A Marine Called Jason
(Revised)
by: Peter

(© 2007-2015 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 62
Stalk Training 

Stalk training really tried my patience, which was the whole point. It’s the component of sniper school that hones a sniper's stealthy approach. Snipers have to learn to move slowly, patiently and methodically. If necessary, snipers will lie for hours, even days, in the same position to observe an objective or avoid detection. I didn’t realize how difficult that could be.

Stalk training took place in open grassy ranges, not under cover of bushes and trees. We started at one end of the range with two instructors sitting on top of a truck or the tower with spotter scopes, eleven hundred yards down range. We had to stalk toward the instructors without being seen. To add to the challenge, the instructors put two soldiers in the field, called walkers. The instructors used radios to communicate with the walkers and try to find us.  We were required to stalk from 1100 yards out to within 165 yards of the instructors, without being detected by the instructors or the walkers.

Once in position, we took a shot, firing blanks, of course. It had to be a careful shot because if the muzzle flashed or kicked up dirt, we could be easily spotted. After the first shot, we stalked to a second firing position and took a second shot. To verify that we were actually sighting the instructors, we had to read the card or count the number of fingers the instructors were holding up. Stalk training is a pass or fail game. If you’re spotted at any point, you fail the game. Too many fails, and you wash out of the program.

Things I learned along the way, from one-on-one conversations with the instructors and the old guys:  Apparently the M-16 with a Realist scope came out the worst in field tests because of poor accuracy at ranges over 300 yards and the fact that moisture collected inside the scope. The M-14 rifle with the M-84 scope also suffered similar problems with moisture and fogging of the scope. The trusted Winchester model 70 rifle was deemed too fragile for use in a combat zone, and guys didn’t like it because it couldn't provide enough fire power if it came down to a fire fight situation.  The out-and-out winner of the trials was the M-14 with the ART scope. I was happy with the winner. I liked the M-14.

For night training, we used the Starlight scope. The Starlight uses all the available light from the moon and stars and amplifies it approximately 60,000 times to turn night into day. Looking through the Starlight scope required a little bit of mental dexterity as the images observed through the scope were not in black and white, or in color for that matter. What you saw were images in various shades of green and black. There were several drawbacks; the Starlight scope did not work in absolute darkness, it was heavy, weighing in at six pounds, it only had a 4x magnification, and it was prone to the elements, fog and rain. Still most night kills were accomplished with M-14s equipped with Starlight scopes.

Another handy little gadget was the Suppressor; a silencer. This deadened the sound of the rifle and eliminated muzzle flash and did not interfere with accuracy. With a suppressor, it was almost impossible to pin point the source of the rifle from ranges greater than 75 yards. 

I guess I wasn’t yet completely aware that a sniper usually worked as part of a team, along with his spotter, because Jason had never mentioned having a spotter along. And they did tell us in orientation that a sniper had to be capable of operating on his own. But we began training in teams.

The spotter carries his own special scope that is much more powerful than the scope on a sniper rifle. The spotter uses his scope to help observe objectives and set up the shot. The sniper and the spotter work together to get to the objective safely and discreetly and then set up a position. Here's the general process:  The team uses maps or photographs to determine the best route to the objective. They stalk from the drop-off point to the objective. They set up a position and make sure it is well camouflaged. They establish an escape route and a second, well-camouflaged fallback position in the event they are separated. They locate the target, or know it’s on its way. They get into position.

The spotter takes a spot on the ground that offers him the best field of fire, lying next to and slightly behind the sniper. He places his spotter scope so that it is as close to looking down the rifle barrel as possible. They work together to range the target, read the wind, and angle and adjust for other variables that may affect the shot. They wait for the target. “Then you just take your shot and get the hell out of there,” one instructor said.

But it’s not always that quick. Once the shot is taken, the spotter watches the shot to help the sniper readjust his aim or his position in the unlikely event that he misses his target. The way the spotter watches the shot is fascinating.  High velocity, long-range rounds like the kind used in a sniper rifle, actually leave a vapor trail as they fly through the air. The spotter can track the shot by watching for that vapor trail. It just looks like mixed up air. You can see through it, but you see the distortion.

In observation missions, the two often take turns using the spotter scope to spy on the enemy. This helps to avoid eye fatigue and allows one to rest while the other watches. This is important, since in many cases they can be out there observing for days at a time.

The most important job of the spotter is to protect the shooter and the team, so he carries an automatic assault rifle like an M-4 or M-16. If you're sitting there and you get attacked, a sniper rifle is not real good for fighting your way out.

The relationship between a sniper and his spotter is very important and somewhat unique. They work in no-man’s-land between or behind battle lines with little or no support from their unit, so they depend on each other for survival.  And if they don’t accomplish their mission, the safety of the whole platoon may be compromised.

Being the spotter in a sniper team is a sort of sniper apprenticeship. The sniper is the team leader. He coordinates with command to put together the mission. In the field, he has the final word in determining the route, position, rendezvous point and escape route. A spotter learns in the field from his sniper and then usually, eventually gets his own team to lead. To pass their final tests, the sniper and his spotter must hit 28 of 35 targets, including 10 that move, from 300 to 1,000 yards--more than half a mile away.

To be continued...  

Posted: 03/06/15 rp