End of the Scout Sniper - For Now

[Art]

www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2013/12/15/goodbye_scout_snipers_for_now_997892.html

The link above doesn't go directly to the article but does go to the page its on. The Marine Corps has abolished the Scout Sniper MOS (if that's what the Gyrenes call it.) The given reason is to create a lighter more mobile force. The real reasons are political and, according to the article, which I tend to believe, are largely due to gross insubordination by individual Scout Snipers, born of a belief that they were "special" and beyond the standards of military courtesy, grooming and dress required of other Marines, and didn't mind saying so when confronted about it.

All special operators tend to get this way. One of my best friends has a son who just retired after a distinguished career as a Naval Officer commanding SeaBees. In Iraq he was in charge of the maintenance of billets of all naval personnel. He said the Seals were one of the most unmilitary lots you'd ever see. Their barracks were always a mess and their officers, as once was said of "Chinese Gordon" regarded directives to clean up as if it were a Christmas greeting. In addition, the Seals did their own informal disciplinary hearings that were off limits to everyone else. Upon blundering into one of these "hearings" a Seal told him to "Get the f***k out." I mean not even "get the f***k out sir.

The Seals have the advantage of being commanded by Seal officers in independent units. Scout snipers are individual members of rifle platoons and apparently stepped on a few too many toes. I also believe the current political environment might frown on killing at long range form concealment but that's just a SWAG.

As the article says, they'll be back.

[Phloating Phlasher]

error 404?

[Art]

error 404?

On my screen the page with the article comes up with the article at the top right. Sometimes I've noticed things don't download the way I'd like on the day they're posted.

What I wrote in the first paragraph is the article, which was written by a Marine Infantry Officer, in a nutshell.

[barretcreek]

Between schoolmates, co-workers and friends I've been on good terms with at least a dozen SF, Recon and SEALs. None expressed that kind of attitude but I never served with any. On the other hand, OPS Officer had me in front of the Capt one morning for pointing out, politely, he'd just ordered me to run over a tugboat at 02something hrs. Must be a nuance sorta thing.

[dogtag]

Junior Officers are usually a bunch of arseholes.
Special Forces like Navy Seals probably don't appreciate
being told what to do by an officer who couldn't do what
they do if he was trained for twenty years.

[Art]

Between schoolmates, co-workers and friends I've been on good terms with at least a dozen SF, Recon and SEALs. None expressed that kind of attitude but I never served with any. On the other hand, OPS Officer had me in front of the Capt one morning for pointing out, politely, he'd just ordered me to run over a tugboat at 02something hrs. Must be a nuance sorta thing.

I suppose its partly that. Jimmy Hoffa once said "a man will forgive a wrong but he'll never forgive a slight." I think a lot of that's at work too.

I agree with you from what I've seen by Special Operators in their civillian mode. In fact two former special operators, both former seals, represent districts from southeast Texas in congress. One is my congresscritter, Dan Crenshaw, a former SEAL and very smooth operator, who has gotten more than a bit of a reputation as a "RINO," and Marcus Luttrell, the author of "Sole Survivor" who represents a district just to the southwest of me. Both have "seen the elephant" more than once and have the scars to prove it, Crenshaw lost an eye.

I have only had one encounter with special operators on base and that was at Ft Lewis before I shipped out, or more accurately flew out, to Korea. They were Rangers and my recollection is they were rude, obnoxious and, IMHO deliberately intimidating to everyone else who was on the bus they were on. Were they that way at home in Duluth, or Brooklyn, I doubt it a lot.

The officer who wrote the article I mentloned commanded a scout sniper platoon. He said his particular scout sniper, who he actually liked a lot personally, simply didn't think he had to toe the line the way everyone else did. Unfortunately for him, and every other Scout Sniper his job has now gone away and he'd been reduced to simple "grunt." Well there's still Force Recon, he can always apply for that and will be in an actual special operations unit with other special operations guys.

If you've been in the military you know you sometimes have to defer to idiots. If you don't you'll pay the price. I had an officer in a training unit at Redstone Arsenal who was a West Point graduate, and I swear to God I don't see how this fellow had the capacity to dress himself in the morning. But, he was the company commander and we saluted and said "yes sir." We followed his stupid directives which were often to the detriment of the mission. His incompetence was so great he only lasted in that command for a few months. I suspect his conversation with his superior when he was relieved was a bit like Capt. Sobel's interview with Col. Sink in "Band of Brothers." I learned very quickly that I had way too much of an insubordinate nature to make a career in the Army. By the way, I learned there can be an art to insubordination.

[blackhawknj]

Those of us who have served in the real military know the warrior mentality and spirit, the combat mindset is scoffed at and sneered at and for too many the real mission is advancing their careers, which means punching their ticket, cultivating the right people, ensuring the paperwork is done, and guard duty, KP, CQ, firewatch, janitorial duties, groundskeeping ALWAYS take precedence over training

[barretcreek]

Here's a clip about the kind of guys Blackhawk is talking about. Other vids about them also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Im086TCu3I