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Silent, deadly: Scout sniper class shoots to kill
Submitted by: MCB Hawaii
Story Identification #: 2007921194249
By Lance Cpl. Brian Marion, MCB Hawaii
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (Sept. 14, 2007) -- Six Marines were trucked out to Waipia Peninsula Sept. 14 for their final stalking exercise of their scout sniper training.
The students, who were the last class for fiscal year 2007, had to don their self-made guilley suits and, in four hours, close in on their objective and shoot their target twice, unnoticed, to score a perfect 100 percent.
“The students are led about 700 meters away from their target, and have to get within range of firing in order to get a 50 percent on this portion,” said Staff Sgt Michael Skinta, chief instructor, scout sniper basic course.
After they get within range, the students have to shoot one time, and properly identify their target before the instructors have their chance to try to find the student.
“After the student identifies the card we hold up, we have three chances to spot them,” Skinta said. “If we are unable to spot him in those three chances, he has the opportunity to shoot again.”
The instructors then see if the student’s rifle creates any kind of disturbance among the vegetation when it is fired. The only thing the instructors can’t use to find the students is the muzzle flash.
“If we can’t spot any vegetation movement from the blast of gas exiting the barrel, then the students receives a 100 for this grade,” Skinta said. “We can’t penalize them on their muzzle flash because technically, if we see the muzzle flash, then we would already be dead before anything else would happen.”
Hours passed before even the first shot was fired toward the instructors.
“They always wait until I sit down and eat my lunch,” Skinta said. “It seems like they wait until the very last moment to shoot also.”
The first student to take a shot was Sgt. Michael Phillips, a fire team leader from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.
Phillips was able to remain hidden and also able to fire the second shot without being noticed by the instructors, thus perfectly completing the exercise.
“It’s up to the person themselves to make the training worth it,” Phillips said. “It’s pretty good training, and the instructors are top notch.”
Unlike most jobs in the Corps, scout snipers are trained more as individuals.
“Most MOSs in the Corps are team oriented, but this MOS is based more on an individual perspective,” Phillips said.
Phillips also suggests that anyone who might be thinking about going to sniper school learn most of the information prior to entering the course, so they won’t be lost in the classes.
Some of the requirements for becoming a scout sniper are: the person has to be a male volunteer, has to be in the infantry, has to be an expert rifleman, a second class or higher swim qualification, correctable eye sight to 20/20, no color blindness, no discipline problems, qualify for secret clearance and possess a GT score of 110.
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