'm back in the Fleet

[HardJedi]

Stalkmaster is right. it IS up close and personal. Her is the thing to others of you dreaming about the "glory" of being a Marine Sniper. Some Marines have to kill in battle. In battle, it CAN be largley impersonal, shooting at a large group (relativly) and hitting what you can. Sometimes, you can't even see what you are targeting. But a sniper, that's different. while it is NOT murder, it's the closest legal equivelent. The mental strain of that can break a person. You make it through by either believeing your cause and actions are just, or because you are a psyco who enjoy's killing.

WEll, there IS a third type of person. those with a certain "moral deadspot" like myself, who do not see STRANGERS as people at all. definition of a stranger to me? anyone not on my side, or anyone who hase crossed certain "lines"

anyway, back to the point. while the while there are alot of people who could probably take the physical demands of scout/sniper school, be warned: the psycological impact could break you too.

[stalkmaster]

I must be gettin senile I just realized i wrote 0341 for mos
for a sniper and it is an 8541 sorry I must be gettin old...

[HardJedi]

yeah well, sniper, mortar guy. it's ALMOST the same :D

[yellowwing]

hmmm...humping a base plate, a tube, and rounds under those gillie suits? It would take at least a team of three. You'd give those operation planners a lot to think about! :)

"L16A2 81mm Mortar delivers accurate High Explosive (HE), Smoke or Illuminating rounds out to a range of 5650m."

One shot one (or lots) kill at 3 and 1/2 miles, get some! :banana:

[yellowwing]

...but seriously, I've seen those movies where a scout sniper team deploys a laser to guide in smart bombs. Is that really part of operations?

[Blake]

I dont understand peoples desire to be a sniper, no offense to you ofcourse stalkmaster. I completely respect what you do. I guess people think Hollywood when they think sniper but I believe it has to be one of the toughest jobs in the Corps mentally and physically. I guess Im not one to be making that judgement but am I right? My stance on it is no thanks.

[Chain Breaker]

I read a good book called "Cold Zero" The guy in the book works for the FBI and becomes part of the FBIs Hostage Rescue Team. He is for the most part trained by Marines (super elite team and who do they call to train them, only the best) any way he becomes a Sniper for the FBI and is sent to the Marines Sniper School, and has to do it all just like a Marine. If your thinking about becoming a Sniper you should read this book.