RDF Sniper Course?

[sierra one]

does anybody know if there is any sniper courses open to RDF members and what rank you have to be to do them?

[Muzzle]

Not at the moment.

[Slaphead]

Do they often come about?

[Joshua]

http://www.irishmilitaryonline.com/b...&threadid=4109

At the risk of being accused of being repetitive.......

Use the Search Function.

[Chief Bubblewrap]

There will never be any sniper course for reservists. A sniper's abilities are not down to their accuracy with a rifle, but the ability to infiltrate to within an effective proximity of the target to effectively engage the target and (usually) extract themselves from a controlled zone. The shooting is the easy part. These abilities are honed and practised over time. Thus is the reason only a dedicated and professional soldier could attempt and expect to pass a sniper course. For example, a sniper team has to be able to exist on severely rationed supplies for a long period of time, cope with harsh climates, be extraordinarily fit, and still be effective given the opportunity.
As a reservist I’ve encountered many people, usually recruits, with aspirations of Rambo proportions, but the fact of the matter is, the reserve is a SUPPORT for the REAL soldiers. I know a few people will be offended by that remark, but that's the reality of the situation.
I've been a reservist for a number of years and have never met a single person who I’d ever envision completing a sniper course. my logic being: the sniper course difficulty would be akin to that of the ranger course. About 4% of the FULL TIME PROFEESIONAL SOLDIERS who attempt actually complete the course, let alone pass selection. How would a part time reservist expect to pass? Ok, miracles do happen, and maybe me cynicism will prove to be unwarranted some day if a reservist passes the sniper course, but will he be able to get the time off work of cancel those dinner plans to pick up his A.I. and ramble off to Iraq or wherever to do the job?
Lastly I’d like to ask those who disagree with my comments, would a soldier who has not committed his life to the military, be able to pull the trigger come crunch time? Would they actually be mentally able to cope with killing?

[trellheim]

Not a bad rant.

2nd para belongs somewhere else, though.

I don't know anyone with the mil. skills and the time available to do the course.

[Bravo20]

Well in the past 14 years I have met 2 people who probably could pass a sniper course and would have the time available should it be required. I would ask the question "Would a soldier dispite having commited his life to the military be able to pull the trigger come crunch time?". It is a question all soldiers (part time and full) occaisionally ask themselves and they only ever find out the answer when they have to do it.

[Bailer]

A sniper has always been part of FCA Company HQ!

However Just like the weapons Plt. it is somewhere in that magical land where Faries and Gnomes give fire support!!!

[Tribunius]

There will be a Wpn Pl but only in name. This is at least what I have been told as I will be a member of one when the Reorg takes full effect.

[Bailer]

We've a wpn's Plt in our Coy; albeit a strength of [MOD:Operational Information Deleted]

But they are currently planning Training on the Mag SF and SRAAW etc to prepare for the Reorg.

Until the Day that an RDF unit has 2 Full plt's of 3*'s and 1 of 2*'s and a Full recruit Plt there won't be a Wpn's Plt. The Turnover is too high.

When I was a 3* if you didn't get on a POTS course and were going over section in attack for the 6th time etc. You were brought off and trained on the 84 and the 60Mor. Then you applied for the Pots again a little older and a lot wiser.

Others who weren't NCO material were sent on a cooks course or medical course.

This isn't done anymore because by the time it comes around either the 3*'s have buggered off the Regs or the more walter ones leave because they didn't get the NCO's course.

[greyfox]

whatever about a pdf sniper course would a reserve sniper course which thaught the basics to a high enough standard as to enable rdf units a limited sniper or rather marksman capability (given thes short range of the styer without resorting to the area fire of the gpmg ) be a good alternitive

[ARNGScout]

Sorry Gaddaffi - don't agree. If you are trying to tell me that PDF snipers spend a lot of time honing their skills - please.

The National Guard here run a sniper course. The National Guard serves in combat overseas and gets to shoot at people - please. Sure there are a lot of Rambo wannabees out there but there are plenty of people who can step up if need be.

[Chief Bubblewrap]

“If you are trying to tell me that PDF snipers spend a lot of time honing their skills - please.”

Well yes I am actually, in respect of the amount of time a reservist spends on their training. Do you think they don't? Maybe the problem here is that you don’t actually understand how well trained a sniper is. The field craft, tactics, weapons training, evasion and survival techniques, medical skills etc. take weeks to teach, months to learn, and years of physical and mental conditioning to be able to use them effectively - you can't just practice hiding in a bush in your back garden. The reserve does not have the resources or manpower to have such a course, which when run on a part-time basis would go on for years. So if a person could complete a sniper course, had the time and was prepared to put in the effort, why not join the PDF?
A sniper is an expert job. It's a qualification in itself. A Reserve course would have to be of the same difficulty as the Pdf course to be called a sniper course. People are not born with natural talent to be a sniper, in my opinion it is down to the training. The only people who have these skills in Ireland are the PDF. Are they going to spend their time and resources training reservists?
I'm not going to pretend I know anything about the National Guard, but I seriously doubt that their course is the same standard as your regs.
I can't help but wonder how useful a RDF sniper would be. Of course they would be a great training resource, but otherwise they would be of little practical use unless the proverbial poop hit the proverbial fan and the war came to town.

[Docman]

Originally posted by greyfox
would a reserve sniper course which thaught the basics to a high enough standard as to enable rdf units a limited sniper or rather marksman capability (given thes short range of the styer without resorting to the area fire of the gpmg ) be a good alternitive

It is called a Skill At Arms Camp. They do exist but are not run as such.
It is rather run as a weeks practice for Shooting teams before competitions, something that needs to be changed.

[Jimmy C]

People are not born with natural talent to be a sniper

I agree with everything but this. By your logic then, anyone can be a sniper, depending on their level of training. And that any man can make just as good a sniper as the next.
I do think that a reserve with enough talent could preform better than his PDF counterpart, and that a very basic sniper course for reserves would be worth running. But "the reserve does not have the resources or manpower to have such a course".