The Best Shot in Iraq

Peoples names and home towns, including soldiers, are published in news papers and television almost every single day. This is nothing new.

If he didn't want it out there he didn't have to post for the picture and story. There is nothing else to it.

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Folks are getting way too paranoid. Contrary to popular opinion there is not an Al Queda jihadist under every bed. What are we supposed to do, keep the names of medal recipients secret? It reminds me of the Vatican a few years ago naming some Bishops in an anti-catholic country (might have been China but I'm not sure) without publicly naming them.

"Hey Father Smith aren't you a Bishop now?" "Don't know what you are talking about and keep that mouth shut"

Contrary to popular opinion there is not an Al Queda jihadist under every bed.

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I can imagine it now.... some little girl 20 years ago:

"Daddy.... can you check under my bed? I think the boogieman is under there."

now

"Daddy.... can you check under my bed? I think the Taliban is under there."

Fella's:

"Daddy, why is that man forcing his way into the cockpit?" Tell me that didn't happen. You know it didn't because you were there? What's that N word again?

Just because an act of terrorism, or perhaps from their point of view, retribution, doesn't happen in the U.S. very often, or all the squashed plots don't make the news, you think it's a non-problem?

He's a staff sergeant, an E-6. Contrary to the popular belief of privates, SSG's do not sit on the right hand of God. He might very well not have had a choice in the matter of the publicity. Just supposing that because the Army publicized it makes it OK also, is a fallacy. Some of us BTDT & know better from practical experience.

900F

WOW, If your impressed with this..... go read "Marine Sniper:93 confirmed kills", the Carlos Hathcock story. In Nam he killed a dude at 2,000 yards with a .50 cal machine gun. He had his Urtle scope mounted to it. He actually more or less invented .50 cal sniping.

Any way, marksmen ship like this, a person is born with. I think it is more skill than luck!

Now, any anti-American who can access the net has his picture, his name, and his home town. This is not a good thing.

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yeah, ***.

unless of course, he's coming home soon.

What is the M24? I read in one of my books they said a M21 was a M14 that is gussied up for accuracy and sniping.

The M24 is based on the Remington 700 with the long action.

I was on the ground with the patrol, Co A, 2-69AR, when our element took fire from that sniper; who was quickly nuetralized by Shadow. Trust me, there is no sweeter sound than a 7.62 coming from the hotel.

Jorg said:

That would mean he was posing a left handed rifle since you can clearly see the forward assist. Also, a left-handed ACOG and the extremely rare left-handed PEQ-2.

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*snicker* Fortunately I wasn't taking a sip of the Coke can next to me when I read that. Well put, sir.

ctdonath said:

Interesting that the rifle he is posing with is not what he made the shot with.

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You know, that was my first thought when I looked at the picture as well.

rocinante said:

What is the M24? I read in one of my books they said a M21 was a M14 that is gussied up for accuracy and sniping.

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Cowgunner is exactly right. The M21, an accurized M14, was the primary sniper weapon until 1988. Then the military adopted the M24, which is basically a Remington 700 bolt-action rifle in .308 Winchester/7.62 NATO. The picture on the first page looks exactly like the M24s our snipers use.

The Wikipedia article on the M21 is available here.
The article on the M24 is available here.