Flashback: Sniper Training

It was another hot day on the base as I made my way toward the shooting range. I had to work on my pistol work but my rifle work was perfect. I had my rifle slung over my shoulder, grinning as I made my way across the base. My beret was set into place on my head, my body covered in the green and brown fatigues that the army were known for. I signed in and got ammo from the private working the counter. Taking the ammo I went to my range area before loading the clip. Slapping it into place I smile, and pull the slide out, loading a round, before slipping the slide forward again and locking it into place with a twist to the right. I slip the tripod out on the barrel and lay down on the grass. I slide my eye up to the scope. My left eye loses as I lay there, breathing slowly.

I took aim slowly the sights coming up slowly toward the various targets they had set up. I waited patiently, taking careful aim before I fired, the bullet tearing into the bullseye at the top. I take a moment to adjust the sights lightly. I unlock the slide and pull it back, ejecting the bullet, before slamming it forward again, chaimbering another round, before locking the slide again. I breathe slowly, taking my time, as I stare at the target. I feel the wind against my skin and slowly begin adjusting my aim. I shift a bit to my left, into the wind.

When it comes to an object hanging in the air, the earth moves below it. It moves below all of us at a speed of roughtly four hundred and sixty-five meters per second. When it's something hanging in the air, regardless of how fast it moves, it is always affected by this and any other things getting in the way. Rain could hamper a sniper more than just throwing your aim off. Water has a higher resistance than air, so it can slow your bullet down. You might lose the ability to take your target out, though any sniper truly taking out a target in the rain would have other. Even the wind can throw your bullet off by a few inches if it's strong enough. But snipers were always trained to compensate.

I breathe slowly taking deep breath before exhaling. As I feel my lungs empty I pull the trigger, firing into the wind, the bullet slamming into the bullseye as I breath in. I smile and wait for the wind to die. There are even flags sticking out of the targets to insure that while we might not feel the wind, we can see it there. I cycle the rounds again, before locking the slide again. I continue to breathe slowly as I sit there, waiting for the rest of my squad. I'm not an expert, but I've been doing my homework. And then some. I've always found the role of a sniper somewhat fun.

(510/500)

I fire the last round I bought as I feel a hand tap my shoulder. I glance up and lift the required safety glasses and remove my ear plugs. I smile up at my sniping instructor as I get off the ground. I slip the clip from the rifle and lock the slide back. I stand as I slip the rifle over my shoulder and wait for the rest of the class to show up as we wait.

"So how do you think your shooting was?" he asks me as he sets a pair of binoculars down.

It's obvious he's seen the grouping. My skills were good but I wasn't ready for the field. I was a good soldier, skilled with a weapon used to orders. But I wasn't the top of this class, not yet at least. I was going to work and get better than every member here. Then again I wasn't working to my full potential in the class. If I had known my teacher was here I never would have shot so well. I didn't want them to know I was working in private to get better. I was somewhat in the middle, but wanted to know I was the best just for myself. I wanted to know for me. Not for anyone else.

"Well I think it was okay. With some more training I ought to be able to get a tighter grouping. I'm getting there, sir." I respond, staring at him.

"Interesting. You've been practicing alone then? I don't like it when my students hold back. It makes me reevaluate them and makes me do more work." he said.

"True but I'm not due to be evaluated for a while, sir. If you'll leave it be, I'd prefer to get better before my evaluation." I say, smiling at him gently.

"You really are an idiot aren't you?" he asked.

"No sir. I just prefer to know for myself. If you choose to do it that way, then go for it. If you would prefer to let me keep this to myself I would appreciate it."

"You know I can't do that Doji. But I'll wait until your evaluation. That's when I'll make my report. And if by then you're performing like this I'll be reporting it. And I'll be having the range watched so when you're out here we'll know."

I grumble lightly to myself. I wont disagree with my superior. I'm too good a soldier for that. I know he'll respect my wishes until it's time for my evaluation. But now he'll know if I hold back. I have to be much more careful if I intend to get better without showing it. If I stick where I'm at now I might have a shot. But I want to be the best.

"So what are we doing today sarge?" I ask, looking at my instructor.

"When everyone gets here I'll explain. Until then you'll have to wait. But I think you'll like it." he responds, smiling at me.

That knowing smile. He knows me pretty damned well for someone I hadn't met until the day I arrived for sniper training. But that's the point he does know me. And he knows I'll like and if he thinks I'll like this I probably will. Kids these days don't know how lucky they have it. They play video games about war, and don't realize how much of it is real and what of it is fake. War as a video game. What better way to raise the perfect soldier? There is no better way.

(599/500)

As the others begin to gather I sit there, my rifle in my lap as I wait patiently. My eyes are closed as I mentally focus myself, readying for whatever may be coming. Snipers had to be in the right mind set in order to work their magic. But when it came down to it all you had to do was pull a trigger. That's all it ever required. But without the right state of mind you were never going to be able to pull that trigger. You had to be able to knowingly, and expertly, take the life of another human being. One shot one kill. But that phrase is used far too often. Snipers in the world used countless tricks to insure they were always ready. Psychological warfare, sound, light. Everything around you was a potential weapon that the sniper used against you. That's what our missions were about. Using everything to our advantages. Police snipers were good, used to take out weapons or armed suspects durring hostage situations. But military snipers had to be that and more. We had to be able to infiltrate and observe. We had to be able to wait like cats. To watch and wait until it was time. We had to be given permission to take out the targets.

Shot placement, targets, relocating and sound masking. All of these were part of a sniper's training. You had to be careful. As military snipers we're trained to take body shots. The objetive was to drive the bullet through the target's heart, or lungs. Or if non-lethal orders were issued, you had no choice but to take limb shots. We were also trained to take the head off, but that was the less likely option. It was harder to hit and most people believed that snipers only ever went for it. So it was still the hardest place to hit, especially when a hostage is taken.

We are also trained to take out the people in charge. Military officers liked to stand out unless on the battle field. Now a days nobody saluted a military officer on the battlefield. When it came to marching soldiers you had to find the one person that looked least like the person in charge. On the battle field insignias and rank were removed. Everyone looked like everyone else. Commonly officers made themselves stand out as normal soldiers by reading maps or even using the radios while making it look like someone else was giving the orders. A good officer, however, didn't let himself be dragged into either one. They didn't reveal themselves until they were safely away from the snipers.

They were always the first to be picked off. With most sniper rifles, there was no way to cover up the sound with a silencer. They slowed the bullet so the high caliber shells designed to pierce armor couldn't do it sometimes. That's what sound masking was for. Utilizing whatever came your way. A thunderstorm. Fireworks. The roar of a crowd in a baseball stadium. Even the blare of instruments durring a national anthem. Hell if done on the street right it could be made to sound like a car that backfired.

(534/500)

We all circle around our instructor, all of the squad waiting to hear what he had to say. I was so bored with waiting. I hated waiting. Patients was not my strongest virtue. Unless, of course, I was waiting to take someone out. I don't know, maybe there's something wrong with me. I enjoy my job, and enjoy ding it a lot. I can't wait unless I'm getting ready to pull the trigger. Maybe it's some kind of lightsaber complex. Don't ask me where I got the expression. Every child wants a lightsaber like the Jedi in the Star Wars movies, but they don't want the passive things that come with being like them. I don't know. It's ackward. A better analogy might be like a blackbelt. They've mastered their fighting styles and techniques, but they can't wait for someone to come up and start some shit so they can wipe the floor with them. It's strange. I learn everything I can about my gun and here I am comparing it to unarmed combat.

"Alright boys and girls. We're going to be practicing for the war games. You'll all be assigned to five man teams. Let's go." he said, motioning for us to follow him.

We followed him off the training field, all of us climbing into a truck. As it drove away I grabbed the edge of my seat to avoid falling out of the back. I close my eyes as we're transported. I don't know how this training will go but if he thinks I'll like it we'll have to wait and see what it is he has to surprise us with. My eyes open as the truck comes to a stop.

"Fall out and line up. You're going to be picking out different cards. You each get thirty seconds. When you come up with the best hands shoot them out." he said, handing out clips.

Each clip only had five bullets in it but it didn't matter. I slapped it into place and crouched. I raised my rifle and peered through the scope. I spotted the Ace of Hearts first and pulled the trigger. I scanned the lines quickly, they were completely random. Spotting the Queen of Hearts I pulled the trigger again, the shot taking out her head. I breathed slowly and fired a third and fourth time. All I needed was the ten and I'd have the Royal Flush.

"Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven..." came the instructor's voice.

I saw it and took aim, steadying my hands as I breathed out and pulled the trigger. And missed! I'd hit the Ace of Spades right next to it! I lowered my rifle and muttered to myself as I ejected the empty clip and sid the slide back, locking it in place.

"I lose have two aces..." I say as one of the others step up.

I'd lost the round so durring the war games I'd probably end up being a spotter. If I hadn't panicked... I would have done much better. I sit in the back of the truck as we head back for the base, everyone having a good laugh but myself.

"WHO ARE WE!?" Sarge calls out to us from the cab.

"WE ARE HARD, TOUGH, RUTHLESS KNIGHTS! ROUGH, RAW, READY TO FIGHT! HIT THE FLOOR, HARD TO THE CORE! REPRESENT THREE TWO FOUR! HOOAH, KNIGHTS! HOOAH, KNIGHTS! HOOAH, KNIGHTS!" we all chant at the top of our lungs in unison.

(577/500)

The next day I found myself walking with my friends from the dorms, grinning as I shrug my rifle off my shoulder. I climb into a waiting helicopter, grinning as I sat and locked the em sixteen carbine into place beside my seat. I lock it down, before taking the clip out. The empty clip in hand I pull a handful of bullets from the pocket of my combat vest. I load the clip to maximum before slipping it into the breast pocket of my vest. I take another empty clip out and begin loading it while the others do the same as the helicopter lifts. The war games are on. My terrible hand during our sniper exercise meant I was the spotter for a shooter who was sitting across from me. The helicopter was going to drop us into place and we had five minutes from there to get ready.

Ramirez, my partner is a brilliant soldier. He's very skilled, the third in the class. He smiles at me as he loads his sniper rifle. My carbine is in case I have to do grunt work to protect the sniper or in a situation. Both of us have scopes, and full combat gear. Our side arms and three clips for the pistols are on our belt. I finish loading the second clip and slap it into place in the carbine before pulling the latch back, cycling a round, before nodding. The door opens and we hear Green Light, over our headphones.

Climbing from my seat I kick a rope out of the chopper and clip our bags into place. I clip myself onto the rope and slide down grinning. Ramirez slides the bags down to me one by one and I take them off. He follows shortly after, and another soldier pulls the rope up. Slinging my bag over my shoulder I raise my carbine and begin leading slowly toward the nearest treeline.

"So why did you throw the card game?" Ramirez asked as we went.

His pistol is drawn and his rifle is over his shoulder beside his bag. I just shake my head as we go, my eyes glancing left and right as I make my way into the woods.

"I didn't throw it. I really fucked up and shot the ace." I said.

"Doesn't feel like that. You're a good shot. It's not like you to panic." he said.

"I'm not the type to panic. But I wanted the top slot. I knew nobody else could put the Royal together. Don't worry though. I'll cover you. We'll get our targets and go home."

He just smiled at me as we made our way to the compound that the other side was using as their 'hidden' base of operations. The sniper's jobs were to call in the coordinates of three specific targets and take them out when the 'green light' order was given. Until then we were to remain out of sight, and out of mind.

(500/500)