The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Shooter
Two hours after dawn and the day is already getting hot. The mirage shimmers and moves with the wind as you watch a teenager with an AK-47 through your scope. You estimated his range at 480 meters, based on the length of his rifle. He is guarding the rural compound with resigned boredom, sitting on the ground with his back resting against the mud wall in a bit of shade near the gate. He's not much younger than you, maybe your brother's age you guess, and what he doesn't know is that today is his lucky day because he is not your target.
You would be a bit bored too if you weren't so deep in Indian Country with just your observer and a radio for backup. There should be at least four on this mission but your battalion has too many missions and too few shooters. So you and your observer are extra careful to not draw unwanted attention to your position, where you've been since late yesterday. You infiltrated the target area as dusk was settling, close enough to get a good shot but far enough away in case you need to call in artillery or close air support on the target.
Intel said that there would be about a squad in the compound and so far you've counted fourteen fighters. You and your observer take turns watching the compound, hoping that they are careless about patrolling. You try to catch a few minutes of sleep here and there, but your buddy kicks you awake when you start snoring and the dream gets good. He always does that and you start to concoct another prank you will play on him back inside the wire. You know him as well as you've ever known anybody and the two of you literally trust one another with yourlives.
A reliable source told Intel that a local militia leader would be visiting the compound sometime today and your mission is to promote him to Martyr First Class if he shows up. You and your buddy joke about what it takes to be considered "reliable," actual information or just a blood pressure and body temperature that approaches normal. You hope that they are right this time because you've got a good position and what appears to be a safe, covered route to the extraction point. On the other hand, you've been on many other missions that were a bust because the reliable source wasn't reliable.
Several hours later you notice that a table is being set up in the shade of the courtyard. From your hillside position, you can look down into most of the walled compound and it would be a stroke of luck if this supposed meeting took place outside. Your first plan was to shoot as the target left his vehicle and walked to the building. You are keeping track of the environmental conditions that will affect your firing solution, such as the wind speed and direction, temperature and humidity. You and your observer have both estimated the ranges in the compound and have taken into account the downward angle that you will be firing from. You are keeping track of the temperature of your ammunition and if you were Tom Berenger you would be filing down your fingertip. You and your buddy like to make fun of cheesy sniper movies and will ask each other the rhetorical question, "What would Tom do?" to get a laugh.
Another couple of hours go by and your observer spots a pair of old Mercedes driving up to the compound. The cars stop at the gate and six armed men get out. Bingo, your target is there. They are met by the goobers that you've been watching all day and you wonder if the militia leader knows how lazy these guys are. After a few hugs and kisses they go inside and take seats at the table in the courtyard.
Damn, if they had shown up an hour earlier the light would have been perfect. Your observer is estimating the wind as you slowly chamber a round into your rifle. You dial in the windage and distance into your scope and take aim. He's too far away to risk a head shot so you will send the bullet crashing through his chest instead. It won't be an instant kill but it will certainly wreck his day. As you place the cross hair reticle on the target, you adjust your point of aim based on your knowledge of how this rifle shoots when the barrel is cold.
"Spotter ready" your observer tells you, letting you know that he has the target acquired in his spotting scope. You take a few deep breaths to calm down and tell him, "Shooter ready." When he says "Send it!" you gently squeeze the trigger and dispatch a 175 downrange. You lose sight of your target as the rifle recoils, giving your shoulder a familiar shove. Your observer watches the bullet's "trace," the projectile's supersonic atmospheric wake that marks its path to the target. After the rifle recoils, you slowly manipulate the bolt and chamber another round in case you need to re-engage the target.
It won't be necessary this time. Your observer watched the round impact into the target's chest and could see his brief expression of surprise before he fell over backward in his chair. The report of the rifle arrives a split second after the bullet and in the confusion the fighters shoot wildly into the hills, some of their fire directed vaguely toward your hidden position. You are watching to see if they are going to start searching for you or just hole up inside the compound, getting under cover to avoid more casualties. While you are watching and packing your gear for a swift exit, your observer is on the radio giving a mission update and requesting an extraction. He will also prep a fire mission if it looks like you are going to be chased.
It will be totally dark in a few hours but you decide to leave now, while the home team is still confused. You and your observer quickly put distance between you and the compound, stopping occasionally to see if you are being followed. Four hours later you are inside a Blackhawk, hoping the pilot is really good with night-vision goggles and that he knows where all the power lines are in this area. Once you are back on friendly turf, you will be debriefed on the mission before you can clean up and get chow. After that, you catch a bit of sleep and it all starts over the next day. Another day, another mission.
This scenario is a composite of many different missions, but it illustrates some of the skills and mindset that a military sniper must have in order to survive on the modern battlefield. This book intends to offer an introduction to what it takes to become a sniper in today's armed forces, a specialty known for its economical motto of "One Shot, One Kill." It is not a story for the squeamish because the brutal reality of the sniper's trade is the delivery of death, one shot at a time. It is a story that even many military professionals know little about, and it is a story where the reality is much more interesting than the fantasy. The first step is to meet those who have made the grade and work as snipers.
