The Benning Leader
Friday, June 19, 1998
By Meredith Hartley

This addition was posted 10/21/99 by the undersigned's request

I just read through your Benning Leader article on silent killers, I must say
I was horribly misquoted in that article...I would very much appreciate it
if you would add a disclaimer to it saying that neither I nor the US Army
Sniper School has ever taught or encouraged shooting "unarmed" targets.  Our
primary mission, as you probably know, is to support Infantry Operations
with an emphasis on Force Protection.  Thank you and if you ever need
anything from me I would be glad to try to help.  

One Shot...One Kill...
SSG Broseus
Instructor, US Army Sniper School

One shot, one kill. That’s the simple, but deadly mission statement of the US Army Sniper School at Ft. Benning. The School has the task of creating silent, efficient gunmen capable of picking off targets, human and non-human, in any environment.

While students are taught to focus not on the target itself, but on the mission as a whole, it is sometimes difficult to escape the human factor, sniper instructors say. "It’s hard because you’re shooting someone unprovoked. It’s a lot different than shooting someone in a combat situation. You have to be deliberate in order to send that shot," said SSG Burundi Davis, who teaches at the school located in the Harmony Church area of Ft. Benning. Davis explained that though a sniper must be a good marksman, a good marksman is not necessarily sniper material.

"A lot of people have the misconception that to be a good sniper, you have to be a good shooter." He said. "Shooting is only 20 percent of the course. It takes a patient person, a disciplined person, a person who is used to working alone."

The Army’s basic sniper course covers advanced marksmanship skills over a five-week period. Its elite reputation among all military branches attracts students from around the globe. The current class has 24 who hail from as far away as Germany, Canada, Hawaii, and Washington. Most students are recommended by their commander.

Sniper candidates must be in excellent physical shape, shoot on an expert scale, have 20-20 or correctable vision, and take a psychological test that determines their mental stability.

Once in the school, instruction includes detecting and stalking a target, estimating the range of a target and actual marksmanship skills. The course also covers concealment and camouflage, as well as observation exercises.

SSG Charles Olsen is a ballistics expert with the Sniper School and teaches students about the ammunition they shoot and the impact particular rounds make. During a recent stalking exercise, he peered through binoculars at a wooded area about 50 yards away in an attempt to spot students in camouflage suits (ghillie suits).

"The perfect shoot is when a soldier successfully reduces a target and withdraws without being seen," Olsen said. "Here they’re trying to spot us without us spotting them."

SSG David Broseus, a specialist in sniper employment and command and control, said whether it is taking out an enemy’s radio or its commander, the sniper must remain cool, calm, and focused.

The job is not always pleasant, but snipers are encouraged to think of the big picture of how their deadly deed could help other people he said.

"Our job is to protect the masses. I carry peace of mind about what I do," Broseus said. "If I know reducing one target can affect hundreds of people, it’s easy for me to do it. How can you carry guilt or negative feelings if you know you’re doing the right thing?"

Regardless of whether it’s right or wrong, how a sniper will react after he takes out his first human target is completely unpredictable. Training cannot truly prepare them for having to shoot an unarmed person or political target, Broseus said.

"In a training scenario, you can’t prepare for it," said Broseus. "You get a feel for the force a bullet can inflict on paper targets and iron maidens, but until you see it through optics at 10 power, you don’t know how it will affect you."

SSG Dwayne Lewis teaches marksmanship fundamentals. He said sniping is made easier for him knowing that by eliminating one person, it could prevent massive causalities. Though it takes a well-trained sniper to execute a mission, it takes someone with inner strength to cope with their ultimate actions, he said.

"There are people who can’t dance and there are definitely soldiers out there that just can’t cut it as a sniper," Lewis said.