<span style="font-weight: bold">Aussie serves with Stryker Brigade as a sniper</span>
DVIDS Hub
By Sgt. Fred Minnick
Tall Afar, Iraq -- In 2001, Spc. John Shore, 20, went to his hometown army recruiting station in Sydney, Australia, and requested a position in an Australian army combat arms unit. The recruiter told Shore that only combat support slots were available, but Shore didn't want to serve as an administrative specialist or a cook. He desired a life jam-packed with adventure and danger. He knew he wanted to be an infantry soldier.
Although he grew up in Australia, Shore had always held a dual citizenship because his father is an American citizen. Rather than waiting for an Australian army combat arms slot to open, Shore took advantage of his American citizenship and joined the U.S. Army in November of 2001 as an infantryman.
By joining a foreign army, Shore gave up his Australian citizenship.Three years after enlisting, the Aussie-American serves as a sniper in Tall Afar, Iraq, for the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team). Shore was trained by a fellow sniper in Company B and is proficient with the M24, M14 and M4 rifles.
According to his leaders, Shore has quickly become one of the most dependable snipers in the battalion.
"Shore has never turned down a mission," said Capt. Damien Mason, commander of Company B. "I can place him on any rooftop and feel confident that he will provide overwatch for my Soldiers."
As the infantry Soldiers dismount from Strykers, Shore and his fellow snipers look through their scopes searching for terrorists who might ambush the infantrymen or disrupt the mission. In urban environments, he scans the buildings and streets, providing overwatch for the infantry assaulting through the objective. In nine months, Shore has recorded two kills and injured one, all three of whom were enemies engaging or preparing to attack his fellow Soldiers.
"It's a nice feeling when we take out a terrorist, because I know that the person will not kill Multinational Forces or Iraqi forces," Shore said. He said he enjoys his position, but admits he has trouble understanding his enemy.
"I don't understand why the terrorists in Iraq continue to fight us, because we are here to facilitate economic stability and give them a better way of life," Shore said. "I have grown really close with my fellow Soldiers and I enjoy the way of life in America, so I will do everything I can to see that the terrorists do not succeed in their mission."
Mason said Shore's laid-back personality belies the fact that he is really a deep thinker."In addition to being a great Soldier and physically tough, Shore often has a different take on a situation than we do and always adds his witty sense of humor," he said. "The fact that he's Australian also helps him cope with being away from home, because when he was stationed at Fort Lewis, he was far away from home. So, he's used to the separation."
Shortly after Shore joined the Army, his father, John, mother, Vivien, and brother, Michael, moved to Cleveland, Ga. Shore said they are all supportive of him living his dream as a Soldier, even if it's not with his native country.
"I always wanted to be the good guy who fights the bad guys," he said. "And I'm doing that every day."
Specialist John Shore prepares to engage the enemy in Avgani, Iraq, Aug. 2, 2004. Shore is a sniper with Company B, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team). During operations in the western Ninevah province city of Avgani, Soldiers from the Stryker Brigade in conjunction with soldiers from the 102nd Iraqi National Guard Battalion seized unauthorized weapons and detained three terrorists suspected of attacks against Iraqi citizens and security forces. Terrorists have been suspected of using the city as a haven from which they conduct their attacks. The operation was designed to increase security in the Iraq-Syria border region. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Fred Minnick)
DVIDS Hub
By Sgt. Fred Minnick
Tall Afar, Iraq -- In 2001, Spc. John Shore, 20, went to his hometown army recruiting station in Sydney, Australia, and requested a position in an Australian army combat arms unit. The recruiter told Shore that only combat support slots were available, but Shore didn't want to serve as an administrative specialist or a cook. He desired a life jam-packed with adventure and danger. He knew he wanted to be an infantry soldier.
Although he grew up in Australia, Shore had always held a dual citizenship because his father is an American citizen. Rather than waiting for an Australian army combat arms slot to open, Shore took advantage of his American citizenship and joined the U.S. Army in November of 2001 as an infantryman.
By joining a foreign army, Shore gave up his Australian citizenship.Three years after enlisting, the Aussie-American serves as a sniper in Tall Afar, Iraq, for the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team). Shore was trained by a fellow sniper in Company B and is proficient with the M24, M14 and M4 rifles.
According to his leaders, Shore has quickly become one of the most dependable snipers in the battalion.
"Shore has never turned down a mission," said Capt. Damien Mason, commander of Company B. "I can place him on any rooftop and feel confident that he will provide overwatch for my Soldiers."
As the infantry Soldiers dismount from Strykers, Shore and his fellow snipers look through their scopes searching for terrorists who might ambush the infantrymen or disrupt the mission. In urban environments, he scans the buildings and streets, providing overwatch for the infantry assaulting through the objective. In nine months, Shore has recorded two kills and injured one, all three of whom were enemies engaging or preparing to attack his fellow Soldiers.
"It's a nice feeling when we take out a terrorist, because I know that the person will not kill Multinational Forces or Iraqi forces," Shore said. He said he enjoys his position, but admits he has trouble understanding his enemy.
"I don't understand why the terrorists in Iraq continue to fight us, because we are here to facilitate economic stability and give them a better way of life," Shore said. "I have grown really close with my fellow Soldiers and I enjoy the way of life in America, so I will do everything I can to see that the terrorists do not succeed in their mission."
Mason said Shore's laid-back personality belies the fact that he is really a deep thinker."In addition to being a great Soldier and physically tough, Shore often has a different take on a situation than we do and always adds his witty sense of humor," he said. "The fact that he's Australian also helps him cope with being away from home, because when he was stationed at Fort Lewis, he was far away from home. So, he's used to the separation."
Shortly after Shore joined the Army, his father, John, mother, Vivien, and brother, Michael, moved to Cleveland, Ga. Shore said they are all supportive of him living his dream as a Soldier, even if it's not with his native country.
"I always wanted to be the good guy who fights the bad guys," he said. "And I'm doing that every day."
Specialist John Shore prepares to engage the enemy in Avgani, Iraq, Aug. 2, 2004. Shore is a sniper with Company B, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team). During operations in the western Ninevah province city of Avgani, Soldiers from the Stryker Brigade in conjunction with soldiers from the 102nd Iraqi National Guard Battalion seized unauthorized weapons and detained three terrorists suspected of attacks against Iraqi citizens and security forces. Terrorists have been suspected of using the city as a haven from which they conduct their attacks. The operation was designed to increase security in the Iraq-Syria border region. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Fred Minnick)
