Hi, I am looking at going into the Marines next year and it is my goal to go Marine S/s. I have read about the school and it seems extremely difficult, and was wondering if there were any former USMC here that could give me any advice at all re: the school? Thanks...

J

-- J. Moore (none@none.com), November 23, 2003

Answers

"Good Luck with your goal friend. Don't worry about trying to learn the ins and outs of being a Sniper before you enlist, they will teach you what you need to know and more often than not, if you go in having learned something previously it is usually wrong. "

I am also going to try and persue the marine sniper school and was wondering about what you said earlier, I have the military field manuals for the sniper training, I believe it was intended for army, but i was wondering if that should be something that i should continue to go over. secondly my father was in the army and has talked about having to be selected to get in to the school, by what you guys have been talking about i was wondering if you can now sign up or if you have to be recognized by a ranking officer..

-- Josh Stewart (SFWepSpec@yahoo.com), May 09, 2004.

ha ha ha...heres a tough rout boys how about this...Join the US Navy then bring your sorry asses to BUDS if you got what it takes and you make it, then apply to Scout/Sniper School. Thats tough! So as I close I'd like to say:You can do anything you want if you want it bad enough, don't sit back and look at percentages! Percentages dont mean jack shit! Good luck Buddy!

-- PO3 Hall (AmricnSoldierSince1986@hotmail.com), May 05, 2004.

join the recons if your going into the marines

-- logan downey (toiletboywonder@hotmail.com), May 04, 2004.

dont bother to join you suck just as bad as the liars who answered your question.

-- Jack Mehoff (jackmeoff@aol.com), February 05, 2004.

Just go in the Marine Corps with an infantry (03) MOS. Get good at being a infantryman first. Go to whatever schools you can fenagle your way into. Build a good reputation and get to know some of the Scout Snipers. They're the ones who run the indoc and decide who makes it in the platoon and who doesn't. Having a sense of humor and allot of heart will help more than being a marathon runner. Once you've been in for a while, they'll send you to Scout Sniper school if they can get a quota. Try your hardest to pass, but don't kill yourself if you don't. Everyone will understand. They won't kick you out of the platoon for not passing school the first time. Just work on your week areas and try to get another slot for school.

-- Handout (fredjarvin@yahoo.com), January 29, 2004.

J. If you want to go USMC Recon is the way to go. Once a Marine will always be Marine, but Recons are forever Recons. First, get yourself physically ready. If you can run 15 miles strait, then I'll say yes. When you get in to school, give your best it is not that scary as people portray it. I had lots of fun laying in the weeds. Semper Fi

-- Jampack (Jamieconsonya@yahoo.com), January 28, 2004.

Good Luck with your goal friend. Don't worry about trying to learn the ins and outs of being a Sniper before you enlist, they will teach you what you need to know and more often than not, if you go in having learned something previously it is usually wrong. One thing you can do is work on your mental capacity by doing "games". Because snipers are usually on or behind enemy lines, they usually observe things that must be reported back to HQ. Part of your training will consist of mental exercises and you will be tested on your abilities. Try glancing at a complex scene and then writing down everything you can remember. After you do this for a while try drawing it. Cross word puzzles and word finder games are also excellent practice.

-- CS Potter USMC (Ret.) (RangeMoose@yahoo.com), December 18, 2003.

J, keep your nose (and your personnel record) EXTREMELY clean! Chances are you probably won't see an opening until you at least make Lance Corporal, and are rettainable/promotable (read; re-up). Snipers need to be self reliant, intelligent, and VERY mature. All Marines are riflemen (at the core), but snipers are an infantry augmentation force, so it's ground pounding for you my friend-"oh three hundred-Infantry!"(tracks, boats, chopper or chute, how you get there is not signifigant, once you're there, it's back to Leather Personal Carriers). Good Luck!

-- Stephen Diaz (stdi@caplogistics.com), December 11, 2003.

Good luck from a former Marine. You may have noticed your recruiter sort of dances around promising you sniper school. You will have to enlist as a grunt (0300 MOS) and then apply for sniper school as openings present themselves. No guarantee of acceptance, and if you're accepted into the school, you will have about a 50% or 60% chance of graduating. It's that tough. Helps if you qualify expert at the rifle range. Also helps if you're a stable, disciplined individual (no psycho killers need apply), able to operate without a bunch of buddies around to cover your butt. Fieldcraft - camouflage, stalking, covering your tracks, observing movements, positions, numbers, types of weapons and equipment and enemy morale and discipline - is even more important than the shooting.

-- Bob Chattin (surbat6@earthlink.net), November 25, 2003.