Why a Sniper Must Remain Unseen
December 11th, 2007As is probably well known, the sniper has an important and difficult job. Many things are being asked of a sniper and all in a very limited time and place. The sniper must exhibit excellent skills in hiding, tracking and stealth. You must be able to hide unnoticed for as long as it takes to get that perfect shot on the prey but do so without being seen. In addition to being able to hold your position while being unseen, you also must be able to stay on the ready and get into position when the critical moment comes. You must be able to take this shot with deadly precision. A miss will reveal your location and cost you your stealth and element of surprise. There is no room for error. In addition to being able to get position and take this critical shot, the sniper must also be able to place the shot and then escape the position unseen and with their lives. A sniper in a ghillie suit is a one-man killing machine that must typically work alone. It will be called of you to think quickly on your feet and make important decisions while under immense pressure. However, you must also be still and patient, often waiting for very long periods of time for the target to be in position. So why must a sniper remain unseen? Being unseen is the very essence of being a sniper. When your cover is blown, your shot will be lost. Two of the sniper’s most important weapons are his accurate aim and his element of surprise in a ghillie suit. If the location of the sniper is revealed, his target will have opportunity to move, thus ruining the shot. In some cases, such as in war-type situations, it can actually cost the sniper his life if he is noticed in his sniper ghillie suit. In these cases, the sniper must remain unseen or he may be killed himself. If not killed, he could be taken into custody as a prisoner or war or otherwise tortured or imprisoned. Since snipers usually have to work alone, it’s very important that he trust himself, his own abilities and his environment. Remaining unseen is vital to a sniper’s success, no matter what type of sniper it is. As you can see above, if the sniper is seen, it can cost him his kill or even his life. This is why it is so important for the sniper to learn ways to remain unseen while out in his environment.