Posted on 01/07/2011 2:48:58 PM PST by tje
Canadian snipers who have served in Afghanistan report being less traumatized by the war than the average soldier, according to a study that offers a rare glimpse into the minds of Canada’s battle-hardened troops.
Rather than expressing regret, snipers say they feel justified in killing enemies who pose a threat to Canadian troops and Afghan civilians. Moreover, most show high levels of career satisfaction and say their job has been a positive influence in their lives.
Yet snipers report being more troubled than other soldiers when asked about specific combat experiences, such as knowing that someone has been seriously injured or killed, or seeing members of their unit become casualties.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalpost.com ...
Well, DUH! You get to play with some awesome gear and off the bad guys. What’s not to love?
Sniper kills are no different that typical combat kills. The soldier gets in a firefight and has no qualms before or after shooting several enemies, the sniper shoots the same vermin, but fewer and at longer distances.
The Canadians have some pretty good rifles and equipment too. Not those M9 pop guns.
Reminds me of this scene from "The President's Analyst".
Movie made something like 40+ years ago.
I would like to point out that snipers are generally the only soldiers to see the faces and/or the physical affects of their trade craft. Unless your speaking of a mile shot where the spotter may see whether the target is hit, a sniper can see the eyes of the enemy as the bullet hits. Most soldiers do not see this. A sniper is a breed apart.
“Soldiers typically feel an initial sense of euphoria after killing someone in combat. Most later express remorse, and in the third stage, try to rationalize their actions...But the snipers he interviewed showed little remorse, with one-third saying they had no feelings about killing, because they were just doing their job.”
Maybe (and I’m just guessing) snipers are almost 100% sure the dead person was a bad guy vs. when you enter a house or shoot at a group of people holding guns? In the last scenario you can have some doubts and maybe innocent people are killed, but snipers have more time to see and follow them. Just guessing
I am with you, a sniper is a whole different breed of character.
Im soooo jealous . . .
“Canada’s battle-hardened troops”
We like to poke fun at our northern neighbor, but we should never forget their valiant contribution in Afghanistan.
When I think of snipers, I think of Navy snipers positioned on a destroyer in rolling seas offing a couple of pirate scumbags holding a hostage in a dingy.
One of the oddities of modern soldiers is that for the most part, they prefer to not shoot their enemy, if at all possible. The US became aware of this after WWI, and so, by WWII, was actively looking for ways to motivate soldiers to shoot at the enemy.
But snipers were always different. Unlike typical soldiers, who carried out any number of different roles, even in combat, the sniper has just one job, to shoot enemy soldiers. And having shot an enemy soldier, he would be praised by his superiors and peers. If he failed to do so, he would be replaced and reassigned.
Snipers also face an additional risk, because if captured by the enemy, snipers are usually killed. This is because while normal soldiers shoot “at”, in the general direction of, each other, a sniper picks an individual to shoot and likely kill. So neither side gives any courtesy to enemy snipers.
reminds me of the old joke:
The Marine sniper is asked what he feels when he offs a Taliban insurgent:
“Recoil”
Yeah, there are just a few things that are more satisfying as taking out a target at 1500 yards with one shot.
LLS
Only to a neophyte.
Viking Kitties... man they have up armored!
LLS
Thanks! Canada’s got a long tradition of *** kicking.
Not always. A sniper often shoots his quarry from long distance before he or the good guys are attacked.
That’s a good observation. I would also add that snipers have superior physiological control than the average soldier. Breathing techniques, etc.
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