Shooting blind

[T. Staggs19]

I was wondering if you are allowed to attend the scout sniper school if you have to wear glasses...

[GySgtRet]

T. Staggs19,

That is a good question. From what I understand you have to get qualified first. There probably isn't anything against you. By qualified I mean that you first have to be forced Recon, then there is a selection process.. If I am incorrect then somebody will correct me.

[T. Staggs19]

Yes sir, i realize that it would be some time before i could even think about it, but i was just curious to see if i could ever qualify due to my eyesight. I appreciate your response.

[GySgtRet]

T. Staggs19,

Is your vision correctible to 20-20? You can also ask your recruiter. He or she may not know the answer, but there are resources available at times. But any sniper is probably in country right now. These Marines volunteered to go in country to serve instead of being on recruiting duty.

[T. Staggs19]

yes sir it is correctible, I have a pool function tomorrow and will ask. There have been a lot of staff changes in my recruiting office lately though.

[GySgtRet]

At your Poolee function tomorrow I hope that you get on the correct track and get your answer. Even though there has been a turnover at the RS and RSS level there are duty experts somewhere in the command.

[PFCJon]

What we were told in boot camp was that the standards were as follows:
1st class PFT
Qual Expert on the range
20-20 normal color vision

They never said anything about Recon, as not all snipers are from Recon units. I'm sure there are exceptions though, if you work hard and keep pressing the right people I'd like to assume you can probably make it.

[yellowwing]

My left eye is 20/400 un-corrected. My right eye is a bit better at 20/300. My honest to god high school buddy is 15/20 and driving F-16s for the Air Force.

Yer first shot better be to my glasses, or I'm gonna' kill 'ya!

[MillRatUSMC]

A little information of Scout/Sniper School

Male, volunteer

0300-Infantry MOS.
I think there might be exceptions for other MOS's but on completetion you will get additional MOS to go with your primary MOS.

E2 - E7(No officers)

Expert rifleman.

Mimimum Requirements:
having a second class or higher swim qualification.
A first-class score on their Physical Fitness Test (PFT).
Eye sight correctable to 20/20.
Not colour blind.
No office hours.
Non-Judicial Punishments within 6 months.
Qualify for a secret security clearance.
And posses a GT score of 110 or higher.
For a perfect score:
3 mile run in 18 minutes,
20 deadhang pull-ups(No Swinging)
100 sit-up/crunchs under two minutes.
500 meter swim using side or breast stroke.
50 meter swim holding a weight out of water,
tread water for 30 seconds holding a weight out of water,
no signs of panic.

Two of the better ways of becoming a Scout/Sniper are through a Recon unit or an Infantry Battalion.

While in Boot Camp you will need to shoot Expert on the rifle range, become at least a second class swimmer and score a high first class PFT.

Upon completion of Infantry training you will be given the opportunity to volunteer for Recon or Force Recon.
If you successfully complete their indoc you will be sent to a Recon unit where you will first qualify as a Recon Marine then given the opportunity to volunteer for Scout/Sniper School.

BN Recon and Force Recon have school seats assigned to them for every Scout/Sniper School.

The other way is to be sent to an Infantry Battalion and then volunteer for the Scout/Sniper Platoon.

The Scout/Sniper Plt runs indocs annually and pulls in personnel from the BN.

Each Sniper unit runs its own version of the indoc but they are all extremely difficult.
Once in the unit you will go through all the training to become a sniper before ever going to Scout/Sniper School.

Once at the school you will be expected to have all the basic knowledge of a Scout/Sniper and the advanced knowledge of an infantry Marine.

You will show up with everything that you will need to make it through the school including your ghillie suit.

There are no second chances at the school and drops are a daily occurrence.

Marine Snipers are generally regarded as the best snipers in the world.

Main thing, is get that "Expert Marksman" qualification.
Two good books on "Snipers" Marine Sniper and Silent Warrior by Charles Henderson, they're fiction but they're on Gunny Carlos Hathcock II USMC, one of the best snipers that the Marine Corps ever had.
Having been a Primary Marksmanship Instructor (PMI), I read it with a eye to what the Gunny had to say.
Back in 1966, we use to teach a 6 o'clock hold or the bottom of the bulleyes on the target.
Read that he was instructed that hold but he still made use of a center of mass hold.
He was sighting in on the center of the bullseye.
On the book that they use to mark down all the information on shooting for a given day on the range, he would plot a 6 o'clock hold.
It work for the gunny, but there would always be the question;
"How much of the black did I hold?"
It might change from shot to shot.
If you weren't at 6 o'clock, you knew it right a way.
I've wonder a bit because of my background as a PMI.
http://www.geocities.com/millrat_99/marksmanship.html
A page of mine on shooting of the M-16A2, it might be dated but the basic principles remain the same from the beginning of shooting.

Hope this has been of some help.

Semper Fidelis/Semper Fi
Ricardo

[GySgtRet]

MillRatUSMC,

I knew some of this but I do not want to give out bumb scoop. That causes rumors and you know the rest of it.

Semper Fidelis

[ggyoung]

Before Vietnam (about 1960-61) to become a a helacopter driver you could not be colorblind in any way. They found out later that some typs of colorblindnes you could see people in the shodows better. Would this help a scout-sniper?