"USAF Sniper" Topic

Uh, forgive the ignorance but under what circumstance would using an Air Force sniper be your best option? I'm not making an inferiority charge, just wondering why they have them and why wouldn't an Army sniper be adequate -all things being equal.

Security for USAF spec ops teams? Sentry duties on air bases?

Maybe they have them to keep the integrity of the chain of command and not having to rely on if or not an Army sniper team can be 'lent' to them when needed?

The rather attractive lady in the photo making the rounds on the interwebz is actually a member of the Security Police. It makes sense to have a trained marksman to work security on a place with really long lines of sight like an airfield!

Remember, not all Air Force missions have the Army nearby, so Combat Controllers and PJs are probably very good shots, in addition to all their other qualifications.

If the USAF has snipers then they probably would have been trained by the Army.

More then likely the snipers would be used as counter snipers, or as an Air-base ground defence asset. Also Maybe as protection for para rescue teams.

They could be quite useful for Air Force Combat Control Teams in the role of pathfinding, overwatch for combat air controllers, or counter-sniper work.

Forest

Almost any law enforcement or fixed security element now include the term/doctrine. That does not mean they are any good or have the same type of deployment or employment. Not all snipers are the same and most all are now called counter-snipers. Fixed site security, Static Airfields would be 99.9% of an airforce training in the field. FWIW there are a few PJ/CCTs who worked for JSOC who were allowed to go to sniper school at Ft. Bragg, but it was really not thier role.
VR
James Mattes

The USAF MP have two Specialty train

Close Precision Engagement (CPE) and Advanced Designated Marksman (ADM) personnel, also known as counter-snipers

CPE is a 21 day course and Ths ADM is a 14 day course.

The US ARmy is 35 days long.

Tha Army school has more field craft as getting to an AIR force base is easy for the USAF MP.

AS far as who is the best shot, well I would not want to stand down range of either.

and as a Last note about half of all senior sargents in the USAF MPs go the ranger school as it is consider a career enhancer.

if you are taking or guarding an airbase the USAF MP do it best.

Lord Ghee

For the days they run short on missles…
picture

Runways are really, really long?

Actually, I thought the AF Force Base Protection mission can actually extend 5k beyond the perimeter before the Army is supposed to be fully in charge. 5k gives plenty of room for long guns to play in.

Well, this is a good explaination
link

GeoffQRF 28 Apr 2011 7:25 a.m. PST
Runways are really, really long?

ROTFLOL, Yes but it is a KD (known distance) range!

and you have wind socks everywhere and do not have to call the wind!

VR
James Mattes

A short history; Started in 1943 as Army Air Force (AAF) Military Police Companies then merged into AAF Base Security Battalions, formed to be the Army Air Force's "infantry" marked the first recognition that air bases in combat theaters required specially trained and equipped defenders.
On 2 January 1948, General Order No. 1, HQ USAF designated these units and the individuals serving under them as "Air Police" and established the Air Provost Marshal.
In 1966, the name of the career field was changed from Air Police to Security Police. This term was considered descriptive, concise, and uniformly applicable; it combined the two main mission elements; police and security functions.
In March 1971, the enlisted career field was divided into two separate specialties, Security and Law Enforcement. This important career field milestone meant all Security Police personnel received formal training before being assigned to a unit. The split was, also, made to improve the professionalism of the law enforcement and nuclear security forces and allow for the expertise maturation needed to perform both specialties.
Another milestone was reached in November 1971, when 12 female Airmen entered Law Enforcement specialist training at the Security Police Academy at Lackland AFB, TX. In November 1976, 100 female volunteers were selected for security specialist training in a test to determine the suitability of employing women in "combat" related jobs. The graduating women were assigned to security duties at stateside and overseas bases; however, the program was phased out after a short period.
In January 1985, Secretary of the Air Force Verne Orr lifted the ban on women in the security field. In February 1985, the first female security specialist since 1976 entered the career field.
On October 31, 1997, the Security Specialist, Law Enforcement Specialist, and Combat Arms Training and Maintenance career fields merged into one career field called "Security Forces." The Security Forces career field merger as necessary because the previous organization was designed for a situation that no longer existed: The Cold War.
Back to main question, current SF Defensers do attend Army type course as mentioned by Lordghee. But, when I was in from 1983 – 2001, these course were not available, thus, I went to local law enforcement sniper schools and training.
The SF mission has drammatically changed over the last 30 years from base defense, to active patrols outside the wire, convoys, etc…missions that the Army povided

P.

but it is a KD (known distance) range!

and you have wind socks everywhere and do not have to call the wind!

Sounds like a sniper's dream. Big, flat open space, known distance from end to end and lots of indicators for the wind.

Hi

"Apes" what we call the miltary police, are not usually trained this way. That said, the USAF does gave SOG teams which are trained the same way as army SF teams but with an additionl technical component training.

The short version is that their SF guys will know which bits of electronics they see is worth capturing and how to blow it up. My dad was 5th SF in WW2 and post war went to the USAF for one of these teams. Had a solid electronics background for the purpose, but also was thought to be superior in FAC tasks as well.

But it would not be apes as snipers.

I recently lost a friend who was SF SOG this way, but his work was mostly covert, being fluent in Russian and Chinese. But he had been a first rate successful sniper.

Rocky

An AF sniper is your best option when you need a sniper, and he is available. He has virtually all of the training and skill of most other branches, with some additional or different training as well. Also, where I live, there isn't an army base within 100 miles of the air base, and USAF Security Forces employs their forces for convoy defense, perimeter defense, etc. They have snipers who are sent to the special sniper school – and then shipped over to Afghanistan for duties in forward air bases or with special operations groups. I wouldn't want to see who is a better shot between any of the branches of service – I like breathing and other life activities too well!

Rocky – you mean your dad was 5th Ranger BN. 5th SF stood up in 61 or 62. Your Dad was probably already with the AF SOG folks by then.

I spent 15 months at Clark in the PI. The perimeter was patrolled by SPs on horseback.
Most of the AF runways I've seen are around 2 miles long and probably 1/4 to a 1/2 across.

Keep in mind that a big part of Army (and Marine) sniper school is ghille-suit movement and camo. Generally, USAF types don't need that part of the course, so they take the tactical marksman or counter-sniper courses instead. Similar weapons training, just without the tactical movement stuff from the full-blown sniper courses.

As far as that airman ducttaped to the pylon of an A10 goes, I think his first sergeant got tired of someone shooting too well… Or it's a bad case of "betcha can't…"

Lion in the Stars 28 Apr 2011 12:07 p.m. PST
Keep in mind that a big part of Army (and Marine) sniper school is ghille-suit movement and camo. Generally, USAF types don't need that part of the course,

And the AF lives in Dorms but the Army lives in barracks! God I use to hate the Air Force when we were assigned to the same bases! I bet the AF guys get crew rest as well

VR
James Mattes

Hey redmist1122 I was an SP from 86'-91'
I hated ABGD, LOL