Adopt A Sniper

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It sucks that a website like that even needs to exist. We have the strongest military in the world and these guys can't even get bare essentials.
 
Yeah I know - Cynical...

But after perusing the site I came away with a real sense of something's fishy about the whole thing.

Can't put my finger on it but something's just not right...
 
This isn't just for military snipers: "We are active local, state, and federal police snipers as well as snipers from the various military branches."

Maybe Lon Horiuchi needs to update his gear.
 
Hello,

Brian K. Sain here from the Adoptasniper site.

Just thought I'd drop by and say hello. Fellas (Ladies) I am a working police detective in a city of 54,000. I have been a SWAT sniper for 16 years. I write a bi-monthly column for Police Marksman magazine on LEO sniping and teach when asked to.

Adoptasniper was pretty much my idea although many people are helping with it now.

If my creds are an issue, please contact police dispatch at 409-983-8663 or my boss Lt. Troy LeBouef at 409-983-8629.

If you decide to call, please be polite as this REALLY IS my boss and dispatch office of the Port Arthur, Texas Police Department.

This program is real. There is no theft or scam involved. Staffed entirely by active, operational police snipers/sniper trainers across the US.

Feel free to contact me 409-93-8643 or visit the forum at www.adoptasniper.org

It is not a political forum however.

We support military snipers period. We are LE snipers for the most part. Some of us are both and have been called up. No conspiracies here.

Want some REAL payback for 9/11? ... www.adoptasniper.org is the place.

Respectfully,


Brian K. Sain, Advisory Board
American Sniper Association
Police Marksman Association

www.americansniper.org - directors and staff
www.policemarksman.com - Tactical Marksman column
www.portarthurpd.com - investigations and SWAT
 
Hello Brian and thank you so much for stopping by and providing your credentials.

I hope to make donations soon.


Thank you for your service, your efforts, and welcome to THR. I hope you stick around. :)
 
It sucks that a website like that even needs to exist. We have the strongest military in the world and these guys can't even get bare essentials.
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I agree. However, I found this on the website:



Q: Why isn't the government buying these things?

A: The commitment in OEF/OIF is huge. Snipers need different and expensive gear than is required by many other troops. This can cause problems when the military tries to maintain a perfectly uniform dress code and the snipers end up doing without. The logistics of running the US military are staggering and snipers are just one small spoke in a very big wheel. We just try and relieve some of the burden from the snipers themselves and also from their families.
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This is a very good group. Sain is a great guy and known in the police sniper community. Good program. It is not right that it is needed.
 
Now this is a tax write off that I can support! Sad we have to see a charitable organization set up to give these guys the things they should already have. I guess Rummy's doctrine in fighting a war on the cheap leads to this. However, there are other examples in history where the people had to donate items to their fighting troops. Things really never change.
 
It sucks that a website like that even needs to exist. We have the strongest military in the world and these guys can't even get bare essentials.
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Lemme try to explain both sides of the issue.

The military tends to think people are similiar and interchangable. It's not easy to provide "one size fits all" all equipment when people tend to be very different.

Also, individual equipment for ground troops is not "sexy". Stealth Bombers and aircraft carriers are sexy. Congresscritters are interested in getting major contracts for such projects in their backyard and like seeing production facilities for major projects that look nifty. Most Congresscritters are not as likely to visit a factory that makes boots or gloves. Boots and gloves are not considered "sexy" in funding terms, despite the fact that most people in the military consider boots more important than a Stealth bomber.

Remember, Congress decides what money is spent on what. The military can only make recommendations. I'm not gonna even touch on defense contractors bribing errrr, "convincing" Congresscritters and DoD civilians to buy crap products or overlook massive cost overruns.

(Hint, look at a list of "consultants" at big defense contractors that are former Congresscritters or DoD civilians making hundreds of thousands of dollars.)



On the flip side, it's bloody well annoying when you need to buy your own kit to do your job. Every soldier I know invests heavily in their own equipment. I don't know a single soldier that doesn't buy his/her own boots as the issued ones tend to suck. The active duty Army loves to give ancient equipment to the National Guard or Reserves and bill the NG/Reserves at brand new rates.

I bought my own boots, gloves, CamelBak, extra magazines, plenty of my own tools, batteries, electronics, etc etc. It's annoying. Every soldier does it.
 
Perhaps the first thing would be a few .50 cal rifles and the training to use them properly like the ones used by the CF. Our guys did just fine with issue kit, but I'd bet they'd rather select their own personal kit. I really can't imagine any sniper wanting a heavy "flak" vest for doing what they do. A 'care' package full of gum, chocolate bars(asked the local CF guys if chocolate travels. They said yes. CF rules won't let me send a box to just any troopie. ) etc, yes, just like any other troopie, but operational kit, no. Except maybe for nomex gloves.
 
Our guys did just fine with issue kit,
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I'm not an expert on Canadian Forces issue kit, so the snipers may have been using the issue kit. However, I do remember the liasion officer from 3rd PPCLI to Task Force Rakkasan (an artillery Captain), using a kit that he had special ordered prior to deploying. He also ordered some other stuff while there in Kandahar. I remember he didn't have a credit card with him, so my LT let him charge it to his card and the LNO gave him cash for it.

BTW, he never told me where he got the kit, but it was really sweet. It was even done in CADPAT. The front of it had a panel that would fold down to place a map and compass onto, kind of like a small table attached to his chest. The panel was held in place by hook and loop fasteners.

As for the Adopt a sniper program, it looks like a great idea. I'll have to see what I can scrape together and send a few things in for the guys on the front line.
 
Back in the '70s, weren't the blissninnies saying it would be a great day when we were giving the schools tons of money and we had to hold a bake sale for the military? Guess they're happy now.
 
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