become a Scout Sniper

[PotentiaSniper]

okey, so i am 15 and in high school. i dont want to contact a recruiter and drop the marine bomb on mom and dad just yet, so im here. I have done some research and have found a lot of information on the Scout Snipers, and what i have come to realize is that to become a Scout Sniper you have to compleat other courses and training befor even going to Scout Sniper school or at least they are recomended. so i am curently doing a lot of physical exercise and trying to get my fitness up so if and when i join i can pass the PFT with flying colors.

my question is: what would be a recomended path after boot camp to follow to become a Scout Sniper. Also i have a friend who might join with me, would it be possible that we could get into Scout Sniper traning together and potentialy become spotter/shooter.

thanks.

[brian0351]

Scout Sniper is something you can take the indoc for AFTER you join your unit.

Unless something has changed in the past few years. Scout snipers pulled from infantry units. You will be required to take the initial indoc. Once you pass and are accepted into the platoon you are considered a "scout". Since the sniper school slots are VERY limited, you may not even go.

Personally I wouldn't even worry about being a sniper until you are able to score perfect on the PFT. Thats 3 miles in 18mins, 20 pullups and 100 crunches in 2 mins.

As for your friend. On the buddy program I know you can go to Boot together, but I don't know if that will work for joining the same unit.

[rickyracer]

If you shoot left handed you can forget it.

[polizei]

Worry about the big things first, like getting through school, making sure you want to join, and then boot/soi. After you get to the fleet you'll have all the time in the world to choose what you want to do and you'll be able to indoc.

Everyone wants to be a scout/sniper or recon ricky and all gung-ho until they actually join, and see what life is like in the Corps. What I'm trying to say is, having motivation now is great, but it often wears off or dims down as time passes, just don't get too gung-ho on trying to be something THAT difficult. If you REALLY want to do it after a few years in, go for it, but just remember it's not for everyone.

Also, I believe they're strictly selected from the 03 field (infantry) so keep that in mind. Learn everything about the MOS that you can before you sign, and make sure it's what you want to do.

Basically, just inform yourself with as much knowledge as you can before you do anything. And if you don't make it, POG's are awesome, I promise. :D

[PotentiaSniper]

That is all great information on all three posts, and I know the road will be hard, but I guess what I’m looking or would be like a bulleted list would be perfect on all the steps I would need to take.
Thanks for all the posts and the information shared is invaluable.

[brian0351]

I gave you the one step that you must take. Perfect PFT score. If your not scoring perfect everytime...than forget it.

Once you join your infantry unit...at some point while your there they will announce the SS indoc. Everyone who has been in at least a year is open to take it.

[Smitty Puffs]

That's not necessarily true. I have never scored a perfect 300 on the PFT but I am up there. Matter of fact, there's only a couple guys in my SSP that score 300's. We all have very high 1st Class PFT's, but some guys just aren't as great at running. I'm the smallest guy in the platoon and I average about 16-18 pull ups. But being in great shape is just a small portion of what it takes to be successful in a STA platoon.

First off, stop thinking about being a S/S dude. I know it sounds cool, I was the same way, but just relax for now. If you are meant to be a S/S, the path will lead you that way. I'm not an incredibly religious guy, but I believe in destiny. If you are ment to go down that road, you will find your way. You're only 15. You're still two years away from being able to talk to a recruiter. Just enjoy your teenage years while you can. BUT, that doesn't mean I wont answer your question.

Here's how it all played out for me:

I joined the infantry thinking I was going to be just a regular 0311 rifleman. I always wanted to be a Sniper and do all the high speed low drag **** but I knew the reality of it so I put it behind me and focused on the tasked at hand. Boot Camp was a cake walk, SOI was a little harder but not too bad, and then I went to my unit. No **** the very first day I was there an officer walked into the office I was checking into, stood me up, asked me a few questions (GT score, PFT score, etc.), and then said: "You ever wanted to be a sniper, son?" ......"Yes, Sir. I've always dreamed of having the opportunity."......he turned to the Admin Marine doing my paperwork and said "Alright. I like you, and the snipers are short on guys, put him in the Scout/Snipers, we'll see what you got." I was literally blown away. I knew I had just been thrown into something that was WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY over my head or experience level. But it was an opportunity, and I was going to take that ****ing bull by its horns. I thanked the Major, he simply smiled and said "just remember one thing: You volunteered for it." I had the biggest **** eating grin on my face that day.

The first day I met my platoon I thought I was going to die. I thought they were going to crucify me on the spot. Me, some skinny boot-as-**** PFC walking into the Scout/Sniper platoon which was filled with almost ALL NCO's and they were all experience combat vets. I met my staff sergeant, he eyed me, and basically said "don't get comfortable. I don't care who put you here, we don't take rookies like you." I knew he was absolutely right and it was too good to be true. But **** if I wasn't gonna show my heart and show him and everyone else that I wanted to be there and no where else. I literally went from crawling......to a full ****ing sprint! I had information getting thrown at me left and right, definitions I had to know to the teeth! If I ****ed up on even a comma I was doing push-ups. Land Nav Classes, Radio Classes of every sort, PT, etc. and that was just my first drill weekend and I hadn't even been out to the field with them yet. (I'm a reservist if some of you didn't know.) After that weekend my Staff Sergeant took me aside and told me what he said at the beginning of the weekend "We don't take pups like you, BUT if you show us you carry your weight, show your a team player, and show us you are keeping your head in the books then we MIGHT keep you around a little while longer. Nobody in this platoon is permanent, you are all on a probationary stay."

It's been a little over a year sense that conversation took place. I'm still in STA platoon, still studying, still keeping my head in the books, and I've watched big strong combat vets who i looked up to when i first got to the platoon wash out, but I'm still here. Every time I show up at base I treat it like it's the last time I'm ever going to be with the Scout/Snipers, every weekend is my chance to prove myself to my chain of command. Have I proved myself to them already? maybe. They don't tell me if I have. I just gotta keep busting my ass because I know this is where I really want to be, and these are the people I want around me when I go overseas. A good piece of advice that one of my Sgt's told me is this: "The Path of the Scout/Sniper is one of Continous Learning. Don't ever stop learning and improving yourself, because your enemy won't either."