Keep in mind that the military is not looking for the finished product. They are looking for the right material with which to build the finished product. Just focus on being the right source material.
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Any tips for 16yr old who dreams of being scout sniper?
- Thread starter Ctowle
- Start date
Nice rig and it seems like you have a good start at succeeding in whatever you choose to do.
Keep it up.
Read a lot of whats on here.
Absorb like a sponge and be skeptical of a lot of what you read.
Save some of your money and buy a serviceable bolt action .223 with a serviceable scope.
Dont break the bank and only buy what you can afford while not denying yourself the other fun things you should be doing at 16.
A .223 with a serviceable varmint barrel will get you to 600-700 yards or more while not causing you hardship on ammo.
The rifles you have are great but I think they can be a little spendy and not tailored for long distance accuracy, Im not familiar with those cartridges.
.223 will be cheap, available and should you continue on your goal probably not a bad idea to know the capabilities of .223/5.56 shooting.
Good luck, thank you for your responsibility/maturity.
Heed this advice. The finite skills are great, whether you are allowed to use them is another.
For 20+ yrs I was tasked with providing on the job training after reaching a certain skill, it was my opinion, and that of the companies that training "green" people from the ground up was easier in the long haul. It'd be like being a skilled LR marksman, then paying for a LR class or school and trying to one up the instructor. Haha, it is in us all to try.
On your case selection, 25-06, or 270, you can learn, but there are so many SA cases that would serve you better, with better bullets.
Excellent advice for life, regardless of whether you achieve your goal or not...you will be a better person for following the advice above.
A lot of todays "millennials" have the attention span of a gnat, complain about everything, seek 15th place trophies and just are awful in the workplace. Setting yourself apart from that will cause you to be recognized on many levels irrespective of if its in the military. What ever path you choose, know that the only person who sets your limits is you.
Not much of anything, none of them are doing anything with snipers, two are marines both in japan, one is MP stationed there other is deployed there, two are navy corpsmen, one is coast guard, and my brother-in-law is navy.
You have a lot more to worry about right now then worrying if your going to get selected for Scout Sniper School.
Worry about your grades and staying out of trouble. Once your done with high school then worry about making it through basic training. One step at a time, if you are constantly watching that 300m target you will miss the 50m target.
Worry about your grades and staying out of trouble. Once your done with high school then worry about making it through basic training. One step at a time, if you are constantly watching that 300m target you will miss the 50m target.
What ever you do.....the dual full sleeve tattoo you were certainly contemplating......dont do it.
Wild man is correct. You have a METL (Mission essential task list) to focus on right here right now. If you achieve that, all options are available. If I was your age it would be:
1. Make really good grades in school - this creates all most all the opportunities that get you up the next step whether you go to college or not. Make yourself smarter and more broad. Math, science, history are important. Remember that the geeks your “cool” buddies look down on are probably the ones who will get a graduate degree and end up with a big house, a Porsche and a freaking smoking hot wife. Things change and the dipshits who think they are cool now don’t end up so cool in their 40’s.
2. Be a freaking hard body athlete - teaches discipline and team work. Keep working out all your life.
3. Stay morally straight - no drugs, crimes, bad friends, no pregnant chicks, don’t be a racist asshole. All people are generally good if treated fairly and with respect. Minimal tattoos. And remember that success is the best revenge for all doubters.
1. Make really good grades in school - this creates all most all the opportunities that get you up the next step whether you go to college or not. Make yourself smarter and more broad. Math, science, history are important. Remember that the geeks your “cool” buddies look down on are probably the ones who will get a graduate degree and end up with a big house, a Porsche and a freaking smoking hot wife. Things change and the dipshits who think they are cool now don’t end up so cool in their 40’s.
2. Be a freaking hard body athlete - teaches discipline and team work. Keep working out all your life.
3. Stay morally straight - no drugs, crimes, bad friends, no pregnant chicks, don’t be a racist asshole. All people are generally good if treated fairly and with respect. Minimal tattoos. And remember that success is the best revenge for all doubters.
Since no SS has seen fit to answer you, and if your parents dont monitor your reading material, get "Bounty Hunter 4/3" by Jason Delgado. A lot of what you have seen here Delgado covers in his repeated struggle to make it (and he did).
PMclaine has given you absolute square advice you should copy paste and re-read several times. Several others have given you excellent advice. None have given you bad advice. I like what Conrad101 said, a lot.
Theis suggested you go "cryptology", and I would suggest you go into "intelligence" if you want something to assist you after in FBI, DIA, NSA, etc.
But, being the best you can be from now to graduating school, 4.0, no drugs, no alcohol, no pregnant whore, no criminal record of any kind, will get you to your goals much faster than any other path.
Track, baseball, or basketball, and long distance running....
Never give up your dream, serving your country is a very admirable goal.
PMclaine has given you absolute square advice you should copy paste and re-read several times. Several others have given you excellent advice. None have given you bad advice. I like what Conrad101 said, a lot.
Theis suggested you go "cryptology", and I would suggest you go into "intelligence" if you want something to assist you after in FBI, DIA, NSA, etc.
But, being the best you can be from now to graduating school, 4.0, no drugs, no alcohol, no pregnant whore, no criminal record of any kind, will get you to your goals much faster than any other path.
Track, baseball, or basketball, and long distance running....
Never give up your dream, serving your country is a very admirable goal.
Spend time in the woods, stalk wild animals, work on understanding the natural world, observe nature and how it works. You can be in great shape and a great shot, but if you can’t stalk or observe you will fail
And be in good shape, do the right thing every time, be the most hungry and willing marine everywhere you go, understand your goals and let them drive every decision and action in your life
Learn how to use a compass and map
Embrace the adventure called life
And be in good shape, do the right thing every time, be the most hungry and willing marine everywhere you go, understand your goals and let them drive every decision and action in your life
Learn how to use a compass and map
Embrace the adventure called life
I'm not a Marine so I can't go over specifically what you'd need or what you'd run into going that route. However, I've gone through sniper school as well as various others, as well as have instructed at the sniper school after 2 deployments prior to working on 2 more deployments for DoD as a contractor and 1 more for something else.
With that said; I still learn shit to this day in relation to shooting.
If there are 2 lessons I can sum everything up into, its that you don't know nearly as much as you think you do (goes for everyone) and that with the use of terrain, you can get to within 400m of any target.
If you think you know how to best do this, or you figured out a way to do something outside of what the instructed/accepted method is, don't try and bypass the instruction or think you know better. While your one method may work, there are reasons certain things are done certain ways; it may be because you are only looking at 1 step in a 25 step process where your method is now counter intuitive, or because you are now the ONLY person on your team/unit/platoon to do certain things a different way which will only lead to confusion and failure. People tend to find these things out the hard way at a steep price.
Certain instructors actually 'check' for things like this. Because if you can't follow basic instructions, who wants to trust you with specialized training, equipment and the responsibility of actually following directions when things really need to count? We had a guy get dropped on day 2 because when we were paired up and given specific direction on what to shoot, what corrections to give and how to specifically communicate with our partner in a way that was a bit cumbersome (on purpose, so they could tell if you followed it), a guy who knew it all just wanted to make hits and fuck working with his partner. While that guy could probably have been a great shooter, he was gone that day.
Shooting is maybe 1/3 of the total equation - and I'm not talking about shooting at 100 yards opff a bench in 70 degree weather. Start getting familiar and go physically do land nav (day and night), small unit recon, small unit tactics (read up on everything from basic SUT movement, to satellite patrolling, to small unit break contact drills to topo map reading (for different reasons than land nav).
You want to ace both your PT as well as score Expert in all of your shooting. These 2 things alone could take you out of any consideration; not sure how it works with the Marines, but I'm sure that even if you can get a contract guarantee to get to SS indoc or however the process works for the Marines, your PT and shooting scores could wreck it all. I'm sure someone will chime in on this and be able to tell you for certain as to how this works specifically for the Marines.
The real question is, why do you want to be a scout sniper? I know you said you 'want to serve your country', but you can also do that being a fobbit that stands guard outside the mess hall all day to tell me that my pants are too dirty to go in. So why specifically a scout sniper?
With that said; I still learn shit to this day in relation to shooting.
If there are 2 lessons I can sum everything up into, its that you don't know nearly as much as you think you do (goes for everyone) and that with the use of terrain, you can get to within 400m of any target.
If you think you know how to best do this, or you figured out a way to do something outside of what the instructed/accepted method is, don't try and bypass the instruction or think you know better. While your one method may work, there are reasons certain things are done certain ways; it may be because you are only looking at 1 step in a 25 step process where your method is now counter intuitive, or because you are now the ONLY person on your team/unit/platoon to do certain things a different way which will only lead to confusion and failure. People tend to find these things out the hard way at a steep price.
Certain instructors actually 'check' for things like this. Because if you can't follow basic instructions, who wants to trust you with specialized training, equipment and the responsibility of actually following directions when things really need to count? We had a guy get dropped on day 2 because when we were paired up and given specific direction on what to shoot, what corrections to give and how to specifically communicate with our partner in a way that was a bit cumbersome (on purpose, so they could tell if you followed it), a guy who knew it all just wanted to make hits and fuck working with his partner. While that guy could probably have been a great shooter, he was gone that day.
Shooting is maybe 1/3 of the total equation - and I'm not talking about shooting at 100 yards opff a bench in 70 degree weather. Start getting familiar and go physically do land nav (day and night), small unit recon, small unit tactics (read up on everything from basic SUT movement, to satellite patrolling, to small unit break contact drills to topo map reading (for different reasons than land nav).
You want to ace both your PT as well as score Expert in all of your shooting. These 2 things alone could take you out of any consideration; not sure how it works with the Marines, but I'm sure that even if you can get a contract guarantee to get to SS indoc or however the process works for the Marines, your PT and shooting scores could wreck it all. I'm sure someone will chime in on this and be able to tell you for certain as to how this works specifically for the Marines.
The real question is, why do you want to be a scout sniper? I know you said you 'want to serve your country', but you can also do that being a fobbit that stands guard outside the mess hall all day to tell me that my pants are too dirty to go in. So why specifically a scout sniper?
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We go through a school in Florida, so we are homeschooled but all grades are sent to a school in Florida that issues our diplomas.
We are not allowed to be involved in any martial arts, because if you know how to fight you start looking for fights, is the reasoning behind it.
Rgr all. Are you allowed to work a job ? What work skills are your parents teaching you ?
What future are they preparing you for ?
What are they encouraging you to do upon adulthood ?
Whatever the case, you have to survive to graduation with the highest possible standard you can achieve with the cleanest record you can have. With that you have a chance for a future of your own design.
vr
What future are they preparing you for ?
What are they encouraging you to do upon adulthood ?
Whatever the case, you have to survive to graduation with the highest possible standard you can achieve with the cleanest record you can have. With that you have a chance for a future of your own design.
vr
I know, I would rather be homeschooled then public, you have a lot more freedom with what you are doing and flexibility with different things.
My family runs a big resort, so my brothers and I do all the maintenance around it, that includes mowing, weedeating, all kinds of random jobs that go along with running a 2600 acre resort. So I have a little bit of experience with plumbing, woodworking, electrical(not much of that), and a little basic mechanical things. And after all the outside work is done there is always helping my sisters clean bedrooms inside(THE WORST).
My parents, As I have said before, don’t like the military and they are trying to get us to stay right around them with small time jobs, or starting businesses of our own.
My parents, As I have said before, don’t like the military and they are trying to get us to stay right around them with small time jobs, or starting businesses of our own.
I want to be a scout sniper because marines are the branch I like the most, I love sniping things at long distance, I love being out in nature, hiding in the woods is something that I have been doing most of my life with my brothers and that I really enjoy, so being a sniper is what I want to do, and in my personal opinion scouts are THE BEST snipers. So with all that I decided that I wanted to be a scout sniper. I know that most of what I think I know is not what they will teach, but I have taught my whole life that no matter what I think I know if I am told to do something, I better do it the way I was told, so even if I don’t agree with something it is still natural to me to obey.
@Redmanss would be a great person to talk to about this. I'd love to see him read everything you have written and weigh in here.
From my viewpoint, it would appear you have a better than 50% chance of getting your goal. I know people from several different walks of life with less preparation opportunity than you have that have done well where you wish to go.
However, it is going to hinge on "the needs of the service" where you will go in the Marine Corps, and how well you do in each stage of your advancement there. And that's totally up to you and how strong your desire to succeed is, and your ability to never give up.
Absolute best to you !
vr
From my viewpoint, it would appear you have a better than 50% chance of getting your goal. I know people from several different walks of life with less preparation opportunity than you have that have done well where you wish to go.
However, it is going to hinge on "the needs of the service" where you will go in the Marine Corps, and how well you do in each stage of your advancement there. And that's totally up to you and how strong your desire to succeed is, and your ability to never give up.
Absolute best to you !
vr
Does anyone know if you can get 0317 (SS MOS) as a primary MOS now (opposed to a secondary? When I was in 2/8 (2009-2013) as an 0311, the SS platoon would recruit guys to run the INDOC. This being said, your platoon generally wouldn't let you try out if you were either a complete turd, or shit hot. At least mine wouldn't. They didn't want the embarrassment of sending someone who wouldn't complete the INDOC, nor would they want to give up someone who they feel they would need on the next deployment. That was at least my experience. All else being said, my 2cents is that the Marine Corps in general (bootcamp, SOI, fleet) is mostly mental. I didn't feel that bootcamp was physically tough, it was more of not loosing your focus when your DI's were coming down on you. If I had to do it over, it would just seem silly, as most of my DI's came from being admin, motor-t, etc, and had no actual combat experience. Running is key to pt. I maxed out all but my last PFT (body was broken as well as getting ready to EAS and didn't care) and the 3 mile run time is by far the hardest to max out. IMO 20 pull ups and 100 crunches was way too easy for max points, but whatever. If you can run 3 miles in 18 minutes, you probably can do the pull ups and crunches also. The wash-out rate of the STA INDOC was not that high either. Sniper school, from what I saw, was a different story. Land nav is a critical skill, that most Marines are terrible at. Be able to read a topo map, and be able to use a map and compass in the dark. Map reading is easy out west where there is actual terrain, but in coastal NC where the elevation changes 2 ft over the entire base, it is a little more difficult. There is life after the military, despite what I keep hearing. In my 4 years, I went on 2 combat deployments and saw plenty, and I function just fine. People will tell you that infantry doesn't translate out to real-world skills, but it sure as hell helped get me my wildlife biologist job. The military is about way more than learning to shoot and run.
Try to find people that have either been in the shoes you are wanting to fill, or are at least in the military now. This forum is good for a lot of things (centered around shooting) but I take a lot of what you have read here in stride. It would be like me telling you how to become a truck driver, when I have never been one. I can tell you to get your CDL and learn how to drive stick, but I have no idea what the job is actually like. The military isn't even the same as when I was in, and it has not even been a decade. Peace time Marine Corps is a different beast from OIF/OEF Marine Corps. That's one of the main reason so many of us left when we did.
In closing, if it is something you feel you need to do, then do it. It doesn't matter what anyone on here thinks (in that regard). I have met way more people who have said they regretted not joining the military than those who wished they hadn't. If it is something you feel you need to do, and you do what others tell you instead, you will spend your life wondering "what if?"
Best of luck to you
Josh
Try to find people that have either been in the shoes you are wanting to fill, or are at least in the military now. This forum is good for a lot of things (centered around shooting) but I take a lot of what you have read here in stride. It would be like me telling you how to become a truck driver, when I have never been one. I can tell you to get your CDL and learn how to drive stick, but I have no idea what the job is actually like. The military isn't even the same as when I was in, and it has not even been a decade. Peace time Marine Corps is a different beast from OIF/OEF Marine Corps. That's one of the main reason so many of us left when we did.
In closing, if it is something you feel you need to do, then do it. It doesn't matter what anyone on here thinks (in that regard). I have met way more people who have said they regretted not joining the military than those who wished they hadn't. If it is something you feel you need to do, and you do what others tell you instead, you will spend your life wondering "what if?"
Best of luck to you
Josh
Do HS kids still take the ASVAB? Kids that scored well on that and the SAT in the past were offered many options of service.
I think the OP needs to focus on educational excellence. Education opens doors that are (unfairly) closed to those who don't excel on standardized test or otherwise failed to show the ability to learn in other ways.
I think the OP needs to focus on educational excellence. Education opens doors that are (unfairly) closed to those who don't excel on standardized test or otherwise failed to show the ability to learn in other ways.
I would confirm that this is normal thinking by a unit.
I figured. It was never my dream to be a scout sniper, but after standing duty with a Cpl from STA (as a brand new boot in the fleet), I decided I wanted to try out. I was told no. I'll let others speculate whether I was a turd or shit hot. End result of that conversation was the same either way. I have comfort in knowing he didn't laugh in my face when I asked at least.
Congrats on your job/degree my son wanted to do that but went with Pipe Fitters apprentice program. Being a young NCO and responsible in charge of a squad/section helped him a lot confidence wise and cultivating supervisory skills.
Thanks, I appreciate it. The military opens up a lot of opportunities that they don't tell you about in SEPS/TAPS when you are discharging. I left a well paying career field to join the Marine Corps, intending on doing my 4 years and picking up where I left off. I tried that, and was so bored and restless when I returned to a job I had only gotten into for the pay/security, that I went back to school and got another degree. This job doesn't pay half of what my previous one did (it was construction safety) but I actually enjoy going to work and I have plenty of time to spend with family.
Your last sentence is key. It was my leadership billets that opened up a lot of doors. Employers not only loved that I had a ton of life experience and maturity, but that I had led people in stressful environments. When you put those skills up against the average attitude and work ethic of my generation (I'm 32), jobs practically fall into your lap. My field is very competitive, in that a lot of people want to do it, but there are few openings and it usually takes several unpaid internships before you are competitive for even a temporary seasonal job. Thanks to my military experience, I walked right into a paid internship with full benefits while I was working on my degree, that converted to a permanent position when I graduated.
Your son chose well. My older brother initially went to school for my field, but switched to civil engineering when he realized how hard it can be to get a job in the wildlife field. Given the shortage of skilled laborers in the workforce, your son should have no problem finding work and a good paycheck.
That information is not correct, GED holders are able to enlist into the United States Army, I cannot speak for the other branches. His home school diploma would be sufficient to enlist into the Army after a tier evaluation was completed by his recruiter. The recruiter’s battalion educational services specialist would review necessary documentation and approve him for enlistment. Currently an Active Duty Army Recruiter. Prior to this gig I was a Sniper in the Infantry and an Infantry Squad Leader so I’ve got some good info for the kid.
Yes they can take the test at school it is labeled the SASVAB. They also are able to take the PICAT and test verify at their local MEPS. Taking the test at the school is highly recommended as that score will not count against you whether you pass or fail.
Thanks for the mention. I'm in a school for my job and pretty busy, so I don't get around the different parts of the Hide near as much as I would like and didn't see it.
I'll read through the thread and get to this later this evening.
So, I am going to hijack this thread because now I have a question. How do you tell the army that you want to be a sniper because you want to kill people and not look like a complete fucking lunatic? I’m serious.
The reason I ask is because my interview with the FBI after I got my MBA. They asked me why I wanted to join the FBI and I told him because I wanted to be on the hostage rescue team and their eyes rolled back in their head and basically the interview was over.
I suspect the trick is to get in the system and let them suggest the obvious to you. Hey your high speed,a good shot and have attention to detail. Have you thought about...
I suspect that may be the case for most snipers. I can’t imagine anyone who starts out with the goal of wanting to be a sniper is going to pass the psychological exam.
The reason I ask is because my interview with the FBI after I got my MBA. They asked me why I wanted to join the FBI and I told him because I wanted to be on the hostage rescue team and their eyes rolled back in their head and basically the interview was over.
I suspect the trick is to get in the system and let them suggest the obvious to you. Hey your high speed,a good shot and have attention to detail. Have you thought about...
I suspect that may be the case for most snipers. I can’t imagine anyone who starts out with the goal of wanting to be a sniper is going to pass the psychological exam.
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You're parents sound like a pair of ignorant hilljacks who know absolutely fucking nothing about the world or the people in it beyond their little mennonite/amish/quaker town in the middle of nowhere.
Good for you! I swore in to be and 11B on my 17th b-day and celebrated my 18th b-day at the gas chamber in Ft. Benning, GA. Having been there and done, if I could make three recommendations to make to my 16 year old self would be:
- Listen to mom and take trigonometry serious. That math foundation will make everything easier.
- Learn to love running. It doesn’t have to suck and will make things so much easier.
- Master the pushup and pull-up before arriving at basic training.
There is lots of other good advice above, but these are three things that would have, for me, made the hard stuff that much easier.
add another person that agrees.
the line aint going to willingly give up their backbone. shitbirds usually get shuffled around...many end up being drivers or sent to hhc. i knew our scout platoon guys pretty well. and to be 100% honest, i wasnt overly impressed. a few really good guys...but overall, they were no where near the cream of the crop.
these days it seems popular to claim or aim for a sniper slot. aint aint saying it’s a good thing or a bad thing.
for those that had the chance, and did, i think that is great. but there are so many ways to excel and really make a difference in the world. and that is the great thing about the service....you get far more from it than it takes from you. that is why us veterans dont say much of anything when someone says “thanks for your service”.
any mos in the military is an honorable one. do your part, no matter what it is, and you are part of the team. this country wouldnt exist if it were not for generations of young americans just like you.
keep us post.
I may not not agree with my parents on everything, but that doesn’t give you the right to talk about them like they are shit, they are still my parents and you don’t know them.
Well, thanks for your contributions to this young man. I think we all agree you can go now.
The son of a disabled Viet Nam Vet once dreamed of becoming a SEAL like his daddy was. His dad shared with me how his son was training to be the best he could be while he was still in high school taking classes he thought he’d need as well as all the PT so his mind and body was ready. The issue came in boot. He never made it through and was discharged. All his life the only thing he ever dreamed of was to be a SEAL. Left with a broken dream and nowhere else to go he started doing drugs.
Be smart, you’re still young. Think of 3-things you want to accomplish in life. Add scout sniper to the list. What makes you feel the best if scout sniper wasn’t available.
You can prepare yourself physically however you’d better be prepared mentally as well.
Be smart, you’re still young. Think of 3-things you want to accomplish in life. Add scout sniper to the list. What makes you feel the best if scout sniper wasn’t available.
You can prepare yourself physically however you’d better be prepared mentally as well.
I'm not going to go all into depth on everything that's already been harped on, the other members here have done a fine job at mentioning the bulk of everything needed. I'll just touch on a few of the more important things as reinforcement, and add a few of my own.
Background wise of myself, I was USMC '92-'06, graduated Scout Sniper Basic Course in '95, Advanced Course in '01. I was also a recruiter from '03-'06. Much of what I know and went through is dated, so verification with someone still in would be helpful for the latest and greatest. Anyone who might still be in that sees something I write that's incorrect to how things are done now but doesn't want to post on the thread, shoot me a PM because the last thing I want to do is give someone bad gouge. I used to keep close tabs on the community through Facebook, but I smoked that shit a year ago and as a consequence I just don't have that inside track anymore.
For fitness, think endurance with weight. Rucks run 100+ lbs, but doesn't mean you have to be there now. You're young, your muscles are still in their middle stages of maturation, so what you lay down in them will set the foundation for what your body will be capable of later in life, but you don't have to be all that right now. In other words, build yourself gradually, the only goal is to beat your most recent PR, and above all don't hurt yourself in the process by trying to do everything now. Study up on proper training techniques, stretching, and core strength building. Run, hike (with a load), bike, swim (even snipers have to swim well), etc for cardio endurance training. Upper body and all is every bit as important too. Can't say I agree with not lifting weights, just keep the goal for endurance rather than mass and weights are an excellent way to train. Just be fit overall, boot camp and the rest handles it from there.
Knowledge wise, be a good student of the world. Reading Hemingway is every bit as important as Hathcock. Good foundations in all the core subjects is vital, but you don't have to be a genius. The biggest thing is being able to think critically, quickly, and make a gut decision based on being a student of life. ASVAB wise, there's study guides for that, but math and reading are the core elements of the test.
Shooting wise, relax with all the long range stuff, especially if you're not working with good equipment due to funds. Can't hit shit at long range with a $400 rig and Walmart ammo? Nobody can, the equipment isn't up to the job. Shoot with the .22 and some good SV ammo, head over to the Rimfire Forum for details on how to get the most out of what you have, and have fun with it. But otherwise, the shooting part is the easiest of anything in becoming a Marine Sniper.
Fieldcraft, land navigation certainly gets another mention from me. I learned how to read a topo map and run a compass as a Boy Scout, it absolutely paid off for me down the road. The rest of it, just be comfortable in the bush and learn to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Don't worry about calling in supporting arms and all the other stuff mentioned, there's more than enough time to worry about that shit later. Map and compass is the important part here, GPS is a crutch.
Now for actually getting around to joining, without your parents' support you're obviously waiting until you're 18, that just gives you time to get your ducks in a row. Not all recruiters lie just like not all lawyers are full of shit, the bad ones make a bad name for the rest. USMC recruiters only have the mission to get people to boot camp and make them Marines, there's zero obligation to fill any specific MOS field like the other services have, but there's of course limits on how many slots there are for each OccField. Just understand you're only going to get a possibility to get to Sniper School if you're Infantry. Even MARSOC has their own course and it isn't the 0317 giving one, so that is not a path to get there. Not being in a regular school it will be difficult to talk to a recruiter on the side, nor will one give you much time while you're still under age anyhow. When the time comes go see the recruiter, tell them what you want, make sure you get infantry, and be ready to either depart right away (a week isn't out of the realm of real possibility for MEPS physical to ship date) or wait long enough to get what you want.
Summing it all up, the ones who make it to and through Scout Sniper School are the ones who have drive, heart and never quit. They don't have to be studs, don't have to be geniuses, just have to keep going. One of the best guys I ever served with was 5'3" and 120 lbs, was born premature to the point he lived his first half year of life in a NICU, and he wasn't exactly deciding between CalTech and USMC either. He got dropped into our platoon straight out of SOI and because we had an extra school seat, he went off to school about as green as it gets. The man graduated from a class that had a 60% attrition rate, and he rocked shit as an ATL/TL for his entire time in. All of us doubted him at first, he proved every one of us wrong.
Fuck the critics.
Background wise of myself, I was USMC '92-'06, graduated Scout Sniper Basic Course in '95, Advanced Course in '01. I was also a recruiter from '03-'06. Much of what I know and went through is dated, so verification with someone still in would be helpful for the latest and greatest. Anyone who might still be in that sees something I write that's incorrect to how things are done now but doesn't want to post on the thread, shoot me a PM because the last thing I want to do is give someone bad gouge. I used to keep close tabs on the community through Facebook, but I smoked that shit a year ago and as a consequence I just don't have that inside track anymore.
For fitness, think endurance with weight. Rucks run 100+ lbs, but doesn't mean you have to be there now. You're young, your muscles are still in their middle stages of maturation, so what you lay down in them will set the foundation for what your body will be capable of later in life, but you don't have to be all that right now. In other words, build yourself gradually, the only goal is to beat your most recent PR, and above all don't hurt yourself in the process by trying to do everything now. Study up on proper training techniques, stretching, and core strength building. Run, hike (with a load), bike, swim (even snipers have to swim well), etc for cardio endurance training. Upper body and all is every bit as important too. Can't say I agree with not lifting weights, just keep the goal for endurance rather than mass and weights are an excellent way to train. Just be fit overall, boot camp and the rest handles it from there.
Knowledge wise, be a good student of the world. Reading Hemingway is every bit as important as Hathcock. Good foundations in all the core subjects is vital, but you don't have to be a genius. The biggest thing is being able to think critically, quickly, and make a gut decision based on being a student of life. ASVAB wise, there's study guides for that, but math and reading are the core elements of the test.
Shooting wise, relax with all the long range stuff, especially if you're not working with good equipment due to funds. Can't hit shit at long range with a $400 rig and Walmart ammo? Nobody can, the equipment isn't up to the job. Shoot with the .22 and some good SV ammo, head over to the Rimfire Forum for details on how to get the most out of what you have, and have fun with it. But otherwise, the shooting part is the easiest of anything in becoming a Marine Sniper.
Fieldcraft, land navigation certainly gets another mention from me. I learned how to read a topo map and run a compass as a Boy Scout, it absolutely paid off for me down the road. The rest of it, just be comfortable in the bush and learn to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Don't worry about calling in supporting arms and all the other stuff mentioned, there's more than enough time to worry about that shit later. Map and compass is the important part here, GPS is a crutch.
Now for actually getting around to joining, without your parents' support you're obviously waiting until you're 18, that just gives you time to get your ducks in a row. Not all recruiters lie just like not all lawyers are full of shit, the bad ones make a bad name for the rest. USMC recruiters only have the mission to get people to boot camp and make them Marines, there's zero obligation to fill any specific MOS field like the other services have, but there's of course limits on how many slots there are for each OccField. Just understand you're only going to get a possibility to get to Sniper School if you're Infantry. Even MARSOC has their own course and it isn't the 0317 giving one, so that is not a path to get there. Not being in a regular school it will be difficult to talk to a recruiter on the side, nor will one give you much time while you're still under age anyhow. When the time comes go see the recruiter, tell them what you want, make sure you get infantry, and be ready to either depart right away (a week isn't out of the realm of real possibility for MEPS physical to ship date) or wait long enough to get what you want.
Summing it all up, the ones who make it to and through Scout Sniper School are the ones who have drive, heart and never quit. They don't have to be studs, don't have to be geniuses, just have to keep going. One of the best guys I ever served with was 5'3" and 120 lbs, was born premature to the point he lived his first half year of life in a NICU, and he wasn't exactly deciding between CalTech and USMC either. He got dropped into our platoon straight out of SOI and because we had an extra school seat, he went off to school about as green as it gets. The man graduated from a class that had a 60% attrition rate, and he rocked shit as an ATL/TL for his entire time in. All of us doubted him at first, he proved every one of us wrong.
Fuck the critics.
@Redmanss you pretty much covered everything I would have said. Although I hail from the “Green Weanie” of the U.S. Army my experience as a sniper in battalion scouts was quite extensive prior to doing my Squad Leader time on the line. Been active duty Army for almost ten years now. Enlisted as an Airborne Infantryman back in 09 graduated the B4 course in September of 10. I really wanted to touch on what you said in the last portion of your write up, because I was that kid you described. Back when I was a PFC and said I wanted to go to Sniper tryouts I was 5’6 and weighed no shit 120lbs. I was laughed at ridiculed, and mocked by my peers and even some leaders who at the time I looked up to.
I had something though that they all didn’t. It was the same as the young Marine you described, heart, drive, and I never quit. I certainly was no genius, and I didn’t know shit I was a sponge because I wanted it that bad. I didn’t care to prove anyone wrong about their perceptions of me. That would all take care of itself in due time what I wanted to prove was nothing but to myself, that I had what it took, and fuck the haters and critics that said I couldn’t, or wouldn’t or never would be. The negativity was nothing more than fuel to me.
So I very much appreciated you sharing that because it’s true. I was never the biggest, strongest, fastest etc. but god damn I was not going to let a soul outwork me at nothing, and that took me a long way in the Sniper community within the Army.
People would scoff at the kid with glasses, but when they saw me go to work they saw three things they couldn’t take away or critique me on, work ethic, drive and desire. I didn’t have to prove nothing to nobody I let my actions do the talking. Then maybe occasionally I would give a little smirk in pure jest. @Ctowle if you posses those three things young man you will succeed in any facet of life you choose.
Fuck the critics.
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Well said. In about 40-50 years, you will truly know that people who talk like that can only feel good about themselves by denigrating others. The word "toxic" fits well; no matter what else they offer, no matter what skills they have, no matter how charming the first impression, they are poison where it counts most, they poison everyone unfortunate enough to trust them, and the usual end result is they grow old alone and bitter. I've seen it a lot. It's hard not to get sucked into their vitriol; your response was wise beyond your years.
I didn’t become a sniper or want to become a sniper to kill people. Just like those that joined the FBI after your interview didn’t join the FBI to get on the HRT team.
Everyone of us have our own reasons for doing what we do, whether it is in the military, police force or working for a three letter and none of it involves a want or desire to take another life. Does that happen yes is it a part of our job yes is it the highlight of our careers absolutely not.
There is so much more to this line of work. So no wanting to become a sniper in any line of work doesn’t mean someone is going to fail the psyche exam saying “I wanna be a sniper so I can kill people” does.
In other words 99 percent of the people breathing air.
One of my wifes friends made a comment regarding her sons thoughts of going .mil "I dont want him to waste his life".
Smart chick, writes books, works in med field, hasnt had her life ever touched by reality.
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