Scout Reconnaissance Sniper
Reconnaissance Snipers (often referred to as Recon Snipers, Scout Snipers, or Scout Recon) (TOS 2951, formerly 2841) are a secondary TOS (Technical Occupational Specialty) in the Aquitaynian Armed Services which designate personnel who have graduated from the Aquitaynian Scout Reconnaissance Sniper School.
A Scout Reconnaissance Sniper is a Special Operation Forces member, highly skilled in fieldcraft and marksmanship, that will deliver long-range precision fire on selected targets, from concealed positions, in support of combat operations.
An Aquitaynian Scout Reconnaissance Sniper operates within the team of members of his respective Special Forces Unit. They can also be deployed in two-man teams independent of anyone else, to effectively engage enemy targets from concealed firing positions.
Anyone from any branch can apply to go to Reconaissance Sniper School; however, there are rigorous requirements that must be met even before a soldier can be considered for application. It is shown statistically that most of the people attending the school come from an Army background, or even a Special Operation Forces background. Applicants are evaluated on their abilities to become a Reconnaissance Sniper and their branches need for such individuals.
Overview
Scout Snipers provide close reconnaissance and surveillance to the infantry battalion. By doctrine, a Reconnaissance Sniper is a solider highly skilled in field craft and marksmanship who delivers long range precision fire on selected targets from concealed positions in support of combat operations. However, many soldiers who retain this TOS are also parts of Special Operation Forces, and therefore do not follow the same doctrine.
Many of the students who graduate from Sniper School will go back to their units to train other soldiers in basic abilities, as well as to give their Commanding Officer the resources to successfully operate a reconnaissance/sniper mission that will allow greater effectiveness from his operational capabilities. Ultimately, a Sniper is a resource to be used whenever necessary, and his abilities are unmatched in the field.
Those who attend Sniper School that have already successfully passed previous testing to enter a Special Operation Forces Unit will train the same way those around him do, but his later mission will be different. Special Forces utilize snipers in a tactical manner which operates with the team rather than apart. While they retain the ability to engage targets from long distances, they are also able to engage such targets from much closer ranges, under adverse conditions.
Reconnaissance Sniper Basic Course
The Reconnaissance Sniper School is located on the outskirts of Sangura, Aquitayne, where temperatures reach on average -5° during the wintertime. During spring and fall courses, temperatures average about 25° and 15°. This location was explicitly chosen due to its harsh temperatures and weather conditions, to ensure that recruits understand they will be operating under harsh conditions for almost all of their Reconnaissance Sniper careers.
Reconnaissance Sniper School lasts for a total of twelve weeks, to ensure the necessary physical, mental, and familiarization of equipment has been achieved to its fullest extent. This is necessary because in most cases, fresh recruits will be deployed overseas almost immediately after completion of Reconnaissance Sniper School. Reconnaissance Sniper's are a valuable asset to Battalion Commanders, who often use them for reconnaissance missions so he may better understand the situation at hand. This is why the course is split into multiple phases:
- Phase 1: Introduction to Reconnaissance Sniper School
- Phase 2: Introduction to the Sniper rifle
- Phase 3: Reconnaissance Techniques
- Phase 4: Rifle Knowledge and Counter-Sniper Tactics
- Phase 5: Camouflage Techniques
- Phase 6: Introduction to Martial Arts
- Phase 7: Final Exam
Basic Requirements
There are currently a list of basic requirements, some which are mandatory and others which are not, that an applicant must meet in order to be considered for the application process.
Phases of Training
Phase 1
Phase 1 is arguably the most grueling phase of Reconnaissance Sniper School. Recruits are transported from Sangura to the Reconnaissance Sniper School, which is located about 150 kilometers northeast of the city, in the middle of the night. When they arrive, they will be forcibly shown off the bus and told to muster in formation. Once they've mustered, multiple Drill Instructors will begin to throw their belongings across the Parade Grounds, at which time the recruits must go and find all of their items. Once this rapid indoctrination is complete, recruits will be forced to complete a rigorous 15 mile march with all of their belongings to their barracks. Most of this march will be uphill, and in very cold conditions.
Once the recruits arrive at the barracks, they will be ushered into a false sense of getting some rest. Unfortunately, they will instead be ushered into the 'Pit', where the beginning of their 48 hours of excruciating hell will begin. During these 48 hours, recruits will be paired with a partner, whom they will have to motivate and keep moving throughout the endeavor, as well as themselves. This is done to give recruits the mentality of finishing the mission no matter what, and keeping your buddies with you throughout it.
The 48 hour Physical Fitness Test, more commonly known as the Devil's Playground, incorporates a wide variety of physical exercises that will push the recruits to their limits. Throughout this test, Recruits will complete at least 500 sit ups, 650 pushups, 75 pullups, 250 cherry-pickers, 45 minutes of planks, and run about 30 miles. These are not all done consecutively, but are extremely difficult to do nonetheless. As all Reconnaissance Snipers are volunteers only, recruits have the option to DOR (Drop on Request) at any time throughout Reconnaissance Sniper School, if they don't fail the course.
Phase 1 lasts for one week, at which time recruits will learn their way around the barracks, be introduced to their Battalion Commander, as well as their Drill Instructors (formally). This phase is designed to get the recruits into the right mentality to complete Reconnaissance Sniper School, though most of them won't.
Phase 2
Phase two is a week and a half course where recruits are introduced to the standard issue sniper rifle for all Reconnaissance Snipers, the Anemonian SR10R1 .338/.50 Semi-Automatic Precision Rifle. With a range of 1,400 m, this rifle is the favorite among all Reconnaissance Snipers. During this phase, recruits learn every part of the SR10R1. They are tasked with assembling and disassembling the rifle in less than 60 seconds, which is practical by the end of the course. Once the recruits have become familiar with the rifle, they are brought down to the shooting range where they will qualify with it.
Before they even get to the shooting range, however, they spend 8-10 hours a day in a classroom learning the tactics, formulas, and necessary skills required to be a spotter or a shooter. These skills are vital for any sniper to have, seeing as they will need to make accurate, deadly, long distance shots from cold-bore that cannot be missed. They learn how to make adjustments for windage, humidity, range, and other variables (including the spin of the earth when necessary), and also learn how to tell windage, humidity, and range. Once their time in the classroom is over, they're sent down to the rifle range.
This is where some recruits fail. Not because of physical restraints, but simply because they can't hit a target. During this exercise, two recruits (one acting as a shooter, another the spotter) will locate targets at various distances and engage them when told to do so. After being commanded to fire, recruits have 5 seconds to send their round down range. Recruits get a total of two shots if necessary, if they need a second, they have 10 seconds to make adjustments and fire. A recruit needs a minimum of 80 points to pass their exam; 10 points for a first-hit on a target, and 5 points for a hit on a second shot. If a recruit fails during this test, they have the opportunity to try again the next day. If they fail that test, they're out of the Reconnaissance Sniper School.
Phase 3
Phase 3 is a week and a half course where recruits will learn everything they need to know about Reconnaissance. Being a Reconnaissance Sniper, this aspect of their job is extremely important. Not only for informational purposes, but for whenever they're on a non-reconnaissance designated mission and they need to learn their surroundings and find any abnormalities. Once a Reconnaissance Sniper is deployed into a field of battle, they immediately begin their reconnaissance of the area. Reconnaissance Snipers are trained to spot any abnormalities such as IED's, radio antennas, and the daily happenings of a high value target.
Utilizing the 180 Degree Strip Search technique, Reconnaissance Snipers draw a picture of a 180 degree field of view to find any abnormalities that might be within that area. This is done by looking from side-to-side within the area, and then near to far to find any items that don't belong. This method has been proven to be extremely effective on the battlefield, and is the Reconnaissance Sniper's best friend when it comes to their engagement zone. Reconnaissance Snipers are also taught how to draw meticulous pictures on their range cards of everything they see, which is vitally important on any mission; many times a Reconnaissance Sniper will keep these range cards for the rest of their life.
One of the core lessons taught within the Reconnaissance Course is the need to Detect, Observe, and Identify your enemy. This saying is drilled into each recruit's brain as their lifeline when they enter the battlefield. The need to know where your enemy is, what he does and when he does it, and to know if he is in fact your intended target, is the most important aspect to any mission. In order to do this, recruits are taught how to put themselves in the position of the enemy combatants, to think about where they would place any IED's or other defensive items throughout their target area. This is one of the most important lessons of their Reconnaissance Sniper career.
At the end of the week, Recruits are lined up at a range with different inconspicuous items throughout it, where they will survey the area, draw a rangecard, and spot anything that doesn't belong. This could include a radio antenna, cell phone, or even an instructor hiding within the area acting as an enemy sniper. Recruits are expected to locate at least 10 items, and the instructor, during this exercise. Recruits are taught how to search a 'baseline', which is the area in which they're operating in. On this baseline, they look for anything that is out of place or wasn't there before.
Recruits also learn the importance of providing continuous systematic observation of a given area. Essentially, this means that they are looking at a designated area and are at no time looking away. This lesson is vital to recruits, because even looking away for two minutes could mean you missed an enemy combatant plant a bomb or, even more importantly, their target.
Phase 4
Phase 4 is a one week course in which recruits are expected to learn the various sniper rifles used around the world. They continuously listen to audio recordings of sniper shots from various rifles, and are required to match those recordings with the sniper rifle itself. This is done to allow a Reconnaissance Sniper to learn what kind of weapon system their enemy might be using, especially if it's being used against them in battle. Recruits are required to know the sound of the rifle, the rifle's name, the range of the rifle, loading mechanism of the rifle, and what countries utilize that rifle.
This can be seen as a lot of information to absorb in a short amount of time, and it is. The reason why it's done, though, is to allow the Reconnaissance Sniper the ability to know what type of rifle is shooting at him, the reload capacity of that rifle, and the range at which to look for the enemy sniper. All of these variables are vitally important to surviving in the modern battlefield, especially when being fired upon from another potentially highly trained sniper.
During this phase, recruits are also taught counter-sniper tactics. Most of the time recruits develop this ability subconsciously, throughout their training; this is done since they know how to create hides and other sniper necessities, so they know what to look for to combat an enemy sniper. Other times, however, it needs to be taught to recruits - which is why it is taught to everyone. Snipers are taught the tendencies of snipers who are hastily trying to get to their targets, as well as how to look for well made hides and other things snipers use to conceal themselves, especially Ghillie suits.
Phase 5
Phase 5 is a week long course and is considered to be one of the most vitally important phases within Reconnaissance Sniper School. This course teaches recruits the art of concealment; from creating hides to constructing a Ghillie suit. Both of these things are necessary when going out into a combat zone, where they are expected to remain concealed and hidden throughout the mission. Being Reconnaissance Snipers, most of their time is spent behind enemy lines, which is why so much emphasis is put on this course.
Recruits are taught how to develop a hide, from woodland camouflage to winter and desert areas, as well as how to develop one in an urban environment.
Other Schools
Once recruits have completed Reconnaissance Sniper School, they are sent to advanced schools for further training. This training will include aerial and naval insertion, advanced martial arts training, survival courses. These advanced training schools are designed to hone the Reconnaissance Sniper's skills that he has developed in Reconnaissance Sniper School, and to make them ever more present in his abilities as a sniper. Sniper's are the best of the best in marksmanship, stealth, and insertion and extraction when it comes to getting in and getting out quietly - Reconnaissance Sniper's aim to keep that true.
For aerial insertions, Reconnaissance Sniper's become able to complete multiple different insertions. First, they attend Airborne Assault School, which teaches basic parachuting out of an aircraft. This gives them the relative comfort of jumping out of an aircraft, and the ability to control themselves on the way down to the ground. After they have completed Airborne Assault School, they will attend the Special Operations Airborne Insertion School (SOAIS), where they will learn the art of HALO/HAHO Jumping.
For the purposes of quiet insertion, HALO Jumping will be a Reconnaissance Sniper's main insertion tactic. After free-falling for a short period of time, the Sniper will open his parachute at low altitudes, which will enable him to reach is landing zone quickly and quietly, without raising notice due to a large parachute floating slowly towards the ground. Along with HALO Jumps, Snipers are also taught HAHO Jumps, which might also be used often.
One of the more favored aerial insertion variants is the Gabriel Automatic Deployment System, which allows the sniper to easily arrive at their destination quietly and effectively, posing little to no threat to the aircraft due to the Gabriel's 60km insertion radius. This system allows fast, quiet insertion, which means the sniper is that much more concealed, and that much more deadly.