European Best Sniper Squad Competition Day 0

Photo By Markus Rauchenberger | Snipers from all participating countries zero their weapons during the European Best Sniper Squad Competition at the 7th Army Training Command’s Grafenwoehr training area, Germany, Sept. 24, 2017. The European Best Sniper Squad Competition is an Army Europe competition challenging militaries from across Europe to compete and enhance teamwork with Allies and partner nations. The competition is multinational by design and involves units from 14 countries. (U.S. Army photo by Markus Rauchenberger)  

GRAFENWOHR, BY, GERMANY

09.25.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Kathleen Polanco  

7th Army Training Command

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany (Sept. 25, 2017) -- The European Best Sniper Squad Competition 2017 kicked off with a friendship shoot in the Grafenwoehr Training Are, Sept. 24.

Snipers from Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States zeroed their rifles alongside each other Sunday morning before starting the friendly five-day competition.

"We got to shoot the Dragunov, which everybody kind of favored the old school rifle," said Cpl. Christopher Smith, a German sniper. "A lot of Americans tried our weapons."

The Dragunov sniper rifle, SVD, is considered the world's best army self-loading sniper rifle, and was brought to the competition by the Bulgarian squad.

The snipers rotated between zeroing their weapon systems and conducting cold load training on a helicopter. They were able to get familiar with entering and exiting aircraft procedures.

This was important because not all of the snipers have experience, if any, shooting from a helicopter.

"I'm looking forward to the altitude shots because we hardly get to do that in Germany," said Smith.
Following the events at the range, the 16 sniper squads went through a series of physical challenges at the obstacle course, here.

"Some of the things were very hard, but the experience was very good," said Pvt. Dimitar Demriev, an excited shooter from the Bulgarian squad. "This is our first time competing and we feel like a real part of the European military."

• Date Taken: 09.25.2017
• Date Posted: 09.26.2017 02:20
• Story ID: 249611
• Location: GRAFENWOHR, BY, DE