[SG2] [DS2] Sniper factoids

Snipers (1997): US Army : 500 US Marines: 340 (don't know if this 
includes spec ops)

(Although we may consider an additional 25% to 200% of this total 
depending on your outlook to be sniper trained but not occupying 
sniper billets). I don't know the number, but these folks do exist. 

(Today)
Length of SEAL sniper course: 9 weeks. 
Army Sniper course: 10 weeks. (233 hours). 

Estimated sniper casualties in Vietnam: Unknown, but Carlos Hathcock 
trained 600 snipers, and only knew of one killed in combat. Extreme 
measures were taken to protect them. They never went on a mission 
without arty support or air support, easy reinforcement or 
extraction, and usually a security section. Always had radios 
and other methods of communications. Doctrine called for an 
employment up to 500m from friendly positions operating in small 
units (4-8 men) and up to 2000m from friendly positions with an 8-12 
man security section. 

Estimated casualties inflicted: 13,000 (around 1-2% of enemy loses)
(This is a confirmed kill number.... why estimated? Records are 
fragmentary. The units they have data for were accounted for and the 
others estimated off that data. But the ones they had were Confirmed 
Kills. Possibles may increase this total noticeably but to what 
extent one cannot say). 

Estimated casualties per engagement: 1.67

A telling stat on snipers: After 5 months, having trained 54 snipers, 
18 had made no engagements. A few had made 1-4. A few more had made 
5-9. One had 12. And Mr. Waldron (who ended up with 109 confirmed 
kills, not the 103 I earlier mentioned - some other fellow got that - 
and Hathcock got 93) had 92. As one can see, not all snipers have the 
same skill, the same level of willingness to engage a target, and 
(perhaps most importantly) the same level of divisional support - 
many commanders did not understand/value snipers. 

Longest confirmed kill in vietnam: Using a .50 M2HB MG with an 8x 
Unertl scope firing single shots from a sandbagged emplacement, 
Carlos Hathcock engaged and killed a VC at 2500 meters. It took him 
two shots. 

Snipers used in Grenada to protect landing by attacking artillery 
(mortar) gunners. Snipers used in Somalia very successfully to 
interdict warlords gunmen with many successful engagements. Snipers 
used in Kuwait fairly extensively. Snipers used in Panama, including 
storming of various buildings. (They protected troops by dropping 
hostile targets - defensive role). 

Number of snipers authorized to US forces:
Per Army Infantry Battalion: 6 scout-snipers. 
Per Marine Infantry Batallion: 18 scout-snipers. 

Just thought people would find this interesting. I highly recommend 
Through The Crosshairs by Michael Lee Lanning. It is a good look at 
sniping through the ages (Amero-centric a bit). It focuses on Vietnam 
but contains lots of other interesting info. And it contains about 10 
full pages of citations at the end referencing other works well worth 
reading. Included is a list of pertinent army and marine docs, some 
of which are printed in the appendices. 

My 0.02. 

/************************************************
Thomas Barclay		     
Voice: (613) 831-2018 x 4009
Fax: (613) 831-8255

 "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot.  C++ makes
 it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg."
 -Bjarne Stroustrup
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