Salaries For Army Sniper

A sniper is a designated marksman who offers long-range accurate shots and extends a troop’s tactical reach. The use of snipers in the US  was first seen during the American revolutionary war of 1775 to 1783 which eventually played part in granting the United States independence from the British. Finish sniper Simo Hayha has been accredited with the most kills in history estimated to be over 500 in less than 100 days. let us know about that the Salaries For Army Sniper.

Salaries For Army Sniper

Snipers are currently part of the military and are taken through training, with their skills used in the field proving to be more crucial in protecting the troops during missions. 

An army sniper salary, remuneration, and benefits.

An army sniper’s gross salary in the United States is estimated to be about $53013 per year. An officer with the least amount of experience will typically receive $11011 per year, while $29466 per year for a higher ranking officer.

Snipers also get comprehensive health insurance coverage, access to affordable housing plans, subsidized food, and easier access to loans and loan repayment programs.

In 2018 a federal tax rate of 22% was taken out for army snipers.

Basic requirements are needed to become an army sniper.

  1. Be on active duty, on the reserve, or national guard.
  2. A soldier should also have the rank of E3 to E6 with a military occupation specialty of 11B.
  3. Have a letter of recommendation from the commander 
  4. It is mandated that applicants submit physical evaluation test results that mostly focus on the mental wellbeing and state of the applicant, vision, and ability to distinguish color
  5. The interested officer should have no discipline issues recorded during their time with the army either during training or out in combat.
  6. Have zero histories of drugs and substance abuse.

Recommendation letters from commanders give the soldiers an added advantage since the basic skills have already been identified.

Training

During the first world war, German snipers would hide in trenches targeting their enemies from a distance. At first, it was believed to be a mere coincidence but it was later confirmed after a rifle was found necessitating the need and importance of having snipers in the army to act as additional surveillance.

Over the years training has evolved to include; 

  1. Camouflage and concealment give snipers their anonymous location and the necessary cover to lie in wait. Camouflage can be in the form of the surrounding vegetation, muddy, underwater, and swampy habitats, and high points such as buildings or trees that give an aerial view of the area. Simo Hayha used the snow around him to conceal his location; he would take out his victims without anyone knowing his exact location.
  2. Map reading is essential since snipers don’t usually go in with the rest of the troops instead they are strategically positioned during the mission planning. Skills such as map reading ensure the sniper is not left stranded without proper cover and knowledge of their location.
  3. Ability to work under pressure. A sniper’s work has unseen variables such as wind velocity and direction, temperature, and levels of elevation. Such factors cannot be predetermined during planning, mistakes could result in the death of the wrong person or could alert the enemies of their presence endangering themselves and the team.
  4. Marksmanship is perhaps one of the most distinct identifiers of a sniper. During training, the precision of a sniper is tested initially during the test scores carried out to determine the clarity of their vision and distinction between different colors and later in the shooting range using different rifles and techniques.
  5. Shooting position and techniques. Each commanding officer has his customized method of training the soldiers. These techniques aim to teach the different ways of shooting and handling a rifle out in the field, for example effectively learning to shoot back to back without jerking the gun and when to take shots. Trainers also include when to take a shot either between heartbeats or after partially emptying their lungs.

Sniper training school has a rigorous curriculum and training that tests a soldier’s mental capabilities, ability to work under pressure, and patience. In 2017 only 4 snipers graduated from the school from an initial class of 46.

Known snipers in the military

  1. Rob Furlong is a former Canadian sniper who served in the war in Afghanistan. He held the world record for the longest range a sniper took out an enemy for 7 years after taking a 2430m shot.
  2. Lucky Bisht has served in the Indian secret service and the military. He is known to have allegedly killed two men with one bullet with a single shot to the head on each.
  3. Charles Marlowe served as a sniper for the marine corps and has completed the most solo missions confirmed to be about 27.
  4. Olga Minchakievich was a regular sniper having served in world war I and the Russian civil war. It is confirmed that she made 129 kills 
  5. Nathan Timms served in the British tour to Afghanistan and allegedly took out 90 Taliban members in 24 hours.

During the Iraqi civil war, it was confirmed that in May 2017 a Canadian from the joint task force fired from a 3.5 km range making it the longest range in recent history. Snipers are therefore assets to their teams and although they are thought to work alone the army has included them as part of their troops, providing comprehensive training and inclusivity during missions.

The name and identity of snipers are sometimes intentionally withheld for the security of the sniper and their families. Only officially with the highest clearance have access and knowledge of their identities.

Conclusion

Due to the high pressure of a sniper’s work and potential exposure to violence snipers like other men and women in the service are at risk of PTSD, especially after discharge or retirement different methods are available to help cope such as therapy and interactions with other men and women who have served. 

If you’re therefore considering joining the army and eventually becoming a sniper you should have high mental capabilities to compartmentalize and stick to your training since it’s a skill that relies on precise timing and observation.

Salaries For Army Sniper

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