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MOS0317 Usmc
Scout Sniper

Few weapons in the current battlefield are as effective as the modern concept of snipers.  In most scenarios, a competent sniper is able to change the course of battle. These professionals are highly trained, with an unusual ability to adapt and with terrifying deadly skills.

* For the photo shoot of this article we have focused on the course that takes place in Bridgeport. California, U.S.A. Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. This is the “Mountain / Cold Weather Scout Sniper Course”.

MORE THAN TWO PER TEAM

The time when a team of two men left the wired area carrying a bolt action rifle, a pair of binoculars and a packet of biscuits in their pocket has passed. Nowadays, Marine sniper teams have at their disposal plenty of material resources, weapons and technological advances to carry out their missions.

The teams can consist of 2, 4 or 6 operators, as these formations enable roles in communication, security, demolition or coordination of air strikes. They currently have more in common with the image we have of a special operations team than, for example, with that of Thomas Beckett (the main character of the film 'Sniper', 1993).

This is great news for our airsoft community, as it increases the range of missions that marksmen teams can take on, not being limited only to eliminating opponents. Establishing a well camouflaged vantage point and providing accurate and updated information on the characteristics and movements of the opposing team, besides being an interesting mission, it would be an ideal one for a Scout Sniper team. If your position is compromised you have failed.

MOS 0317

A team of Marine Corps Scout Snipers performs functions that in other branches of the armed forces would be assigned to larger teams, acting as marksmen but also conducting reconnaissance duties. The MOS 0317, or Military Occupational Speciality 0317, refers to this specialty in the USMC, commonly known as Scout Sniper.

CQB Y LMGs

Adaptation to urban surroundings created the need to increase the number of members of these teams, reaching up to 6 and emphasising CQB training.

In the real world, a sniper uses distance to his advantage, so it is very likely that the team completes its mission without even being detected. Unfortunately, in our world, it is more likely that we are spotted after taking the first shot. With this in mind, including a SAW in the arsenal of our team with an infinitely greater saturation capacity than that of a bolt action rifle, can make the difference between surviving the mission or being eliminated.

Wide range of weapons

On a mission in an urban environment, it is paramount that part of the team is able to provide safety, controlling the house and any potential occupants for the duration of the mission, being able to unleash heavy firepower if the team is compromised, therefore a typical array of weapons of a team of marksmen can include M203 grenade launchers, SAW, all kinds of grenades, Claymore mines, etc.

COMMUNICATIONS

A common mission of these units would begin with an insertion of 24 to 48 hours before a major movement of troops in order to gather and transmit information, enabling the main commander in the field to make critical decisions based on reliable information.

To this end, Scout Sniper teams have a system called MSIDS (MAGTF Secondary Imagery Dissemination System), which consists of a satellite communications network that enables reliable transmission of images, video or text messages.

In our environment, we can rely on apps like WhatsApp, Facebook chat or the like (whenever we have signal to perform this task). We can find a way to link a digital camera, with an accordingly powerful scope, to a tablet and create our own version of MSIDS.

UNIFORMS

The standard uniform can be supplemented with a fleece, fleece hat, thermal underwear or with a PCU, which will help us better withstand the temperature and humidity. It is also recommended to use gore-tex leggings to avoid the uncomfortable feeling o getting snow inside the boots and, of course, do not forget sunglasses as the snow acts as a reflective screen for sunlight.  There is no single way to gear up for such missions as demonstrated by the numerous photos of the courses offered at this centre, where we can find students with a wide range of uniform styles such as MARPAT desert, MARPAT woodland, grey PCU, coyote Happy suits or white overalls. The two-piece snow MARPAT camouflage uniform being the ideal one. There is general agreement, however, on the importance of keeping warm.

VESTS

In our case, we have used the ubiquitous and versatile RRV and HLR.
Regarding the RRV, there is little we can say that has not already been said, yet, about the HLR, we can highlight some aspects that seem of special interest for Scout Sniper missions

It’s a gear carrier specially designed for this type of mission, so we found a well-studied distribution of the gear. It is a backless vest with barely any material around the shoulder area to avoid any trouble with the sniper's best friend; the backpack. We also noticed that pouches cover all front areas (a configuration more typical of direct action gear) and that the exterior is reinforced, protecting all equipment from dirt and impacts.

Another interesting feature of the HLR is that it has the option to leave open or to protect the abdominal area and crotch, which provides a great deal of comfort while remaining in prone position, although it also allows us to eliminate the groin guard and add a molle panel that may be more suitable for the approach phase, when it may be better to carry an M4 with quick access to magazines.

Marksman's vest

We walk on thin ice when talking about vests, although it is true that we can commonly see standard gear holders such as the FLC, it is also common to see a wide variety of vests due to personal choice of the players. Plate carriers such as the MTV can also be found depending on the mission.

In a conversation with an active MARSOC Scout Sniper, he confirmed this issue, stating that picking a vest or gear carrier was a highly personal choice which implied quite enough "latitude", which actually means "margin". 

OBSERVATION EQUIPMENT

Observation equipment comes next as top priority gear. We recommend the following equipment: Binoculars with around x8 zoom, allowing us to have a wide field of view. A periscope, allowing us to observe while staying virtually undetectable. A Spotter, with x30 zoom scope, to identify details and support the shooter, night vision systems and, finally a rangefinder.

The rangefinder may seem something unnecessary, just for geeks, but considering that in our world, an 80 meters shot equals one at 1,500 metres in real life, where everything comes into play, so it is interesting to know the exact distance we are at and decide whether we should approach those 5 meters to get out of the area where the BB begins its erratic dance and thus increase the chances of success. It is very difficult to differentiate 72 from 87 meters with the naked eye, and the actual difference when taking the shoot can be dramatic.

WEAPONS

Finally, weapons. The cornerstone of a Scout Sniper team is the powerful M40 rifle. Nowadays the M40A5 is used, of which VFC manufactures a marvellous replica, or ARES, which although fine in mechanical terms, contains external flaws that distances it from the real model. Looking back, we could opt for the M40A3, also made by VFC, although with some problems in the feeding system. Being picky, both the A3 and A5 only carry a single scope, the Schmidt & Bender PMII/LP and PMII/LP/MTC, respectively. Once again these prices are way out of reach for most of us. A slightly more affordable option is the Vector Optics Siegfried, which is an almost perfect copy of the PMII/LP.

see YOU SOON guys

In short, the role of marksman, based on Scout Snipers, is virtually limitless in terms of gear, equipment and missions, and not just having to walk through the field as lone wolves, if what we like is the search for the long-desired "One Shot, One Kill".