Carlos norman hathcock ii may 20, 1942 february 22, 1999 was a united states marine corps usmc sniper. Carlos norman hathcock ii may 20, 1942 february 22, 1999 was a united states marine corps usmc sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Christopher scott kyle april 8, 1974 february 2, 20 was a united states navy seal sniper. Ask any marine about the corps greatest snipers and a flurry of. A basically trained marine 0311 infantryman fresh put of boot camp has more practical trainin. The book details carlos hathcocks multiple tours of vietnam and his.
Sniper rifles are classified as crewserved, as the term is used in the united states military. Hathcock provided sniper instruction to police departments and select military units, such as seal team six. Ill explain the sniper role first, this will give you a view of what both marine and army snipers do. Shooter is his harrowing firstperson account of a sniper s life on and off the modern battlefield. Snipers have a proud heritage, which can be traced back to the revolutionary war. Scout snipers must earn the rank of lance corporal, be selected by their battalion to join the scoutsniper platoon, and complete an approved scoutsniper course in order to receive this designation. The marines combine the sniper and recon elements into one mos to support the infantry battalion where as the army s generally just take out high value targets though their snipers can be. The changeover to the a1 model was completed in the 1970s, the a3 in the 2000s, and the a5 in 2009.
Kind of validates the army sniper school is doing its job well and puts out a competitive sniper. The armys purpose is defined as preserving the peace and security. United states marine corps scout sniper mos 0317, formerly 8541 is a secondary mos military occupational specialty designator of u. Rollie pennington, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of scout sniper course, school of infantry east, gives tips. The book is well written and outlines hathcocks shooting career and then his subsequent deployment to vietnam where he carries out the most audacious sniper missions to become not only a legendary sniper but a legendary marine. Thank you for considering storm tactical precision rifle data books for your team, unit, or personal training. A ranger sniper will be used as a force multiplier, directly supporting an infantry force the kind of special ops, standalone or out in front sniping missions tend to be more the domain of scout. The designated marksman is intended to fill the gap between the typical infantry rifle and longerrange sniper rifles. A school is just a school, its the on the job training afterwards that really matters.
With more than sixty confirmed kills, jack coughlin is the marine corps topranked sniper. The head instructor of my us army sniper school left a couple of weeks in to our class in order to take on marine corps scout sniper school he returned less than two weeks later to finish up our class because he washed out. The coast guard has better snipers than the freakin marine corps. Marines are already calling their first new sniper rifle. The m40 lacks the range that the mk will provide and didnt quite match up to the army s m2010 enhanced sniper rifle, either, which could hit targets at the 1,300yard range. Typically the marine corps has up to 300 or so trained scout snipers across the force, said caylen wojcik, a former marine staff sergeant who served as a scout sniper from 1998 to 2005. The army sniper school is a 5 week program while the marine scout sniper receive 9 weeks of specialized training.
Within the table of organization and equipment for both the united states army and the u. The us army sniper school was established in 1987, at the infantry center at fort benning, ga, and continues to produce topnotch snipers today. Army 11b infantryman in the late 80s and early 90s and my experience working with marines. Jan 04, 2011 when soldiers from 2nd battalion, 35th infantry regiment, 3rd brigade combat team, 25th infantry division, were given an opportunity to qualify as snipers at the marine scout sniper basic course. Jul 17, 2019 marine corps base quantico, va recon marines and scout snipers now have a new weapon in their arsenal. This marine sniper left vietnam with 103 confirmed kills military times. He is the author of the critically acclaimed military classics marine sniper and. New raw video of scout sniper marines with 1st battalion, 1st marines, rct6 during operation helmand viper. Charles henderson is a veteran of more than twentythree years in the united states marine corps.
The pentagon has officially confirmed more than 150 of kyles kills the previous. Storm tactical, precision rifle data books, usmc sniper. Army ranger sniper tells us, if youre shooting at a target 800 or 1,000 meters out, you could be shooting at that person all day long and they dont even know they are being shot at. Mar 18, 2020 united states army sniper course site. Rollie pennington, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of scout sniper course, school of infantry east, gives tips on the basics of cover and concealment. Whats the difference between us army sniper school, and. Hathcocks record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the u. A sniper is a militaryparamilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the targets detection capabilities. Jan 25, 2012 the us marine sniper course is one of the hardest training courses in the military, with a failure rate of more than 60% and a long list of prerequisites for recruits, including a high degree of.
The new mark mod 7 sniper rifle, a favorite of navy seals is. He served four tours in the iraq war and was awarded several commendations for acts of heroism and meritorious service in combat. Scout snipers must earn the rank of lance corporal, be selected by their battalion to join the scout sniper platoon, and complete an. A marine snipers guide to long range shooting frank galli. May 17, 2018 the marine scout sniper course is known for having a high washout rate, so any time soldiers outperform marines in the respected course, its worth mentioning in the spirit of interservice rivalry. Sniper training, plus 500 free us military manuals and us army field manuals when you sample this book take a look at the sample for this book and for details about downloading 500 free us military manuals as a thank you for taking the time to look at our book. My father was a marine during world war ii, mawhinney told american rifleman in. Mar 05, 2017 a marine student undergoing the 2nd marine division combat skills center prescout sniper course looks through an m40a5 sniper rifle at camp lejeune, n. Our products have a 30 day warranty against defects.
Beyond combat, hathcock was a championship shooter and a respected instructor in marksmanship and sniper skills. Soldier graduates at top of marine sniper course article. Modular sniper data book range estimation offset refill sheets. Other usmc scout sniper schools may accept non marines but thats very rar. The typical service rifle is intended for use at ranges up to a maximum of 300 meters, while sniper rifles are generally optimized for ranges of 600 meters and greater. Its continuous existence reflects the longest sniper training course in the history of the us army and is a testament to the high priority sniper training now enjoys among the army s leadership. The sniper uses the data cards to record firing results and all elements that had an effect on firing the weapon. He is the author of the critically acclaimed military classics marine sniper and silent. Marine corps infantrymen and reconnaissance marines that have graduated from a u. Former marine corps officer, former usmc scout sniper, foreign special forces officer, law enforcement officers, and competitive tactical riflemen. The reason the marines provide 9 weeks training versus the 5 weeks training provided by the army is simply because the marine scout sniper has a responsibility for more tasks and he receives more marksmanship training than an army.
Army, separate the reconnaissance soldier or scout from the sniper. Carlos hathcock, the subject of the biography, was born in 1942 and died in 1999. The term sniper was used in soviet doctrine although the soldiers using the dragunov svd were the first to use a specifically designed designated marksmans rifle. Best books on sniperssniping im looking for a book on sniping. With the army s decision to adopt the heckler and kock g28 as the compact semiautomatic sniper system to be the replacement for the m110, it seems as if semiautomatic sniper rifles are a new thing. Snipers spend plenty of time in school cracking the books and in the classroom learning the principles of ballistics, windage, air density, and many. The analogous role in the israeli army is sharpshooter. When soldiers from 2nd battalion, 35th infantry regiment, 3rd brigade combat team, 25th infantry division, were given an opportunity to qualify as snipers. Heres my twocents worth based on my four years as a u. The sniper data book contains a collection of data cards. Introduction the sniper has special abilities, training and equipment.
So, the reason the marines provide 9 weeks training versus the 5 weeks training provided by the army is simply because the marine scout sniper has a responsibility for more tasks and he receives more marksmanship training than an army sniper. The marine corps is unique in its consolidation of reconnaissance and sniper duties for a single marine. He deployed in 1966 as a military policeman, but immediately volunteered for combat and was soon transferred to the 1st marine division sniper platoon, stationed at hill 55, south of da nang. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with highprecision rifles and highmagnification optics, and often feed tactical information back to their units or command headquarters. Reviewed in the united states on december 15, 2010. The us navy seals likely have the best standard sniper program with both the best equipment and a relatively long and very intense initial course. Jan 22, 2015 american sniper, nominated for six oscars, is based on the memoir of chris kyle, a navy seal who became the deadliest sniper in u. Marine corps is replacing its existing sniper rifles with a newer model that fires a heavier, longerrange bullet. To eliminate the japanese jungle fighter, the corps had to formulate innovative tactics even more efficient than those successfully implemented by the scouts, observers and snipers of world war i.
They generally will deploy as a squad, often with two or more snipers and support. The purpose of this yearly competition is to identify the best sniper team from across a wide range of agencies and organizations, including the us military, international militaries, and local. Jun 25, 2019 the marine sniper course is taught twice a year, and the range can be used for sustained training by any requesting sniper units throughout the rest of the year. Virginia beachs legendary sniper carlos hathcock the virginian. When you volunteer to undergo sniper training, you accept one of the most demanding challenges the army has to offer. Few soldiers stationed i think from the 25th infantry division and few seals in hawaii attend the usmc scout sniper school located at mcb hawaii because of the logistics. And marine snipers are not trained in an army program.
The m40 rifle is a boltaction sniper rifle used by the united states marine corps. Their mission and mandate are different, and so are the eligibility criteria for admission into the two institutions. Feb 24, 2010 the function is much broader in the marines. The advent of jungle warfare in the south pacific in 1942 opened an entirely new chapter in the art of fieldcraft and markmanship for the u. Us marine sniper shooting on taliban position amazing. Scout snipers provide accurate longrange fire to back up other infantrymen on the ground. For instance, the maximum age for enlisting in the army is 35 but it is 28 for the marines. List of historically notable united states marines. Charles henderson is a veteran of more than twentythree years in the united states marine corps, with a distinguished career spanning from vietnam to the gulf war, after which he retired as a chief warrant officer. This book is nothing like an actual scout sniper manual its more of snippets and a. After he and a fellow sniper pinned down 200 north vietnamese army. When soldiers from 2nd battalion, 35th infantry regiment, 3rd brigade combat team, 25th infantry division, were given an opportunity to qualify as snipers at the marine scout sniper basic course. The mk mod 7 long range sniper rifle is a boltaction, precisionfiring rifle that. Within the army and marines each have their sniper schools.
A question on marine and army snipers strategypage. Marine corps defines a scout sniper as a marine, highly skilled in field craft and marksmanship, that delivers longrange precision fire on selected targets, from concealed positions. A percentage of our proceeds are used to support deployed snipers. The accuracy international arctic warfare series of sniper rifles is standard issue in the armies of several countries, including those of britain, ireland, and germany picture shows a rifle of the german army. The us marine sniper course is one of the hardest training courses in the military, with a failure rate of more than 60% and a long list of prerequisites for recruits, including a high degree of. Navy seal sniper chris kyle explains some of the details from his book american sniper, including the differences between the seal teams and how he was able to make a 2,100 yard shot in combat. He is the author of the critically acclaimed military classics marine sniper and silent warrior, which first chronicled the exploits of usmc sniper carlos hathcock. Storm tactical has been the official precision rifle data book supplier of since 2005 storm tactical donates precision rifle data books to our us military snipers overseas, free of charge, via all sales are final. Who is better army sniper or marine sniper answers. Two clips first clip showing marine corps scout snipers training with various sniper rifles at the bradshaw training area in australia. This video is from the department of defense and as. The m24 was the united states army standardissue sniper rifle. Marine snipers are considered among the most elite hunters of men in the u.
Us army marines who want to push themselves beyond the standard infantry units can compete to become scout snipers, reconnaissance, or force recon marines. I still think the usmc leadership at tactical level has a better grip on use of snipers and the army leadership is still on the learning curve. In may 2018, two soldiers from the 82nd airborne division took the high shooter and high stalker awards upon their graduation from scout sniper course 118 at camp geiger on marine. Is the marine corps really better and tougher than the. But the skills learned afterwards by the snipers from both branches makes them equals.
The us marine corps is interested in the army s compact semiautomatic sniper system csass. Aug 20, 2018 new raw video of scout sniper marines with 1st battalion, 1st marines, rct6 during operation helmand viper. He was awarded one silver star medal, four bronze star medals with v devices, a navy and marine corps achievement medal, and numerous other unit and personal awards. Most other conventional armed forces, including the u.
He was a united states marine corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills and hundreds of probable kills during the vietnam war. To be a military sniper covers how the military screens for and then trains those soldiers capable of shouldering the physical and psychological burdens of this truly unique form of warfare. The marine scout sniper course is known for having a high washout rate, so any time soldiers outperform marines in the respected course, its worth mentioning in. Us army snipers are generally assigned to report to battalion commanders. The designated marksman dm, squad advanced marksman ad, or squad designated marksman sdm is a military marksman role in an infantry squad.
I was part of the staff at the 1st mardiv division schools where the west coast scout sniper school is located. United states marine corps scout sniper is a secondary mos designator of u. In may 2018, two soldiers from the 82nd airborne division took the high shooter and high stalker awards upon their graduation from scout sniper course 118 at camp geiger on marine corps air. A sniper team or sniper cell consists of a combination of one or more shooters with force protection elements and support personnel. The army proved semiauto sniper rifles could kick ass in. In fact, during the vietnam war, the army was proving a semiauto could be a.
These soldiers put the marine scout sniper course to shame. Are the marine scout snipers better than the army special. Corps new sniper rifle now fully operational united states. The official us army sniper training and operations manual. Schofield barracks, hawaii marine snipers, by common knowledge, are some of the most renowned snipers in the u. May 02, 2010 marine sniper school is by far the more superior school than the army sniper school in benning.
Asked in us army, us marine corps, us military special operations navy seal sniper vs marine recon sniper vs army ranger sniper whos better. Army, us army, go army, go army, us army ranks, army surplus, americas army, discovery, discovery channel, history channel,animal planet, discovery world suscribe to. Navy seal chris kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in united states military history. Soldiers beat out marines for top spots at marine sniper. What is the difference between a marine sniper and an army. You get to see how the other services operate, and they get to see how you operate as well. What are the differences between army, navy, and marine. After all, the essence of the military sniper s mission is to precisely kill the enemy, one target at a time. Could aspiring snipers in the us army ranger regiment. A book about hathcock titled marine sniper was published in september.
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