Sniper teams from world wide converged at the Special Forces Sniper Course to place their skills to the test during this year’s U.s.a. Army Special Operations Command International Sniper Competition.
Twenty-two teams, including three foreign teams, competed for twelve months of bragging rights to claim they’re the simplest of their business. Each team inside the competition was constructed from one shooter and a spotter.
“This competition — the 5th annual competition- was the main intense competition now we have sponsored yet,” said Tim Gozelski, an instructor on the SFSC. “Prior to this, the main events we held was 13, this competition we installed 19 events, going non-stop day and night.”
With this competition, the competitors had a stricter schedule and fewer time to finish their tasks. Previously, the teams were divided into two groups and briefed at the event. Whichever team that went last had ample time to devise how they were going to interact the targets. To level the playing field, this year cadre developed a round robin style competition, giving teams only five minutes to read the foundations of every event and a short minute for questions before engaging the targets at any specified event.
“Everything was rotational,” said Gozelski. “Competitors cycled through, completed four events, and on the end of the day were ready to mingle with other competitors and discuss trade craft and kit issues.”
Not knowing what to anticipate, the competitors took on each challenge because it came to them.
This year’s winners from the military Marksmanship Unit team, who had competed in six other different sniper competitions, found this one to be both physically and mentally challenging.
“The stalk event is a difficult challenge,” said Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Horner, with the military Marksmanship Unit. “You have four or five skilled observers attempting to find you, and so they know generally where you’re. It’s a troublesome game to conquer.”
“Coming to the varsity house, we had no idea what to anticipate, we came into the events blind and with a really brief description of what you’re going to be doing after which you start the process fire,” said Horner. “We knew we’d be tested on what’s taught here on the SFSC, so we tried to master the fundamentals.”
Teams needed to engage targets as close as 50 meters, and so far as 1000 meters, which required teams to speak effectively.
“If you wish to shoot the best competition within the sniper world that’s accessible then come to this one,” said Sgt. 1st Class Josh Thompson, Special Forces Sniper Course instructor.
Not only were competitors tested on their ability to shoot and interact targets, but in addition many other tradecraft.
“Sniper competitions as a rule are a useful gizmo to assess training,” said Sgt. 1st Class Andy Roy, Special Forces Sniper Course instructor. “We tested the teams on marksmanship, their dialog, and field craft besides, we tested them on non-specific foreign weapons also.”
One event challenged the competitors to select up weapons they’d normally be less conversant in.
“There were three different foreign weapons systems — the FN FAL rifle, the Heckler and Koch G3 and the M1A rifle,” said Thompson. “There were three perspective ranges, and all weapons were battle sight zeroed to twenty-five meters.”
Teams needed to match preloaded magazines to the weapons and have interaction the objectives, the further the target the more points earned.
“It’s combat application,” said Roy. “We try and run this up to a combat oriented competition as possible. Its battlefield recovery.”
“The competition is combat oriented on things which have been used on deployment,” said Master Sgt. Jason Brown, SFSC instructor and event coordinator. “Because of this, it tests the competitors on tasks as a way to help them complete their missions down range.”
Having snipers converge on one area for both competition and camaraderie is a benefit for the individuals and the implementation of latest tactics taught to future snipers.
“It brings all of the snipers together from around the globe, which supplies them an opportunity to speak on what they’re doing in training to become better snipers,” said Brown. “This helps the SFSC committee because a lot of the competitors are from the Special Operations Forces Regiments and it allows us to determine how well they’ve been trained by us and the way well they’re conducting their very own training after they have completed ours.”
Stepping as much as represent one’s self, unit and country is something to be recognized.
“Anybody who’s willing to head out and compete inside the sniper competition, my hat’s off to them,” said Roy. “There are lots of men who try this job who aren’t willing to head accessible to place their professional reputation at the line, their units’ reputations at the line, or countries’ reputations at the line. For those men who’re willing to turn up here and maybe get that dose of humility where they are able to return and evaluate their training and make needed adjustments, it says lots about those men. It’s something substantial concerning the group of guys who come here to compete.”
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