How Army Snipers Train For Combat With Stalk Missions | Boot Camp

Students at the US Army Sniper Course at Fort Benning participate in stalk mission exercises to prepare for real-world missions. They must stealthily navigate through wooded terrain without being spotted by instructors walking around them and scanning with binoculars from afar. After covering their ghillie suits with natural vegetation to blend in with their environment, students have two hours to reach their objective, but they can be penalized by instructors if they’re caught moving improperly or if they’re not adequately camouflaged.

Students at the Sniper Course participate in four practical stalk exercises before moving on to graded events, of which they’ll have three opportunities to pass, or they'll be dropped from the course. In October, Insider followed a class participating in their first practical stalk exercise.

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How Stalk Missions Prepare Army Snipers For Combat | Boot Camp

[JSPHism]

"Freeze you two"
"How did you see us, we re cammuflaged"
"Yeah but you got a whole camera team behind you"

[j_money]

Sgt Reynolds was my 1sgt for basic, this guy would literally hide his ruck and hammock in the woods and never sleep around us and sneak up on us. Dude was a beast and by far the most intimidating man I have met.

[djvelocity]

All of a sudden Business Insider went from boring and basic AF to interesting and engaging. I’m SO glad to see that the content is going back toward the direction it was pre-pandemic 🙌🤔🤩

[dylanmccallister]

When i was in summer camp we had a vet who was a sniper in the army.

We played a game he made up that was probably based on something like this.

Sombody had to stand in the middle of a field in the forest and spot everyone on a clock before it ran out, which we also had to reach a perimeter we set up around the spotter before the same clock stopped.

Everytime the spotter won we had to take one of the first spotted to add as an additional spotter. This way everytime we played there were more spotters and less movers. It was a really fun game.

Hide and seek didnt have shit on that game lol

[vulnerablerummy]

this reminds me of that one joke..
sgt : "private, i haven't seen you in stealth training today, why were you absent!?"

pvt : "thank you sir!"

[BobSmith-wchr]

So a fun story based on one of the exercises they were doing here. Knew a guy (lets call him John) who went though SAS training here in the UK (they do the same thing where they have to advance toward a target in bushes while trainers look out for them). Later met one of the trainers, introduced by John, who told me a story about his training (they were both retired from the army by this point). Apparently, John received the highest score of any trainee ever in this exercise. He had spent his whole life in Scotland being taught how to stalk dear by his dad. He was apparently so good at moving without being noticed that during his training, the trainer had been in a hut with scope looking out for movement and John had managed to move so close to the hut that he could hear what the trainer was saying to the other spotter in the hut. John heard the trainer talking to his mate that he couldn't find that "sneaky little rat s**t John". John, who had his tac phone on him, text his trainer a message saying "I am not a sneaky little rat s**t, you're just thick". At this point the trainer apparently laughed, walked out of the hut and started looking at the bushes closely and despite coming to within a meter of John, still didn't manage to see him. To add insult to injury, John was the most un-arrogant guys you could ever meet, slightly scrawny compared to most in the army and sailed though training with ease.

[hankschrader]

Ive been in the Marines and Ive been to 3 different colleges. The Military is real training, you leave the military with actual merit. College is stuffing information in your short term memory and then dumping 99% of it out once you have completed your exam a few days later, over and over again for a few years, you graduate with no merit, no skills whatsoever.

[JavierChiappa]

Once this channel was about business, now it's all sniper training.
Much Better, lol

[jase]

The word ghillie actually comes from a Scots (Scotland) Gaelic term meaning “boy”. This was in reference to boy servants that assisted in hunting and fishing expeditions. The etymology was likely derived from the tree spirit Ghillie Dhu, who had the ability to disguise itself in leaves and other forms of vegetation.

[saltrock]

“Soldier, how did you get that close to me?”

“Sniper approached the instructor by being a sneaky bastard, Sergeant”

[markbrisec]

Great to see our guys getting the best possible training and gear. This resonates even more today, March 2022, knowing how the world has changed and knowing how bad training and command & control resulted in an abysmal performance of the supposedly 2nd most powerful military in the world.
I hope these soldier's skills won't be needed on battlefields of Europe, but I sure feel safer knowing our guys are second to none..

[worldwide_cruising]

This channel gets more and more interesting to me, the content is just so good.
Anyone else thinks so too?

[yourmatetoasty]

Sniper recruit: I can’t believe I passed this course! I can finally be on the battlefield!
Thermal Vision Scopes: *Im about to end this man’s whole career*

[Raystrikerk]

Instructor: "what do you think you look like while walking through the woods?"

Student: "Stupid dudes in ghillie suits"

🤣💀

[ScoutSniper]

This is going to be a LONG post, so if you're NOT heading to Sniper School feel free to pass on it.
I graduated U.S. Army Sniper School in the summer of 2004, just before my 1st combat deployment to Iraq.

The school has changed some, back in 'my day' we stalked alone, and that was a GOOD thing IMHO because you should pass or fail (the school) on YOUR merits as a Sniper. In the shooting phases, and to PASS SNIPER SCHOOL the single most important act you will make is CHOOSING A PARTNER. Because he will be YOUR Spotter, and if he can't do the job, YOU fail the school.

On to Stalking 101:
Key RULES to live by...
A. When you walk out to the start of the Stalk Lane (usually a few hundred meters wide, and about 1, 000 meters long), take notice of vegetation, defilade (low spots in the ground) and avenues of approach to the trucks (where the Instructors are FIXED in place to observe you). Start planning your route to use that vegetation and defilade, AS your walking out to the start line. Draw a quick sketch as you walk out, don't rely on memory. Look for a few routes, as one that you picked might have another team on it, look for good FFP's (final firing points). You can always adjust the plan as you move but HAVE A PLAN to start.

B. Time Management is KEY. Unless they've changed, the stalk evolutions are 3 hours long. Many of the students will RUSH to get into position, and be detected easily by the instructors because of their QUICK movements. Movement catches the eyes. Split your time into 3 equal parts, roughly one hour each. (1) first hour to move into the FFP (2) second hour to set up FFP for the shots (3) third hour as a RESERVE in case you're detected at any point including during FFP set up. That way you have a CHANCE at still passing the lane by moving into another position. It ALL takes time, but keep on a schedule so you have time to do it ALL.

C. "Natural Veg is the Edge" (saying in Sniper School) and they're right, but remember to cover your ghillie (back, shoulders, legs, arms, not so much belly) with vegetation that MATCHES the surroundings at your likely FFP, not just the start line (again, why you should be paying attention on the walk out to it). Make sure the veg stays relatively close to your body (say within 4") the goal is to BREAK UP THE OUTLINE, not to "Become a Tree". If you've got branches sticking out a foot from your body, you're wearing a FLAG that says "Here I am". Make sure that your Front (the area the Instructors will see) is 100% covered. You only get 10 minutes to do this, so start on the parts that MATTER and then spend the remainder of time on the rest.

D. Tape a compass to the non-ferrous metal part of your rifle stock (the buttstock) so that you can orientate yourself quickly without having to dig in pocket. It's a good idea to sew a pocket into the inside of your forearms to carry things like the map, so that movement is minimal, especially in the prone position. I believe now they issue ghillies (we made them from scratch), but put in that 'mod' if they let you. Also, camouflage your rifle, spotting scope, tripod and anything you're planning on taking on the stalk. Seeing rifles and gear without camouflage heading out to the stalk on this video tells me somebody dropped the ball on this. EVERYTHING an enemy can see should be UNSEEN.

E. In movement, Move ONE STEP LOWER than you think is needed. In other words, if you think you can get away with walking... crouch. If you think you have to crouch, move on your hands and knees. If you think hands and knees is appropriate, get into a low crawl on your belly. Students tend to Overestimate their "Stealthyness", this is a way to counter that. And MOVE SLOWLY... you've got an hour to move around 800 meters. The first part of that will probably be in fairly covered area, but soon enough you're going to be under observation. Quick Movements, even a turn of the head, WILL bring eyes in your direction. The human eye is naturally attracted to Movement. So make it SLOW and SMOOTH, and NEVER "Turkey Neck" (poke your head above something to look around), it's a SURE FAIL.

F. At the FFP, have good foliage in front of you and behind you, and if possible, set yourself up in shadows. You're probably going to set up with a tripod, the position of should be AT LEAST 10 FEET behind the forward foilage. This is important for 2 reasons, first it prevents the leaves moving when you shoot, and secondly in hinders the Instructors when the have the Walker come in on you, because more often than not they place the Walker just behind the forward foilage (where most ROOKIES lay down). Since the now track you OUT of the FFP under observation (didn't in 'my day') try to pick an FFP with the things I've mentioned, but also DEFILADE (low ground compared to what's around) that you can use for the Extraction movement.

G. When you've determined your tripod location, visualize a line from your FFP to the Observers, pick whichever Observer is less likely to see you through the foliage, and pick whichever SIDE of his binoculars (which are FIXED in place) that you can see best. Now, carefully cut ONLY those leaves in the forward bushes that prevent you from seeing THAT edge of the binoculars. Here's the deal, you take a shot (more on that) and the Observer looks through his binoculars. If you've done your set up right, YOU can NOT see those binoculars, and thusly he can NOT see you. Then the Observer asks "where do you want the number?", you say on the SIDE of the binoculars YOU can see. They set up the number, you identify it, YOU WIN. The whole point is to set up your shot in a way they can NEVER see you, all you care about is being able to see that number placard on the side of the binocular of the Instructor (target) YOU pick.

H. Your ghillie hat has a long tail, camouflage it well, as when you set up your rifle, you turn your hat around and lay the tail over the scope front, that breaks up the outline of the scope (what the Instructors look for most), same with the legs of the tripod (6:38 is a great example of what NOT to do), camouflage them very well. Remember not to put leaves or branches upside down on them. Have your partner (and instructors back at the school house) critic your set up, and identify any spots not covered.

J. When you're set up to take your first (of two) shots, WAIT!!!! until another student takes his shot in a different area than you're set up, and as he does, give about 5 seconds for the Observers to move their eyes in HIS direction, and take your shot. That way you're less likely to have an Observer looking in your direction. Then immediately chamber the next round, BEFORE the Observers have a chance to switch gears and start looking in your direction. With a semi-auto, carefully run your finger up to the bolt, and make sure that the 2nd round is there and seated. SLOWLY manipulate the charging handle if you need to. Then set in position for the second shot, and ID of the number, and DO NOT MOVE a muscle from that point forward.

IF you take at least some of this lengthy knowledge to heart, you will have a better chance of passing the Stalk Phase. Which after the shooting itself, is what most Sniper students are failed from the school for.

Other than that, come to the school PREPARED (physically, mentally, and technically [shooting skills, lots of practice on things like range estimation, target detection, KIMS games, and understanding things like ballistics]. The hardest skill to master is WIND estimation. So buy a Kestrel on Amazon, along with a decent Laser Rangefinder, and start estimating winds (looking at flags, grass, the feel on your face) and guessing ranges to thing, then compare them with the Kestrel and Rangefinder. See if you tend to over or under estimate things, and refine your skills BEFORE you get to Sniper School. If you do things like this, its also more likely your Leadership will take note, and give you one of the COVETED slots for Sniper.

Remember PICK A GOOD TEAMMATE for the school, and if possible train up with them BEFORE the school. It's what will make or break you, especially in the shooting phase.

SSG. U.S. Army (Medically Retired) Infantry / Sniper / Forward Observer / Pathfinder / SOF Intel (SOT-A), multiple tours

[SepiaSapien]

You should create a channel called "Army insider"

[CringeBasedDuality]

watching this before playing counterstrike

[richardblack]

Don't think they show you everything, only the VERY basics. Much more advanced than you'll ever know

[maximumoverdrive]

My uncle was in Vietnam and we used to play war in the house. He could lay in the same spot for HOURS until we got tired of waiting and went after him. Always ended up in a play throat slitting 🤬

[dirtj]

I loved doing the infiltration mission vs the spotters. Not as a sniper, but a scout. We had a sniper section attached to us though.