Re: SG II Snipers and the spirit of the game [CLEAN STAMP]

In a message dated 12/13/99 12:09:03 PM Central Standard Time,
Rick@esr.com 
writes:

<< > I really must take exception with Owen's inference
 > that using a sniper to get suppressions goes against
 > the 'spirit of the game.'
 
 It really does, though. No sniper would risk giving away his position
 just to make a platoon keep their heads down for a few minutes.
 
 That would be a huge waste of his time & effort, and could possibly
 get him killed for nothing.
  >>

But in combined actions, where the sniper or marksman is working with a
squad 
or larger unit, firing in suppression attempts is a pretty common
practice, 
it lets the squad move on the opposing unit, while taking much less fire
in 
return. Most troops are more scared of snipers than auto-fire, and will 
freeze in place when sniped at.

When I was in the Army ( longer ago than i want to remember) it was
fairly 
common for our unit to detach our best shots into separate "sniper
teams" 
(they didn't have the training of real snipers, but they were called
that) 
who used just that tactic. This is an unusual tactic, definately not "by
the 
book", but our CO was an unusual guy, and we usually won any exercise we
were 
in, because of his unorthodox tactics. It definately worked, as we would

often hold up large groups by sending 2 or 3 man teams to plink at them,
from 
different areas. Drove them nuts...

John 
JohnDHamill@aol.com