Even the coast guard has sharper snipers than the marines. Every marine is a rifleman trained first as a disciplined warrior. Aug 10, 2011 rangers arent trained as scouts or snipers. According to army ranger sniper, its not like you can read a book and go do it. Army, separate the reconnaissance soldier or scout from the sniper. I was a 19 year old marine that was in the best shape of my life. The army ranger program is a harder military promotion to attain which requires you to complete ranger school or get picked from the ranger assessment and selection program. And the army has branches such as air force, navy, and coast gaurd. The army rangers are an elite group of officers and soldiers who have been trained in combat arms functional skills. The m24 sniper weapon system sws is the military and police version of the remington model 700 rifle, m24 being the model name assigned by the united states army after adoption as their standard sniper rifle in 1988.
Army, rangers must then attend ranger school at fort benning, georgia. Nothing in foleys military records indicate that he was an army sniper. For the second year in a row the armys 75th ranger regiment beat out nearly 30 military, civilian and foreign sniper teams at the 2018. Technically, the us army is a separate service and is under the department of the army while the us marine corp and the us navy are both separate services under the department of the navy. Marine corps 19772009 and thomas foley, eccc student at u. The analogous role in the israeli army is sharpshooter. He picked up his e5 pretty fast, like a couple of months of being in battalion. And although they all have their respective sniper schools, there is one school that stands out the united states marine corps scout sniper. The sniper community now, only taking rangers with multiple combat deployments, the ranger tab, and men who have served in multiple leadership positions. We managed to take all the good stuff from bragg, quantico, and benning and turn it into one hell of a sniper course. Sniper alley snipers of the soviet union special forces. British army soldier reacts to us marine corps boot. 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. The prerequisites of a career as a military sniper in the army and marines consists of intense training courses that teach personnel specific weapons skills and tactical strategy.
Nicholas irving the reaper the real book spy confirmed kills and weapon of choice. Marine corps scout sniper training the balance careers. And for the second year in row, snipers from the armys 75th ranger regiment. 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. Ex ranger nicholas irving of san antonio claims 33 kills as a sniper in a bestselling autobiography. The mk mod 5 is chambered in 300 winchester magnum winmag and can hit targets out to 1,200 meters. Army ranger sniper describes the premission process.
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. Every marine soldier pretty much equals an army ranger. I was part of the staff at the 1st mardiv division schools where the west coast scout sniper school is located. Their mission and mandate are different, and so are the eligibility criteria for admission into the two institutions. Are the marine scout snipers better than the army special. Kelley, roque, 75th ranger regiment, are 2018 best snipers. Army infantry has the opportunity to join special forces or become a sniper after graduating from its sniper school. Nicholas irving would hold positions such as machine gunner, machine gun team leader, grenadier, team leader, designated marksman, sniper, sniper team leader, and master sniper. They consisted of scout snipers and intelligence marines.
The army ranger wing won the overall and international categories in the united states sniper competition in fort benning, georgia. The army sniper school is a 5 week program while the marine scout sniper receive 9 weeks of specialized training. Snipers have a proud heritage, which can be traced back to the revolutionary war. When youre working with army and marine corps units, you immediately notice a difference. In addition to the basic training required of all entrants into the u. Nicholas irving is the reaper a deadliest army ranger in. This ranger sniper is armed with a mk mod 5 boltaction sniper rifle. Army, the 19d mos, cavalry scout is the primary special reconnaissance and surveillance soldier and. Irving, author of way of the reaper, discusses the most challenging part of the militarys elite sniper school. The complete process may take years before a ranger can become a sniper in any battalion.
Sniper with weapon ready for combat, special forces army ranger preparing for war hunting, war, army and people concept young soldier, ranger or soldiers aiming target and holding his rifles hidden ambushed, army sniper camouflage in forest. Nonetheless, ranger school provides important lessons in. Feb 05, 20 i am often questioned about the selection process for a 75th ranger regiment sniper. Two clips first clip showing marine corps scout snipers training with various. Marine sgt jason delgado in 2004 iraq, army ranger nick irving in 2009 afghanistan, canadian soldier rob furlong in 2002 afghanistan, and navy seal alex morrison in. Marines has to deal with the sea, because marine means the sea. Oct 25, 2016 nicholas irving is a retired us army ranger sniper. Autobiography of one of the deadliest special ops snipers written in collaboration with gary brozek, hes. Ranger snipers page 4 shadowspear special operations. Groundbreaking, thrilling and revealing, the reaper is the astonishing memoir of special operations direct action sniper nicholas irving, the 3rd ranger battalions deadliest sniper with 33 confirmed kills, though his remarkable career total, including probables, is unknown. Additionally, the marine sniper school requires that one reaches the paygrade of e4, even. The special forces community has mixed opinions about webb and his books. During the vietnam war, a modified version of the m14 known as the m21 was used by the services snipers. 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.
Fellow troops called him the angel of death, but there was a. Who have better snipers the marines or army rangers answers. To be a marine scout sniper you have to be an expert marksman and a lcpl. The us army sniper school was established in 1987, at the infantry center at fort benning, ga, and continues to produce topnotch snipers today. Short interview the 3rd ranger battalions deadliest sniper and ceo of hardshoot. His weapon of choice was an mk 11 rifle a modified version of the sr25 sniper rifle, nicknamed dirty diana. This handbook offers the techniques and tactics that make army rangers the best soldiers in the world. Most other conventional armed forces, including the u.
I had managed to cram myself under the feet of the marine. Nick is a former us army ranger who served his entire military career within the ranks of 3rd ranger battalion, 75th ranger regiment. What is the difference between a marine sniper and an army sniper. He also worked with the south korean marines, force recon, army. A sniper is a militaryparamilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the targets detection capabilities. Havent read the book yet, but ive got a question regarding ranger sniper elements.
Be sure to check his book detailing his career as a sniper, the reaper available march 2012. Are they usually deployed as part of a whole ranger element, or do they work outside their ranger unit. The sniper in a sniper team is part of the mission planning. 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. What is the difference between the marines and the army. As time goes by, students are given more objects to look at and less time to look at them. I believe the authors purpose on why he wrote this book is because he wanted to tell the story of one of the best marine snipers to ever live and to let. Fwiw, my marine corps sniper certificatediploma does have my ssn, but i have other marine corps. According to the ranger website, their main objective is to engage in close combat and directfire battles. The armys m24 sniper weapon system is a perfectly acceptable weapon and it is essentially a remington 700 rifle and which has long been the prime swat sniper rifle. A marine student undergoing the 2nd marine division combat skills centers prescout sniper course prepares to move during a stalking exercise at camp lejeune, n. Now as for the sniper schools, the marine scout sniper i would say is more intense because their sniper school last longer. Land reconnaissance, camouflage and observation are all knowledge a sniper must have in order to be successful. The reaper reveals the role of modern ranger snipers task.
In the army, being a sniper adds an identifier to the mos, but is not a career field or even a secondary mos. However, being a member of ranger battalion, the ones who wear the tan beret, is something entirely different. Army ranger handbook by department of the army available from rakuten kobo. Additionally, the marine sniper school requires that one reaches the paygrade of e4, even, prior to consideration for the school. Us army snipers are generally assigned to report to battalion commanders. 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. He was the first african american to serve as a sniper in his battalion and is now the owner of hardshoot, where he trains personnel in the art of longrange shooting, from olympians to members of the spec. Ill explain the sniper role first, this will give you a view of what both marine and army snipers do. The reaper 3rd ranger battalions deadliest sniper youtube. I quote from us army manual fm2310, sniper training.
Jan 18, 2015 irving, the first black sniper in the armys third ranger battalion, which had previously fought in the black hawk down incident in somalia, killed 33 men in less than four months. The reaper reveals the role of modern ranger snipers. The head instructor of my us army sniper school left a couple of weeks in to our class in order. An army ranger describes the toughest exercise at the. The army just picked this new semiauto sniper rifle. What is the difference between a marine sniper and an army. Foley is on the left and his opponent is on the right. Jul 22, 2015 nick irving fills in this episode, and joining us on the show for the first time is a fellow army ranger sniper who he served with by the name of paul martinez. The 75th is a sof unit assigned to usasoc while ranger school is a training course open to most of the army and is a part oftradoc.
I did set an unofficial ranger school record during this phase. Upon graduating the ranger indoctrination program, nicholas irving was assigned to the third ranger battalion 75th ranger regiment also located in fort benning georgia. When i got a slot for army ranger school, i was pretty excited to go. Feb 05, 20 an entire ranger assault force and reconsniper team stuffed in four humvees already packed with marines. A branch of the irish army, it also selects personnel from the naval service and air corps. The primary differences between a us marine scout sniper and a us army sniper are as follows.
It serves at the behest of the defence forces and government of ireland, operating internally and overseas, and reports directly to the. Sniper school every branch of the military uses snipers in some capacity. Ranger school from a recon marines perspective sofrep. Whereas regular soldiers who attend ranger school live the ranger life for 61 days, members of the 75 th ranger regiment live the life 247365.
Army rangers typically are enlisted men and officers who have requested to join the 75th ranger regiment, although there are rangers in other units. One of those snipers, adelbert waldron, was americas top sniper in that conflict, scoring 109 confirmed kills. See more ideas about sniper, sniper rifle, special forces. 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.
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 coast guard has better snipers than the freakin marine corps. Irving, the first black sniper in the army s third ranger battalion, which had previously fought in the black hawk down incident in. Whereas regular soldiers who attend ranger school live the ranger life for 61 days, members of the 75 th ranger regiment live the life 247365 additionally, every soldier in a ranger battalion aka ranger batt goes through ranger. Bryce fox, right, after graduating the scout sniper course at camp geiger on marine corps air station new river, april. Nick irving spent six years in the army s special operations 3rd ranger battalion 75th ranger regiment, serving from demolitions assaulter to master sniper. United states marine corps scout sniper mos 0317, formerly 8541 is a secondary mos military. Boot camp military snipers first face the prerequisites of basic training when they enlist in the u. It is a terrific school run by former marine, ranger, sotic, and regular army snipers. Leroy grant foley us army ranger, army sniper, 11 yrs w. A question on marine and army snipers strategypage. In the book marine sniper 93 confirmed kills by charles henderson the author of silent warrior is an explosive true story on how staff sergeant hathcock became americas deadliest sniper.
To add to the challenge, the time between seeing the objects and reporting what they saw gets longer as the course goes on. The kims game that army ranger sniper describes is played repeatedly throughout the twomonth course. 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 armys leadership. Marine snipers are considered among the most elite hunters of men in the u. Marines are expeditionary forces, trained to deploy swiftly in times of war whether by land, sea or air. Of the 21 teams that converged on fort brag from march 1722 including naval special warfare, marine corps scout sniper, marsoc, and green beret teams, among others army times reports that the marine corps scout sniper team placed third behind the usasoc team, which placed both first and second.
Special forces sniper training and employment fm 305. The designated marksman dm, squad advanced marksman ad, or squad designated marksman sdm is a military marksman role in an infantry squad. Carlos hathcock, the subject of the biography, was born in 1942 and died in 1999. The army doesnt have scoutsnipers but, army snipers can go to the marine corps scout sniper school in hawaii if they are stationed there, that would be the 25th army regiment. Carlos hathcock, one of the most wellknown snipers in u. Soldiers beat out marines for top spots at marine sniper. There he worked as a scout sniper for different companies with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd battalions. 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.
The marines offer a tremendous program that trains eligible sniper candidates in. The armys purpose is defined as preserving the peace and security. Once you graduate rasp i am sure they may ask you if you want to attend ranger. What you do is study the mission the mission statement, the operation order, which tells whos going to do what, where people are going to be at a certain time, and this goes not just for the sniper, but. The seals, cct, and army rangers all have sniper elements in their units. Foley answers in the positive that he was an airborne ranger. Feb 24, 2010 the function is much broader in the marines. Ranger addition notice in the following video at a sheriffs forum in cross plains at mark 12. By comparison, the legendary carlos hathcock had 93 confirmed kills. Less than a year later, he was patrolling the streets of iraq, where, as an 18yearold ranger with aspirations of becoming a great sniper like his. Aug 19, 2009 now as for the sniper schools, the marine scout sniper i would say is more intense because their sniper school last longer.
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. British army sniper who achieved the second longest confirmed kill shot in history 2,475 m using the accuracy international l115a3 long range rifle. You get to see how the other services operate, and they get to see how you operate as well. Marines rangers reconmarsoc current or future need only. Mar 18, 2020 united states army sniper course site. The book focuses on the afghan tour where he collected more kills protecting fellow rangers in a shorter period than anyone, earning from them the nickname reaper. They generally will deploy as a squad, often with two or more snipers and support teams. For instance, the maximum age for enlisting in the army is 35 but it is 28 for the marines. This years top sniper team for the second consecutive year was the team from the 75th ranger regiment, fort benning. A ranger with a company, 2nd battalion, 75th ranger regiment provides overwatch during 2nd battalions task force training at yakima training center, washington, 20. The difference between navy seals and the 75th ranger. The marine corps is unique in its consolidation of reconnaissance and sniper duties for a single marine.
Oct 22, 2018 for the second year in a row the armys 75th ranger regiment beat out nearly 30 military, civilian and foreign sniper teams at the 2018 international sniper competition held aboard fort benning. Beyond combat, hathcock was a championship shooter and a respected instructor in marksmanship and sniper skills. The army has long made use of semiautomatic sniper rifles. Marines dont have snipers, they have scout snipers. They will most often operate as observers and provide overwatch support to combat units. Apr 12, 2020 an army sniper s work involves more than just using excellent marksmanship skills to take out a target. Ive been told i used the fbomb more than 18 times in a 30 second statement as the class leader. The army ranger sniper who earned the nickname the reaper for killing more than 30 insurgents in four months with his rifle dirty diana nick irv irving was the first black sniper in the army. All in all, ranger school was a great experience for me. He went straight through ranger school and got assigned to our sniper recce section at 275 upon arrival.
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