Photo By Lance Cpl. Drake Nickels | U.S. Marines with the Scout Sniper Course, Reconnaissance Training Company, Advanced...... read more read more
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Marines with the Scout Sniper Course 2 - 20, Reconnaissance Training Company, Advanced Infantry Battalion, School of Infantry - West, participated in a live fire exercise on Range 223B on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, July 23.
The Marines used M40A6 sniper rifles to engage targets at unknown distances to test their skills and strengthen the communication between the marksmen and their observers. Before the range went hot, the marksmen and their observers took 30 minutes to assess and estimate the distance of their targets.
“Two eyes and two brains is better than one,” said U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Ryan Maniscalco, lead marksmanship instructor with the course. “During times like today where it is very windy, the team works together to assess wind calls and elevation to get on target.”
Once the Marines fired and hit the target they moved on, but if they missed, the shooter and his observer have five seconds to re-engage the target or they get a miss. It is important for the Marines to be able to accurately access the distance of their targets and fire at them in a timely manner to simulate real life scenarios.
Prior to this training the students participated in land navigation, classes on the basic infantry skills, other forms of live-fire exercises and stalking lanes. Stalking is a technique snipers use while conducting reconnaissance or closing with an enemy while remaining concealed.
“I want to be a scout sniper because it gives me a highly effective skill to bring back to my team,” said Sgt. Joshua Dick, a student with the Scout Sniper Course. “I want to show the younger Marines how valuable this capability is.”
The class started with over 20 Marines and is now expecting to graduate 14 when the 12-week course ends in late August. Between now and then, the Marines will conduct more ranges and stalking lanes, before finally ending with a culminating event that puts all the skills and knowledge they’ve gained from the course to the test.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2020 17:05 |
| Story ID: | 374567 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 276 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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