GAGETOWN (Nouveau-Brunswick) — All soldiers have the opportunity to participate in range practices throughout their military careers. And while they generally feel satisfied with their own shooting results, their scores invariably fall well short of the superior standards set by elite snipers.
Snipers are trained to the highest standard and are equipped with state-of-the-art weapons. But above all, they possess certain unique skills and aptitudes.
One of the challenges is finding new ways to stimulate and promote even higher marksmanship proficiency among elite snipers. This is achieved by exposing them to situations different from anything already encountered in their training. It was with this objective in mind that the first marksmanship competition organized exclusively for elite snipers took place.
The competition, spread out over three days, consisted of several serials designed to test the skills of the twenty participants from across Canada.
"This year's list of competitors also included snipers from the tactical squad of a civilian police force," noted Captain Steve Tibbets from the headquarters of the Land Forces Doctrine and Training System.
The military and civilian police personnel greatly enjoyed the opportunity to participate in a joint event. In particular, the two police officers were eager to demonstrate their skills from the outset of the competition. They furthermore benefitted from the opportunity to discuss similarities and differences in training methods with their military counterparts.
"As a sniper, my sole focus is on my target. Regardless of whether I'm dead-tired, freezing or starving, there can be only one thing on my mind: hitting the target with a perfect shot," said one of the police snipers.
"An event like this really brings out the competitive spirit in me, but at the same time I'm learning a lot from the other competitors," stated a competitor.
The snipers who participated in the competition commented favourably on the new challenges with which they were confronted, and the organizers expressed delight with the success of the event.
It is thus with great enthusiasm that they are looking forward to the second sniper competition. One of the aims will be to increase the number of participants and, in the process, elevate the competition standards to an even higher level.
Article and photos by Private Julie Turcotte
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