Iraq - snipers are for real

[rero360]

the question I always posed when I was over in Iraq was "who do you know it was a sniper and not just some joe blow with a rifle?" my squad leader would give us intel updates and it was all the same, troops shot at here, troops shot at there, sometimes hit, most of the time not.

I guess its really a matter of symantics but all the times i got shot at, some random guy with a rifle that didn't have a full mag. As far as I'm concerned our company was engaged by a sniper once. one of the guys in my platoon was on tower guard, round came thru the "bullet proof" glass thru his helmet and took a chunk out of his ear. my guess, from examining the glass later on was that it was a armor piercing 7.62x54R round, probably came from a group of houses that were about 300 meters away.

4v50 Gary: He probably couldn't keep the Dragunov because it'd considered a war trophy, probably a couple other regs against it as well. we captured a number of weapons and you can bring them back stateside but they have to be demilled and all that, and only to be put in a exibit at the armory or something like that. the unit can bring it back but the individual soldier can't. I tried with a 1945 Remington Rand 1911 that I found, and a brand new never been fired USA made berreta 92/96

 

[Draven32]

Jakeswensonmt: Kudos to your nephew, but why isn't he allowed to keep the Dragunov? It isn't full-auto.

Because the military doesn't allow trophy arms anymore.

 

[jjminch]

The weapons are either destroyed or re-issued to the Iraqi forces. Ditto on the unit being allowed to return with de-milled weapons.

 

[marksman13]

I would say most of the sniping in Iraq is done by the armed irregulars mentioned in the OP. Most of the times that we were engaged it was a few rounds from a place of concealment a couple hundred yards out. Only experienced two snipers who really knew what they were doing. One took three Iraqi Army soldiers from a roof while they ran around like chickens with their heads cut off. The other put a round into a brick wall about three inches in front of my face while we were conducting a dismounted patrol. I was running and I guess he led me a little too much. He then proceeded to take out our interpertor. A few TOW missiles ruined his day. I think that was the only time during that tour that I was really scared for my own life.

Snipers are no laughing matter. IEDs are deadly and they do have a psychological effect on soldiers, but the thought that someone is out there with you in his cross hairs is humbling.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I notice that category that "Sniper" attacks appear in also includes all other small arms. I'd like to see a further breakdown on which attacks are which.

Right, anyone taking a shot at soldiers from a concealed location, usually as an ambush tactic, is considered a sniper even if the shooter isn't actually a "sniper" but is sniping.

Jakeswensonmt: Kudos to your nephew, but why isn't he allowed to keep the Dragunov? It isn't full-auto.

Soldiers are not allowed to keep spoils of war. Technically, the captured rifle is US Property and not that of the individual soldier... sort of like cops can't personally keep guns and money taken from bad guys.

 

[JColdIron]

Chuikov of WW II did the same thing at Stalingrad. His phrase was grab the Germans by their belt buckles. At such close range, artillery could not be called because of fear of hitting one's own. Ditto with airpower. Then it boils down to who knows the terrain better and who is the better infantryman.

This only works if you are willing to reduce cities to rubble and incure massive civilian casulties and displacement. Worked for WWII but the world does not have the stomach for it these days. Iraq would be passified much more quickly if we were operatiing by those rules.

 

[BobbyQuickdraw]

Anyone here play video games? Then you'll know that while a Sniper, or a bunch of them, can be a pain and rack up good points, that team never wins the match.

Pot shots going on like this won't last forever. And while some Iraqis are probably fine shots, most of the guys taking the pops aren't. And from what I hear and read, most of the shots in Iraq are taken at about 75 yards or so, but in crowded areas where the guy can just disappear, with or without his $12 USD rifle.

But the real battle trained sniper will always be a force to be reckoned with. They're an asset, not a war winner.