| | | Snipers | 
The term sniper comes from a name given to hunters
that specialized in hunting an elusive game bird
called a "snipe." These birds were notoriously hard to
hunt, due to their keen eyesight, and general
wariness. Hunters who were skilled enough to hunt
these birds came to be known as "snipers." In the
seventeen-seventies, British troops began to use the
term "to snipe" to mean "to shoot from a hidden
location"
A sniper is a member of the infantry division of an
armed force, who has undergone special training, and,
as a result, specializes in long distance
marksmanship. Most times, a sniper will be equipped
with a special rifle which has been modified for
increased range and accuracy, as well as a sniper ghillie suit
, which is a special suit that the sniper uses to
decrease visibility. As well as marksmanship, a
would-be sniper must also be extremely skilled in the
art of camouflage.
Other skills must be learned as well to be an
effective sniper, such as, the ability to live for an
extended period of time in the field without supplies.
A sniper in the field, most likely will be without the
support network enjoyed by the rest of the armed
force. This means that besides the supplies that a
sniper carries on his person, he is completely
dependent on his environment for shelter and food.
The surrounding environment is a sniper's best friend.
He not only uses it for survival, he also imitates it
to make his kill. As the environment changes, the
sniper will change his camouflage to match it. This is
accomplished by breaking off bits from surrounding
trees and grasses, and attaching them to his ghillie
suit, as he moves towards the point from which he will
make his shot. |
|
|
