Hunters: U.S. Snipers in the War on Terror

Hunters: U.S. Snipers in the War on Terror by Milo S. Afong Read Free Book Online

Book: Hunters: U.S. Snipers in the War on Terror by Milo S. Afong Read Free Book Online
Authors: Milo S. Afong
Tags: Ebook, US-Army, afghanistan, Sniper, SEALs, USMC, Iraq, Specops, USN
strobe lights flashing from their vehicles.
    The next missions were much the same. As forces built up at FOB Rhino, the snipers were given vehicles to operate with. Baker’s team was issued a Humvee to move out farther for early warning detection. Besides meaning they didn’t have to walk, the vehicle let them carry a week’s worth of chow, water, and ammo. For concealment, they positioned the Humvee in a crevice with camouflaged netting covering it. That week, the only thing they saw was camels with bells attached to their necks. Baker eventually realized that very few people lived in the Registan Desert and that they were not likely to find enemy fighters. The mission felt almost like a combined arms exercise in Twenty-nine Palms, California, but when they returned to base, Baker learned that his team was headed north.
    The snipers were directed to provide more early warning detection for a forward patrol base. They would be closer to Kandahar, a major city, and the possibility of action was better. That information motivated the snipers. They did not want their entire stay in Afghanistan to be dull. The snipers gathered their equipment and one night boarded CH-53s for a forty-five-minute ride north, before dismounting and setting up a small patrol base. It was more of holding security for Baker’s men, but they quickly discovered that they were needed to support an ambush on Route 1, a road leading into Kandahar. The intent was to stop or capture enemy fighters moving from the city.

One Shot One Kill
    The anticipation of finally meeting the enemy kept Baker awake on the night of the mission. He and Arne rode inside a Light Armored Vehicle (LAV). Most of the MSPF team were in their element, and they had practiced for just such ambushes in training. The marines cut through the desert night for hours before reaching their destination around 0300 hours.
    Baker peered through the hull of his vehicle at the stars outside. More than anything, he was glad to finally be stopped. Outside, other marines began to form a blocking position on the two-lane road. Scouts from the LAVs dismounted and ran concertina wire across the pavement attaching chem-lights to the wire to warn traffic. Force Recon marines hid nearby, and when civilian traffic stopped, they would be the ones to pull the drivers and passengers from their vehicles. Baker would be covering them behind the rifle while the other marines held their distance.
    A few hundred meters from the road, Baker set up his shooting position. He rested his sniper rifle on his pack atop the LAV. The PVS-10 day/night sniper scope provided perfect sight, and he and Arne discussed the distance to the concertina wire. They also talked about how they would react if the marines made contact. Overhead, aircraft surveyed the road from Kandahar and warned the marines of an approaching convoy. Baker heard the radio transmission, and shortly thereafter, he saw headlights on the horizon.
    “We got a breeze from right to left, two miles per hour,” said Arne. It was not strong enough to change Baker’s windage.
    “What do you think is going to happen when the vehicles hit the wire?” Baker pondered.
    As the convoy approached, all the vehicles stopped in the distance except one truck. It proceeded to fly toward the concertina wire. Its headlights lit up Baker’s night vision, giving him a better view. The truck did not slow and drove over the wire, which became mangled on its undercarriage, forcing it to stop. Seconds passed before a man stepped from the right side door to examine the damage, but in a flash he climbed back in after noticing the Force Recon marines pulling onto the road behind them.
    As the Force Recon marines drew down on the men, Baker grew tense. He saw the marines yelling at two men in the bed of the truck who were covered in blankets. Suddenly the men jumped to their feet holding AKs, but the marines beat them to the trigger and opened fire.
    Immediately Baker prepared to

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