Vanity-"Guys Please Do what you can!!!" US Snipers Donations

My name is SGT John xxxxxx currently deployed to Mosul Iraq with the First Stryker Brigade as a company level Sniper. I have a three-man team. For some reason the Stryker brigade figured a three man team would be better than the traditional two-man team. It has been working well for us. We are able to maintain a better degree of security as well as sustain ourselves on longer missions. To tell you a little about myself i have been in the army for approximately 4 and 1/2 years. I have completed army sniper school and graduated honor grad. I have attended the Marine sniper school at Camp Pendleton and have done sniper training with the Seattle SWAT team. I am always trying to improve my knowledge as a sniper to improve my lethality and survivability. I have been here in Iraq for 6 months now. When I return to the states I have a SOTIC date slotted so I will attend that as well when I return. I have been in the Sniper community for about three years. I have found that there is no better job in the military. When I get out, I am planning to continue my work as a sniper hopefully in a SWAT team or as a private security.

Like I said, I’ve been in country for about 6 months and we have faced allot of problems over here with employment that the schools do not teach so it’s made my job pretty difficult. We have been able to adapt and overcome our challenges but unfortunately, it has been at our own cost because the unit does not see the reason we need different gear than the line platoons. We have had to purchase rappelling harnesses, rope, carabineers, and flack vest's that allow us to seat the rifles in our shoulders better, along with other comfort items. On April 9th all hell broke loose here in Mosul and we were up on an OP. My shooter spotted approximately 150 personnel with RPG's and AK's inter mixed with civilian personnel. He was able to fire three shots before the crowd dispersed. He killed two and wounded one at a 430 meters while under indirect fire. Now the shot does not seem that difficult but if you add the fact that he was firing from the 5th story out of a 12 degree loophole and the persons were running. I am proud of my shooter for making those shots. We were in heavy fire for about 5 hours that day and in all my company killed about 30 NCF and sustained no friendly injuries. I just thought I would tell you a little bit about us.

SO anyways I heard about this program through Strykernews.com. They had an article and I was curious about this program, for we are always looking for newer equipment and better tactics. I have no idea how this program works but I am proud to be a sniper when I see fellow snipers in the community are back home looking out for us snipers over seas fighting this horrible war on terrorism. Myself and my team wanted to relay our thanks to those snipers back home for all the support. I am curious to hear more about this program and how we can get a "Sniper Care Package." Thank you very much for all your support, and in the words of the greatest man that ever shot "Keep your head down, and your powder dry," Carlos Hathcock. I’ve also attached a pic of myself and my team. I am in the middle. My shooter SPC Furman on the right and my RTO SPC Peters ako "Rabbit"

Awesome. I have a ton of respect for what you guys are doing. This is my third deployment and with each deployment it seems that the support from folks back home has grown. It means a ton to everyone deployed.

A lot of out of pocket expense, but well worth it. The only thing I foresee us needing would be good cleaning/lubricating stuff. I put my hands on as much as I could before we came out, but it goes fast. For cleaning, we use Shooters Choice mainly. If you all have some favorite products, please send them out and let us give them a try. I tried to get my hands on some "Spooge" before we left, but no joy. Everyone has there own little concoction for lube. We are mainly using our MK11 SR-25's, so they can be finicky. Again, if you guys have experience with something that works well, please send it out. My particular SR is not picky, I could probably lube it with some dip spit and it would still shoot well. Some guys are switching over to the MK12 SPR but we can't get our hands on the good ammo, I have some squirreled away for special occasions, but if you guys have some hot 77gr to spare... The only other things I can think of off hand are:

Quick disconnect rail adaptors- so that we can keep our bipods and lasers in our ruck until we get setup, it makes humping the rifle a little more manageable.

Small "Bolt bags"- Something to put essentials in that we can grab and haul ass with from our firing positions. Big enough for a small radio and minimum essentials. Something like a real tree fanny pack would be perfect.

Decent compact Binos and compact spotting scopes. I don't know if this is too high dollar, I hate asking for stuff as it is. But, if you have the means- we can damn sure put them to good use.

Fore grips- for rail systems, the ones that we are supplied with from Knights are crap. Every time you muzzle strike someone your damn handle breaks and puts you in a scurry to regain control of your weapon.

Batteries- Aim point, Nightforce, Leupold TS-30 etc... We are good on AA's and lithium 123's. The odd stuff is what is hard to come by.

I just ordered a Jpoint sight to mount on my SR so that I could use it instinctively for close in stuff. Again, if you guys have any other recommendations, please send them.

Miscellaneous gear and moral type stuff is of course always welcome. My platoon has 16 guys from all over. Some eat Kimchee, some chew Redman. Any thing you send out will be well received and greatly appreciated.

I can't tell you enough how much this means to all of us. My guys are in disbelief that people back home who understand our needs are trying to help us. Yesterday was my 28th birthday, so this news comes at a great time. I hope to have the chance to meet you and thank you in person; I'd love to do some cross training with police units as well. Again, thank you for the support, it's unbelievable.

Hey John, great to hear from you. Sorry it took so long to reply. We've been busy here. We're not involved in the Fallujah op right now but we've been getting a lot of over watch stuff for the airfield we're at. It’s keeping us busy. We're looking at going out tomorrow for 5 to 7 days. Haven't heard if it’s going to go yet, I'd say it’s a 50/ 50 chance.

You asked if we'd like T-shirts. Yes. The platoon has sixteen operators, a plt sgt ( who is 8541), a Lt., a corpsman, and a driver. The sizes are (5) XL, (8) LG, (5) MED, (1) SM. We'll send a picture back. In response to your other question, we've got guys who dip Copenhagen, Kodiak, and Skoal in plain and vanilla. They're always trying to get dip. A good address is:

Again, thanks for the support. Its making a difference. Let me know if there's anything we can do for you. Stay safe.

sure no problem I understand

this is where it came from I'm pretty sure its legit,

but as you say you never know I did not even think about it

I really have no addresses ...

and here is some contact information from website..
Thanks for saying about the shady organizations im sure they are out there i just never thought of it...

Keith Deneys
Snipers Online
4135 CTH C
Pulaski, WI 54162

Cash Donations
kdeneys@netnet.net

Phone: (920) 865-SWAT (7928)
(faxes accepted at this same #)
Brian Sain
brianksain@yahoo.com
(409) 726-4037

Mailing addresses for physical products
2735 Upton Dr.
Port Arthur, Texas 77642
Thomas Blahnik
Web Host Provider
webmaster@snipersparadise.com

Sniper's Paradise
27624 Roberta Rd
San Benito, Texas 78586
Ken Good
Webmaster
ken@strategosintl.com

Strategos International LLC
705B SE Melody Lane #312
Lee's Summit, MO 64063
(888) LOW-LIGHT - (888) 569-5444
www.strategosintl.com

Please help us help working snipers in combat zones around the world.

Snipersonline UA and Sniper's Paradise have several members and Sniper friends actively engaged in the battle against terrorism. Our friends are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the number of snipers deployed around the world right now. These snipers are deployed in the theaters of combat, both in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as other locations overseas. Many of these are full time law enforcement officers that have been activated for regular duty action.

Our memberships have chosen to help support our fellow snipers, and brothers in arms, by helping supply them with items that they need to get the job done better as well as things to make their lives easier while on deployment. This has been everything from the basic hygiene type items such as handy wipes to tactical products such as holsters, high speed rucksacks, new optics, rifle accessories, to mini binoculars and batteries.

Who are We?

We are active local, state, and federal police snipers as well as snipers from the various military branches.

We are a tight nit group that believes strongly in supporting our brothers that are deployed to the front lines. In return for that support, they then pass on their gained knowledge upon their return.

We work hard and believe in our missions.

We train hard so that when the time comes, we can accomplish our missions to the fullest of our abilities.

We are snipers that need support in the form of advanced gear as well as "creature comfort" items to help us pass the time while we are away from our jobs and our families.

We are the ones putting our lives on the line to help keep this great country safe and free from terrorism. We are your sons, your brothers, your husbands, your fathers, as well as your friends.

We invite you to directly support the effort of those that are going in harms way on your

Q: How do the items get to individual snipers?

A: We have the actual addresses for the snipers themselves and are in direct contact with them. The requested items are either purchased or donated and shipped to Detective Brian Sain's residence in Texas. From there, the items are disseminated to those who need them and sent directly to the operators APO/FPO address.

Q: How long does it take for the snipers to receive the items?

A: Normal ETA on packages has been running 2.5 weeks, unless the sniper is on special assignment. Under those circumstances he may not receive the package until he returns to his home base.

Q: Can I send items to the snipers myself?

A: Normally, No. The snipers names, addresses and personal information are heavily restricted for operational security. If you would like to send letters along with donations, the snipers may choose to contact you personally but that is the business of the individual operators themselves. Every effort is made to send the letters from home along with the
donations, as the letters from home are as important as the gear itself.

Q: How do I know that the snipers have received the items I sent?

A: The entire organization is based on a certain amount of trust. The snipers trust that we will not give up their identities. The people donating trust that we will actually spend their money on what we claim and that we will actually send the gear donations to the troops and not steal it or re-sale it. The snipers will usually send a quick email of thanks to Brian when they get access to a computer. We will try and post these to the site. However, their units, names, etc. will always be deleted. We will pass on a donation rather than give out the sniper's address.

Q: Is there anything I should NOT send?

A: YES. Do not send potoatoe chips, chocolate candy, lotion containers with pump tops or expired canned goods. Chips and chocolate will never survive the trip and pump bottle lotions always seem to open and get all over everything else in the box. Please do not clean out your pantry and send expired goods to US troops. It will be thrown away.

Q: Why isn't the government buying these things?

A: The commitment in OEF/OIF is huge. Snipers need different and expensive gear than is required by many other troops. This can cause problems when the military tries to maintain a perfectly uniform dress code and the snipers end up doing without. The logistics of running the US military are staggering and snipers are just one small spoke in a very big wheel. We just try and relieve some of the burden from the snipers themselves and also from their families.

Q: How did this organization begin?

A: A group of SWAT snipers in the US were all too aware that they (the police snipers) often have to make do without the things they need to get their jobs done. Often misused and misunderstood, the police snipers correctly figured that the military snipers were operating under the same circumstances. The police snipers established contact with the various military sniper school cadre and began sending items they could spare right out of their own gear bags and also making personal purchases. An article on the organization later appeared in Stars and Stripes overseas. The military snipers began networking with the police snipers more and more and the rest is as they say ... history.

Q: What are the most asked for items?

A: One item of note is the Blackhawk STRIKE Commando Recon Chest harness. This item allows the sniper to wear the strike plates out of his issue body armor but remain unhindered for shooting a precision rifle. The various pouches available for the harness allow the sniper to configure his gear depending on the mission he is assigned to. Leica, Bushnell and Nikon rangefinders that work out to at least 1000 yards are often requested as are Kestrel wind meters and Safariland 6004 drop leg holsters.

Q: Is there a particular color of gear that is needed?

A: Yes. Coyote tan or desert colors are best, followed thereafter by Olive Drab and Woodland camouflage. There ARE green areas of Iraq and the snipers are given some flexibility here as to what gear they can use.

Q: I thought snipers, being specialized operators, would have everything they need. Why don't they?

A: In every war it seems that the military must re-learn the lessons of the past. The war on terror is ideally suited for the tactics of the sniper. With the convoy escorts and house to house fighting, the US military is using snipers in numbers not seen in modern history. It seems like a no-brainer but a man with a rifle that knows how to use it, is in much
demand in a war. Soldiers and Marines that have not been to a formal sniper school but who shot "Expert" on the range are being issued special rifles and basically doing the same job as the school trained snipers in some cases. Adoptasniper makes no distinction between these two types of operators and offers assistance equally. We currently support snipers on each end of the spectrum; from the very well trained and equipped who normally request smaller, specialized items to the marksman soldier with little to no support that needs "everything" to do the job asked of him ... and every variant in between.

Q: How do we know that the snipers higher ups will allow them to use the items we send or purchase?

A: Fortunately, many of the military higher ups have relaxed some of the operational needs stipulations. They realize too, that their men need things to get the job done and we have even had some officers contact us for assistance for their troops.

Q: Who is involved in this organization?

A: ALL persons directly involved are either current or former police or military snipers or both. ALL are either currently operational themselves or are directly involved in training police and military operators in the US and abroad.

Q: Can I send a monetary donation?

A: YES. We request that monetary donations be sent to Keith Deneys of Snipersonline. Snipersonline is a 5013C non-profit organization and we would prefer that all monies received be received through that entity.
The address is located on the contact page. You can also send a donation online.

Q: Can I get a receipt for my donation?

A: YES.

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