The Sniper and Designated Marksman

[Deleted member 61768]

The Sniper and Designated Marksman programs need to be vastly expanded in the U.S. Military. Though I was in the U.S. Army I believe the U.S. Marine Corp has the best Sniper Training Program. The U.S. Military needs to greatly expand the scope and number of both Sniper teams and Designated Marksmen as they are they greatest force multipliers for the money expended. A force of Snipers can disrupt even an armored force way out proportion to their numbers by disrupting their command structure. Taking out commanders and blinding view ports, disrupting refueling and re-arming operations from extended ranges. With the use of night and thermal sights no one is safe at night or even in smoke. New long rage rounds, rifles, and optics allow first round hits out to 1400 yards and beyond with advanced silencers for suppressing sound signatures. A scoped sighted rifle is the most effective weapon against a crew served weapon. Most of the kills in Grenada were by American Snipers and American Snipers in over watch positions reaped havoc on insurgents and terrorists in both Iraq and Afghanistan. America needs to deploy more Snipers down to the Platoon level of the American Military and Designated Marksmen into every squad. Precision shooting both to eliminate threats and suppress enemy fire is what we need. One bullet through the head of an enemy commander or a crew served weapons operator is worth more than a thousand spraying the countryside.

We need to hunt down our enemies and make them terrified to show their faces least an American trained marksman remove it with a bullet they never heard fired. The Sniper is the most feared man on a battlefield so we need to use that fear to shape and control not only the battlefield space but our enemies minds. Defeat him before he ever makes his first move. Paralyze him with fear and then back it up with precision fire when he dares show himself reinforcing that fear!

 

[ABikerSailor]

I qualified as Sharpshooter while I was a member of the Security Force while stationed in Newport RI.

 

[Weatherman2020]

The Sniper and Designated Marksman programs need to be vastly expanded in the U.S. Military. Though I was in the U.S. Army I believe the U.S. Marine Corp has the best Sniper Training Program. The U.S. Military needs to greatly expand the scope and number of both Sniper teams and Designated Marksmen as they are they greatest force multipliers for the money expended. A force of Snipers can disrupt even an armored force way out proportion to their numbers by disrupting their command structure. Taking out commanders and blinding view ports, disrupting refueling and re-arming operations from extended ranges. With the use of night and thermal sights no one is safe at night or even in smoke. New long rage rounds, rifles, and optics allow first round hits out to 1400 yards and beyond with advanced silencers for suppressing sound signatures. A scoped sighted rifle is the most effective weapon against a crew served weapon. Most of the kills in Grenada were by American Snipers and American Snipers in over watch positions reaped havoc on insurgents and terrorists in both Iraq and Afghanistan. America needs to deploy more Snipers down to the Platoon level of the American Military and Designated Marksmen into every squad. Precision shooting both to eliminate threats and suppress enemy fire is what we need. One bullet through the head of an enemy commander or a crew served weapons operator is worth more than a thousand spraying the countryside.

We need to hunt down our enemies and make them terrified to show their faces least an American trained marksman remove it with a bullet they never heard fired. The Sniper is the most feared man on a battlefield so we need to use that fear to shape and control not only the battlefield space but our enemies minds. Defeat him before he ever makes his first move. Paralyze him with fear and then back it up with precision fire when he dares show himself reinforcing that fear!

Very effective tool at future "Trump is not my President" protests.

 

[whitehall]

Not to get off the subject but it's interesting that the Marines have a superb sniper program so why in the world would U.S. Navy Seals end up sniping off a building in the desert in Iraq? The short answer is that Seals have become the CIA's little army and the CIA has had increasing influence in Military affairs from LBJ to Obama than the Generals have. That's the way politics works.

 

[Silent Warrior]

I think one of the reasons Marine snipers weren't used more was the official sniper rifle they used.They used outdated M40 variants such as the M40A5 shooting 7.62 X 51mm NATO round with a shorter range than other sniper units. This had the effective accurate range of about 800 mtrs. The Army used the R2010 in .300 Win mag with a range of 1200 mtrs. Elite units in the Army and Navy seals used the MK21 in.338 Lapua mag ranged at 1200 to 1500 mtrs. Until the Marines upgrade their sniper rifle if they haven't already, they are just out distanced by the other services and even in many cases the opposition.

 

[JimBowie1958]

I think one of the reasons Marine snipers weren't used more was the official sniper rifle they used.They used outdated M40 variants such as the M40A5 shooting 7.62 X 51mm NATO round with a shorter range than other sniper units. This had the effective accurate range of about 800 mtrs. The Army used the R2010 in .300 Win mag with a range of 1200 mtrs. Elite units in the Army and Navy seals used the MK21 in.338 Lapua mag ranged at 1200 to 1500 mtrs. Until the Marines upgrade their sniper rifle if they haven't already, they are just out distanced by the other services and even in many cases the opposition.

But arent most engagements within 400 meters or so?

I have not seen the numbers, but how many times does a sniper, on average, shoot targets at 1500 meters in a single tour of duty in Iraq?

I suspect that if the Marines felt that they needed to snipe to 1500 meters they would implement that change, dont you?

 

[yiostheoy]

The Sniper and Designated Marksman programs need to be vastly expanded in the U.S. Military. Though I was in the U.S. Army I believe the U.S. Marine Corp has the best Sniper Training Program. The U.S. Military needs to greatly expand the scope and number of both Sniper teams and Designated Marksmen as they are they greatest force multipliers for the money expended. A force of Snipers can disrupt even an armored force way out proportion to their numbers by disrupting their command structure. Taking out commanders and blinding view ports, disrupting refueling and re-arming operations from extended ranges. With the use of night and thermal sights no one is safe at night or even in smoke. New long rage rounds, rifles, and optics allow first round hits out to 1400 yards and beyond with advanced silencers for suppressing sound signatures. A scoped sighted rifle is the most effective weapon against a crew served weapon. Most of the kills in Grenada were by American Snipers and American Snipers in over watch positions reaped havoc on insurgents and terrorists in both Iraq and Afghanistan. America needs to deploy more Snipers down to the Platoon level of the American Military and Designated Marksmen into every squad. Precision shooting both to eliminate threats and suppress enemy fire is what we need. One bullet through the head of an enemy commander or a crew served weapons operator is worth more than a thousand spraying the countryside.

We need to hunt down our enemies and make them terrified to show their faces least an American trained marksman remove it with a bullet they never heard fired. The Sniper is the most feared man on a battlefield so we need to use that fear to shape and control not only the battlefield space but our enemies minds. Defeat him before he ever makes his first move. Paralyze him with fear and then back it up with precision fire when he dares show himself reinforcing that fear!

Maj. James Land and GySgt. Carlos Hathcock invented modern sniping in Viet Nam together. They are/were both Marines (Hathcock recently died). They just went out into the bush together and figured it out all on their own.

The US Army and Navy both followed their field manuals to design their own sniping programs.

Overwatch is a battalion level sniper group who watch over the infantry in the field.

Designated marksman is just an infantryman in a fire team who gets his own M-14 and is assigned to take out distant targets when the squad or platoon attacks or comes under fire.

They are both good programs, but Overwatch requires training at a special school, whereas designated marksman does not.

A designated marksman just trains and qualifies with his M-14 whereas the other grunts are using M-16 / M-4's etc.

 

[yiostheoy]

I think one of the reasons Marine snipers weren't used more was the official sniper rifle they used.They used outdated M40 variants such as the M40A5 shooting 7.62 X 51mm NATO round with a shorter range than other sniper units. This had the effective accurate range of about 800 mtrs. The Army used the R2010 in .300 Win mag with a range of 1200 mtrs. Elite units in the Army and Navy seals used the MK21 in.338 Lapua mag ranged at 1200 to 1500 mtrs. Until the Marines upgrade their sniper rifle if they haven't already, they are just out distanced by the other services and even in many cases the opposition.

The .308 is still used a lot by the USMC. However more potent sniper systems are also available to the USN and US Army. The Canadians also have a really great sniper program.

 

[yiostheoy]

I qualified as Sharpshooter while I was a member of the Security Force while stationed in Newport RI.

Sharpshooter huh?

I was Expert.

There is only one higher level -- Distinguished Marksman.

 

[westwall]

I qualified as Sharpshooter while I was a member of the Security Force while stationed in Newport RI.

Sharpshooter huh?

I was Expert.

There is only one higher level -- Distinguished Marksman.

Distinguished is a title that is very difficult to attain, it is not a level of qualification.