Simply put, a force multiplier is an individual or small team that, through the use of special tactics, can do the damage of a much larger force. Snipers are what military strategists refer to as force multipliers. 50 caliber round in the engine block of a helicopter or transport is just as effective as putting one in the man who drives them. A sniper may shoot generators, radios, transmitters, or fuel and water supplies. They are often ordered to destroy material targets. They may set up on a roof and help ground forces defend their position. In a blocking action, snipers set up to help secure a position that is controlled by their platoon.
There he can support the assault force by taking out enemy forces that are endangering the advancing platoon. When a sniper is in an over-watch position, he sets himself up in a concealed place that gives him a clear view of the battlefield. These support roles can be an over-watch position or a blocking action. Snipers are also utilized in support roles. That’s one of those things you pick up on. Say, in the field, you’re sitting there looking and some guy walks by and salutes somebody and then, ‘BAM’ - you know he’s an officer. That’s one of the reasons in the field you’re not supposed to salute officers. You can tell who’s who by looking - ‘Okay, this guy’s in charge and that guy’s a nobody’ - just because of the way they act. You know a private - a private Joe Nobody is generally going to be sitting behind a mound or sitting in a hole with his weapon. … When you’re in the military, you have experience knowing how a commander acts. “You want to take out what’s going to help your buddies the most.” This is what Army Ranger Sniper had to say on selecting targets of opportunity. An officer taking a break to smoke a cigarette, a pilot flight-checking his helicopter, an armed guard on patrol - these are all targets of opportunity. By tracking enemy movements, snipers wait patiently for the unsuspecting soldiers to present the opportunity for a perfect shot. When there is no specific objective, a sniper will look for targets of opportunity. With deadly shots that kill without warning, military snipers break both the enemy’s will and ability to fight. Instead of engaging the entire enemy force like traditional infantry, snipers concentrate their efforts on hunting key people - officers, pilots, armor drivers, technicians, and communications operators. When the mission calls for it, snipers can also dismantle and dishearten the enemy with a few well-placed rifle shots. Because snipers are masters of stealth, they are perfectly suited to sneak behind enemy lines to provide command with information about the enemy’s size, strength and location. The main battlefield role of the sniper is reconnaissance. Military snipers are used in a variety of missions on the battlefield, and the sniper’s primary mission has nothing to do with pulling a trigger. They’re also adept in stealth, camouflage, infiltration, and observation techniques. In the next few sections, we’ll go over tools, tricks, and training of these mysterious and deadly warriors.Ī sniper is a highly trained soldier who specializes in shooting targets with modified rifles from incredibly long distances. Army Ranger sniper to get the inside information. These highly skilled marksmen are often perceived as lone assassins racking up “confirmed kills.” In reality, true snipers work for the military and law enforcement agencies and are far more concerned with the number of lives they save than with the ones they take.īecause of the secretive and stealthy nature of the work, not too many people know what’s really involved in being a sniper, so we went straight to the source: We interviewed a former U.S. The work that goes into getting a good position to take a shot is immense. When a sniper takes a shot, there are countless variables to consider before squeezing the trigger - wind speed, wind direction, range, target movement, mirage, light source, temperature, barometric pressure, and that’s just the beginning. And while military snipers are indeed elite shooters who hide, line up a target in their sights and pull the trigger, there is a lot more to it than that. The word “sniper” evokes some unsettling imagery – a lone gunman, undetectable, on the hunt. With further adieu I give you Robert Valdes take on “What Military Snipers are”.
Popularized by the movie “American Sniper” there are many misconception of what a sniper does in the military, there’s more to what the movies portray them as assassins.
A lone gunman, undetectable, on the hunt.