Marine Scout Snipers

The advent of jungle warfare in the South Pacific in 1942 opened an entirely new chapter in the art of fieldcraft and mark-manship for the U.S. Marine Corps. To eliminate the Japanese jungle fighter, the Corps had to formulate innovative tactics even more efficient than those successfully implemented by the scouts, observers and snipers of World War I. The Corps set about training and fielding a new breed of combat specialist: the U.S. Marine Corps scout-sniper. Now, after more than two decades of research, Peter Senich has written what is undoubtedly the most thorough and accurate account ever of the training, equipment and combat experiences of this important facet of the history of Marine Corps sniping. Contains rare combat and training photos of scout-snipers in action.

It was March 2003 in Basra, Iraq. Marine Scout Sniper Jack Coughlin's convoy was winding through a street when a hidden gunman opened fire. Machine-gun bullets flew everywhere--but where was the shooter? It was Scout Sniper Coughlin's job to find out. In this gripping new book, young readers will meet the fearless soldiers who serve our country, and also get an inside look at how they train for, and carry out, their dangerous missions. From stopping deadly attacks to tracking down enemies, no job is too tough for Marine Scout Snipers. Large, full-color photos and dramatic real-life stories will keep kids turning the pages to learn more.

Author Lena Sisco, a former Department of Defense Military Interrogator and U.S. Navy officer, takes the reader through the missions and personal lives of U.S. Marines who have been forward-deployed in hostile environments all across the Middle East. She shows how they use the mastery of their sniper skills to mitigate threats and negate the enemy’s ability to disrupt U.S. operations. Her book lets you feel the stress and anxiety of their operational tempo; you witness their successes and failures, their struggles, and lessons learned. Snipers are highly trained, brave, silent killers. They undergo specialized training and operate independently with little support from their parent commands, close to enemy positions. Snipers are chosen based on their marksmanship, mental stability, patience, and physical ability. They stalk the enemy, while concealed in their operational overwatches, to protect our checkpoints and convoys, and to direct action missions. Despite the renown of Chris Kyle and the extraordinary success of the book and movie American Sniper, snipers do not have lead lives of glory and fame; their lives are a struggle. Serving as a sniper requires that you do your job successfully every time, because the consequences of not being successful include the loss of innocent lives, or living with other consequences that can haunt a shooter till the day he dies. In the end, just like any other service members, they put their lives on the line – willingly – to defend our freedom and liberties, and our country.

The U.S. Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Training Manual is an essential guide for those seeking to master the art of scouting and sniping in the United States Marine Corps. This comprehensive manual covers a wide range of topics, from the fundamentals of marksmanship and camouflage to advanced tactics and techniques used by elite scout snipers in the field. Whether you are a aspiring sniper, a military enthusiast, or simply curious about the training and skills required to become a scout sniper, this manual provides a detailed and informative look into the world of one of the most highly skilled and respected positions in the U.S. military. The U.S. Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Training Manual is an official publication of the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps has a long and distinguished history of producing highly skilled scout snipers who have played critical roles in conflicts around the world. This manual represents the collective knowledge and expertise of generations of Marine Corps snipers and instructors.

First-ever oral history of an entire Marine scout-sniper platoon.

Winner of The 2020 Best Book Award for Military History -- American Bookfest An elite platoon of Marine Scout-Snipers, Lieutenant Frank Tachovsky’s “40 Thieves” were chosen for their willingness to defy rules and beat all-comers. When two Marines got into a fight, the loser ended up in the infirmary, the winner in the brig. Tachovsky wanted the winner on his team—a brush with military law was a recommendation. These full-blooded men were trained in a ruthless array of hand-to-hand killing techniques and then thrown into the battle for Saipan—Emperor Hirohito’s “Treasure” and the bulwark of the Japanese Empire in the Pacific—where they would wreak havoc in and around, but mostly behind, enemy lines. They witnessed inhuman atrocities; walked into an ambush after the cunning Japanese used wounded Marines as bait; endured body-punishing extremes of heat, hunger, and thirst; fought a relentless enemy who would not surrender; and watched best friends die. Now Tachovsky’s son Joseph tells their remarkable story—a story he didn’t even know until after his father’s death—reported from an extensive documentary record, including priceless mementos his father kept, and from exhaustive interviews with survivors who served under Lieutenant “Ski.” This is how America won the war in the Pacific, where “uncommon valor was a common virtue.” 40 Thieves on Saipan: The Elite Marine Scout-Snipers in One of World War II’s Bloodiest Battles is true history. It’s also an adventure you don’t want to miss.

This book is a long-overdue account of, and a well-deserved tribute to, the Marine Corps sniper program in Vietnam. It documents the circumstances behind training and employment, the equipment chosen for use, the transition from the M700 sniping rifle to the M40A1 and the extreme effectiveness of the Vietnam-era sniping effort overall.

WHEN YOU'RE IN THE DEATH BUSINESS, EACH DAWN COULD BE YOUR LAST. Raw, straightforward, and powerful, Ed Kugler's account of his two years as a Marine scout-sniper in Vietnam vividly captures his experiences there--the good, the bad, and the ugly. After enlisting in the Marines at seventeen, then being wounded in Santo Domingo during the Dominican crisis, Kugler arrived in Vietnam in early 1966. As a new sniper with the 4th Marines, Kugler picked up bush skills while attached to 3d Force Recon Company, and then joined the grunts. To take advantage of that experience, he formed the Rogues, a five-sniper team that hunted in the Co Bi-Than Tan Valley for VC and NVA. His descriptions of long, tense waits, sudden deadly action, and NVA countersniper ambushes are fascinating. In DEAD CENTER, Kugler demonstrates the importance to a sniper of patience, marksmanship, bush skills, and guts--while underscoring exactly what a country demands of its youth when it sends them to war.