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

shoot. Everything about his shooting position, including his bone support to his snug butt stock, was correct. He aimed at the left side of the windshield and calmly took a breath. He realized that this could be his one chance and it was now or never. The light was bright enough for him to see the windshield but not the men in the cab. He estimated their position before firing.
    The first shot, a cold-bore shot, might have been a few inches off at worst. After firing, it seemed that his first bullet did not get a reaction from the truck. The marines inside the LAV, however, yelled for him to cease fire, scared that his round would strike one of the other marines, but Baker knew the trajectory. He had trained with the Force Recon marines and had made shots like that before.
    Soon the truck was on fire. Bullets hit the gas tank, setting the vehicle ablaze and causing RPGs (Rocket-Propelled Grenades) to cook off. When it was fully engulfed, the man who had gotten out of the truck earlier exited again. Baker saw that his head and right shoulder were on fire. The man was still a threat, and Baker repositioned his crosshairs between the man’s shoulder blades. He had already chambered another round and lightly squeezed the trigger.
    The man fell instantly. He died on the road. Minutes later, the Force Recon marines moved forward and swept the area. When the smoke cleared, the marines had killed seven Taliban fighters, but their comrades drove off, only to be met with close air support. In the end more than twenty Taliban fighters were killed.
    The ride back to base was long for Baker. For seventeen hours, he thought about his first kill and the events that had happened. Though it was one engagement, it made Baker’s time in Afghanistan worth it. When they arrived at the forward operating base, the marines debriefed the situation. Baker explained his story, and it was speculated that with his first shot he had killed the driver. That was why he never exited the vehicle. Around camp, a marine from his LAV tossed Baker the two empty casings that he had used. Baker kept them as a memento.
    When the marines departed Afghanistan, Baker was satisfied with his time there. His role as a sniper covered surveillance, reconnaissance, and an engagement. He was one of the first Marine snipers to set foot in the country and to dispatch an enemy fighter. It was just the start of the war for conventional snipers, and for Baker, it was a success.

FOUR
    SPEC-OPS
    IN the covert world of Special Operations, sniping is a highly regarded skill. Though it is one among many, snipers within Special Operations Forces know they will be called upon more often than not, especially when precision is needed. However, sniping is more than just shooting, and Spec-Ops warriors understand this better than any. In Afghanistan, two very different operators, a Navy SEAL and a Green Beret, experienced sniping and all its facets.

Into the Blue
    Chris, a Navy SEAL, wanted sniper training. He could have chosen the Naval Special Warfare sniper school, but his friend, an instructor at the First Marine Division Scout/Sniper School, guaranteed him a slot if he chose to go there. When he asked his platoon chief, the salty SEAL advised against it.
    “You don’t want to do that. Do you realize that you are going to go up there, throw a rucksack on, and get beat? You’re going to be treated like dirt for ten weeks. Why would you want to do that?” asked his chief. He had been around long enough to know the reputation of U.S. Marines.
    “I just want to do it. I’ve always wanted to be a sniper, and I want to go to that school,” explained Chris.
    After a second, his chief replied, “OK. You’re an idiot, but go for it.”
    Chris could handle the games. After all, he had been a marine before. He had started his career as a Marine artilleryman and by his fourth year in, he had passed the reconnaissance screening, but because he was a 0811, field artillery cannoneer, he was