What Army Snipers Go Through At Sniper School | Boot Camp | Insider Business

The US Army Sniper Course is a rigorous seven-week program designed to train soldiers in advanced fieldcraft and marksmanship. The training is highly selective, with over half of the participants typically dropping out. It covers essential skills such as range estimation, target detection, and stalking, with a focus on precision shooting with specialized rifles. Prospective students must pass a psychological evaluation, physical fitness test, achieve expert qualification with the M4 carbine, and receive a recommendation from their battalion commander. The course also emphasizes the importance of a sniper's secondary mission: gathering and reporting battlefield information, which often involves the use of ghillie suits for camouflage.

Marksmanship is a critical component of the US Army Sniper Course, with students learning to operate the M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle, M110 SASS, and M107. They practice hitting targets at distances from 600 to 1,100 meters, alternating between shooter and spotter roles. Before graded events, soldiers gather DOPE (Data on Previous Engagements) to adjust their rifles for various conditions. Wind reading and its impact on shots are also taught, using milliradians to adjust for wind effects. Movers training introduces the challenge of firing at moving targets, requiring shooters to measure target speed and adjust their aim accordingly. The training emphasizes communication between the shooter and spotter for effective engagement.

Fieldcraft is another key aspect of sniper training, starting with the construction of ghillie suits for camouflage. Students are taught to use natural vegetation and materials like jute to break up their silhouette. The durability of these suits is tested through a grueling ghillie wash, where they crawl and roll through various terrains and are sprayed by a fire hose to ensure the suit's resilience. The ghillie wash also serves to season the suits, adding color and enhancing their blending capabilities. Proper construction and maintenance of the ghillie suit are crucial for a sniper's effectiveness in the field.

Target detection is a vital fieldcraft skill taught in the Sniper Course. Students learn to scan large areas for small, strategically hidden military-related items using their eyes, scopes, and binoculars. They are trained to recognize anomalies in their environment by looking for disruptions in patterns, shine, shape, texture, and contrast. Scanning techniques are emphasized to improve the ability to detect targets. The course also includes range-estimation exercises where students must determine distances to targets using only their eyes and a rifle scope, applying the mil relation formula for accurate estimations.

Fieldcraft training culminates with stalk events, where students must navigate through terrain to observe targets without being detected. They prepare by camouflaging themselves and their equipment to blend with their surroundings. During the stalk, students must move tactically, using the techniques taught to stay hidden. They set up firing positions, observe scenarios, and record information, which is crucial for a sniper's role in gathering intelligence. However, the challenge of remaining undetected is significant, and the course has a high attrition rate, with only a minority of students successfully completing the graded stalk events.

Graduation from the Sniper Course is a significant achievement, with only 47% of students typically completing the course. Graduates are expected to pass on their knowledge to junior soldiers and may be immediately deployed as snipers if needed. The course not only hones their shooting skills but also their ability to perform under pressure, think on their feet, and adapt to changing conditions. The training is physically demanding and mentally challenging, preparing soldiers for the critical role snipers play in modern warfare.