The Making of a Marine Scout Sniper

[SR-25]

The Marine Scout Sniper has special capabilities, training and equipment. He is silent, unseen, cunning, and deadly. His job is to deliver long-range precision fire at selected targets from concealed positions, which cannot be engaged successfully by the rifleman because of range, size, location, fleeting nature, or visibility. His rigorous training requires the development of basic infantry skills to a high degree of perfection. The Marine Scout Sniper School of the Marine Corps Training Center incorporates a wide variety of subjects designed to increase the Scout Snipers' value as a force multiplier and to ensure his survival on the battlefield and to complement the Marine Corps combined arms operational concept. He must be highly trained in long-range rifle marksmanship and fieldcraft skills to ensure maximum effective engagements with minimum risk.

THE MARINE SCOUT SNIPER
The Marine Scout Snipers primary mission is to deliver precise long-range fire on selected targets. He creates casualties among enemy, slows enemy movement, lower their morale, frightens enemy soldiers and adds confusion to their operations. The secondary mission of the Marine Scout Sniper is to collect and report battlefield information and to act as forward observer for the artillery.

A well trained Marine Scout Sniper, combined with the inherent accuracy of his rifle and ammunition, is a versatile supporting arm available to a Marine Commander. He could be employed in all levels of conflict. This includes offensive and defensive combat in which precision fire is delivered at long ranges beyond the effective range of an ordinary M16 rifle. It also includes combat patrols, ambushes, counter-sniper operations, forward observation elements, information gathering, call for fire, and retrograde operations in which snipers are part of forces left in contact as stay behind forces.

FINDING THE RIGHT MARINE
On the 23rd of September 2002, the Marine Corps Training Center will convene the Marine Scout Sniper Course Number 06 under The Marine Scout Sniper School. Candidates in the Marine Scout Sniper training require careful and rigid selection process. Unit Commanders must initially screen the individual's records for potential aptitude as a sniper before recommending one for the training. The rigorous training program and the increased risks in combat require high motivation and the ability to learn a variety of skills. Therefore he must have excellent personal records.

The Marine Scout Sniper School guidelines for screening a scout sniper candidate are as follows:

Marksmanship. The sniper candidates must be an expert marksman and must pass the standard AFP Record Firing as expert.
Physical Condition. The Marine scout sniper, often employed in extended operations with little sleep, food or water, must be in outstanding physical condition. Good health means better reflexes, better muscular control and greater stamina. His Physical Fitness Test results should be above average based on AFP standards.
Vision. Eyesight is the Marine sniper's prime tool. Therefore, a sniper must have 20/20 vision. Color blindness is considered a liability to the sniper due to his inability to detect concealed targets that blend in with the natural surroundings.
Mental condition. Sniper candidates must pass the Neuro-psychological Exam conducted by psychologist of the Major Service Command. These are "not" the typical exams that military personnel are required to take for reenlistment or promotion. This exam is specially configured to determine the candidate's reliability, loyalty, initiative, discipline and emotional stability.
Smoking. The Marine Scout Sniper should not be a smoker. Smoke of an unsuppressed smoker's can betray the sniper's position. Even though a sniper may not smoke on a mission, his refrainment from nicotine intake may cause nervousness and irritation, which lowers his efficiency.
The Commander's involvement in personnel selection for scout sniper training is critical. To ensure his candidate's successful completion of sniper training, the Commander must ensure that the sniper candidate meets the prerequisites set by The Marine Scout Sniper School.

During the first week of August, sniper candidates from the different branches of service of the AFP were recommended by their respective Commanding Officers to undergo prequalification test for scout sniper training. Initially 2 officers and 27 enlisted personnel from the Marines, 2 officers and 14 enlisted personnel from the Naval Special Warfare Group, 8 enlisted personnel from Anti Crime Task Force of the AFP and 1 enlisted personnel from the Intelligence Service AFP were recommended to undergo Neuro-psychiatric Exam at the NP Screening Section of the Manila Naval Hospital. After more than a week of comprehensive written exams and interviews, a total of 3 officers and 40 enlisted personnel passed the test.

Immediately after passing the neuro-psychiatric exams, the candidate underwent the Marine standard Physical Fitness Test wherein they are required to do the minimum requirement of 7 pull-ups, 52 push-up in two minutes, 62 sit-ups in two minutes, 100 half-knee bends in two minutes, and a three-mile run in twenty one minutes. Out of 43 PFT examinees only 40 passed the PFT, with majority of them passing after retakes. These candidates then underwent the AFP standard record firing where 32 qualified as experts, again a majority of them during retakes.

From the required 40 candidates for this course, there is still a shortage of 8 qualified candidates who are still trying their best to qualify in their series of retakes before the opening of the course.

TRAINING THE SCOUT SNIPER
Comes opening day, the lives of these 32 or so sniper candidates will never be the same again not only for themselves but for their unit as well. For each training phase or module, they are required the get an average of at least 75% both in the written and practical exercises, to be able to check out and move on to the next module. Those who fail to get the passing marks will be automatically dropped out from the course. For the next 12 weeks, they will wake up as early as 3 in the morning and turn in as late as 12 midnight. They will be learning more marksmanship, scout sniper equipments care and maintenance procedures, and a do a lot of shooting either downrange or at the training fields. They will also learn all about the different types of ammunition, sniper sighting devices, special sniper equipments, communication equipments, effects of weather, engagement of moving targets, call for fire and so on. Those lucky enough who could go this far will be allowed to learn more about sniper field techniques, mission preparation, sniper operations and tracking / counter-tracking.

The Marine Scout Sniper works and trains as a two-man team. At this stage they will learn that a sniper's primary and secondary duties are as a sniper and as an observer respectively. Therefore, each team member must train both as a sniper and as an observer. As a sniper team leader, he will learn how to plan the day to day activities of the sniper team and the proper employment of his special weapon - the sniper weapon system. The observer on the other hand will learn how to effectively observe everything within sight or hearing and likewise learn the proper employment of his weapon - the M16 rifle with M203 which gives the team greater suppressive fire and protection.

The last phase of the training is called the sniper sustainment training or the sniper Field Training Exercise. For 1 month, each team will be tested for what they have learned with one sniper instructor assigned to rate each team. They will also undergo a 1 week continuous activity covering all the triad of military skills with emphasis to stalking, long-range target engagement, night navigation and night firing with minimal rest, sleep and food. This is called the snipers "Hell Week". The training then will culminate with a three-day and night Survival, Evasion and Escape exercise before each team member can finally earn the title of a MARINE SCOUT SNIPER.

The very nature of Marine Scout Sniper training requires that the sniper candidates are physically and mentally prepared for the stress and rigors of training and sniping. Self-discipline and positive mental attitude can contribute tremendously to such psychological and physical readiness. But morale, cohesion and integrity are also part of team readiness and potency. And if they realize and understand that self-discipline and positive mental attitude can help them to achieve these goals, then they could be considered truly as a Marine Scout Sniper.

The Marine Scout Sniper is not just a good shooter. He is the best shooter and the best ghost rider a unit can ever have. He brings death from afar and abandon's all hope for the enemy who only dies tired if he runs. To the sniper candidates, there is still a long and arduous way to go before he earns the title of Marine Scout Sniper and its golden eagle and cross-hair Badge. WELCOME ABOARD - THE MARINE SCOUT SNIPER SCHOOL.