Hogs in the Shadows: Combat Stories from Marine Snipers in Iraq

1

Way of the HOG

If you want to quit, all you have to do is stop and get into the Humvee! yelled a sergeant from behind me. The temptation crossed my mind. I was tired, hungry, and already drenched in sweat. But knowing that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I quit, I let my mind drift to happier times while misery set into my body.

At four in the morning on the island of Okinawa, Japan, the humidity was in full effect and the sun hadn’t even risen. Our morning exercise was an eight-mile run and twenty-two marines, including myself, each carried an M16 and a pack filled with a sandbag and other equipment. In two columns, we ran on a paved road as the sound of insects chirping filled the jungles around us.

I’m done with this! I heard a marine say from the front of the formation, and he slowed to a walk while we passed him.

Another one bites the dust, said one of the sergeants leading the run.

At least he’s going to get some sleep today, I thought. As for the rest of us, the day had just begun.

We were five days into the battalion scout/sniper platoon indoctrination, with one week to go. Thirty-nine marines had arrived with the intention of being in the platoon, but over a five-day span, seventeen decided that it wasn’t important. It was easy for me to understand why they quit, considering that we hadn’t gotten more than four hours of sleep each night. And we spent half the day doing exercises. We ran everywhere we went, took tests every morning and evening, and this was the easy week, because the next week would be in the field.

Back on the road, one of the sergeants barked, I don’t want to hear anyone’s boots hitting the ground. That’s a target indicator and it’ll give your position away to the enemy! Hearing that, I knew that my understanding of tactics needed to change. In the infantry we moved in thirteen-man squads and were taught never to run from the enemy. But in a scout/sniper platoon, we operated in two-or four-man teams, and we might one day find ourselves escaping from a numerically superior force.

One week later, fourteen of us were selected into the scout/sniper platoon. Out of the thousand-plus marines in the battalion, we were the eyes, ears, and trigger finger for the battalion commander. Most of us thought the hard part was over, but little did we know that it was just the beginning.

Like so many other marines, this was my first experience of scout/sniper operations. It had begun with indoctrination and once passing, living the miserable life of a PIG. Then there were the hundreds of hours spent training and preparing for scout/sniper school with one goal in mind, to become a HOG. And finally the triumph of graduating sniper school, with hopes of performing in combat. All together it’s a continuous cycle with subtle changes, but in the end the process remains the same.

Marines who desire to become a scout/sniper in an infantry battalion first go through a screening and then a selection process. The screening is a set of basic requirements, and as a whole, the Marine Corps has set standards about who is eligible to be in a scout/sniper platoon. Individual battalions may or may not be lenient in the requirements, depending on the need for personnel. Also, the prospective sniper must go though indoctrination.

Indoctrination, otherwise known as an indoc, is a selection process that the current snipers hold to select the next group of potential snipers. The length of the indoc may vary from battalion to battalion, but one thing each has in common is that it is a very grueling process. For potential candidates, an indoc may be the toughest thing they have done while in the marines, but to those who get selected, it’s just the beginning. During this time, the potential candidates are up hours before the crack of dawn and are released hours after sundown. In between are physical exercises and tests. The tests are daily, and the process is very physically and mentally demanding. Once most individuals get the sense of how a sniper operates, they realize how unglamorous the job is and choose not to go any farther with the indoc—rather, they drop out at their own request.

Because a marine has no training as a sniper, during indoctrination he is known as a SLUG, an acronym for Slow, Lazy Untrained Gunman. The time spent as a SLUG is overwhelming for many, and those who fail an indoc carry the name back to their platoons. Those who are selected to join a scout/sniper platoon are given another name—PIG.

Once in a scout/sniper platoon, the marine receives the honorable name of PIG, meaning Professionally Instructed Gunman. The name explains that the marine is worthy to receive the training to become a sniper. Being a new PIG is probably the worst time physically and mentally for a potential sniper, because he has an enormous amount of information and tactics to absorb and will probably learn most of it through pain and repetition. Every marine who becomes part of the scout/sniper platoon has spent time as a PIG, but in the sniper community, he is not yet considered to be a marine scout/sniper. Although there are PIGs with more experience and knowledge about sniping than some school-trained snipers, every PIG aspires to become a HOG.

A HOG is a Hunter of Gunmen and is the only one of the three designations to be considered a marine scout/sniper. To become a HOG, a PIG must attend and pass a marine division scout/sniper school, and for verification, the school keeps a record of every class and marine who has passed. Marine scout/sniper school is so difficult that it’s not uncommon for a marine to keep the title PIG his entire time in a platoon, because he may never pass the school or may never have the opportunity to attend one. Once a PIG graduates scout/sniper school he receives the title of HOG and the current military occupation specialty of 0317, which is the only designator for scout/snipers. (The previous MOS was 8541.) He also receives a 7.62 mm bullet as a necklace. This bullet is known as a HOG’s tooth and is to always be on the sniper. It is a charm, meaning that it is the only bullet meant for that marine, and in combat, no other sniper will have a bullet for him. The new HOGs will operate in the battalion as the snipers and spotters. They gain valuable experience by performing missions for the units they support.

Marine snipers are known to be some of the best in the world at their profession, and marine scout/sniper school is a major reason for that claim. There are four recognized schools: First Marine Division, Second Marine Division, Third Marine Division, and Quantico scout/sniper school.

Before a marine can graduate from scout/sniper school, he must master land navigation, shooting stationary targets and moving targets at distances from 100 to 1,000 yards, and stalking. Stalking is the art of moving undetected from a certain distance to within 200 meters of the instructors and firing two shots. The student is being watched by instructors with high-powered optics the entire time. If a sniper instructor can detect him at any point, the student fails.

The student must also master calling mortars, artillery and air support, patrolling, use of equipment, and mission planning, which is a key element in sniper operations. He must also pass the final week, which is a culmination of all. The schools are known to have students from the U.S. Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, FBI, Marine Special Operations, and other armed forces from countries around the world. Because the time spent as a PIG is so instructional, the student should be prepared to attend this school; however, it’s not uncommon for a marine to fail scout/sniper school at least once. The school itself is considered to be one of the hardest in the Marine Corps.

It’s during this training that I believe a sniper develops his ideas about killing. Marine snipers have a tremendous reputation that carries over from past generations. With such an illustrious history in combat also come expectations. Because of the countless hours spent training, most snipers feel a desire to get a kill. Others who haven’t spent as much time training to do so might wonder at the importance of this. But from the very beginning of a sniper’s training, his entire goal is to do just that.

The organization for a scout/sniper platoon differs from the order of a line company from which most scout/snipers come. The platoon is commonly made up of five four-man sniper teams. The platoon commander is usually a first lieutenant who is also the sniper employment officer and is responsible for the platoon’s overall employment as well as the administration and logistics. The platoon sergeant is a staff or gunnery sergeant and preferably a HOG. He advises the platoon commander and is responsible for overall coordination and planning. The third in command is the chief scout/sniper or chief scout. He is the most experienced HOG and is the liaison for the other HOGs and PIGs to the platoon sergeant and platoon commander. The team leaders or TLs are typically HOGs and are directly in charge of planning for the sniper team’s missions. Also, it’s not uncommon for a senior PIG who has been to sniper school, but has failed, to fill the billet of a TL. The ATLs or assistant team leaders are typically HOGs or senior PIGs and are directed by the TLs.

For operations, the teams primarily support the battalion but can also be tasked out to assist the companies within the battalion. One team is usually held in reserve for Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center, SARC, which helps the teams in the field to relay information and radio transmissions back to battalion intelligence. A sniper team consists of two shooters and two spotters. Usually teams are made up of four men and can be split into two two-man teams at any time.

A sniper’s relationship with his weapon is very special. He is the ultimate caretaker of his rifle, and in return the weapon keeps him alive. A sniper has to give constant attention to his rifle, as if it were a baby. He cleans it, dresses it with spray paint, feeds it with ammo, sleeps with it, carries it, protects it from the elements, never loses it, and always guards it with his life. A marine sniper’s weapon is the M40A3, called the 40. It’s essentially a Remington model 700 with specific modifications, and until recently, a Unertl ten-power fixed scope was attached. The new scope is made by Schmidt and Bender and is a variable three–twelve by fifty. The rifle will fire accurately to 1,000 yards (ten football fields), but there are instances where marine snipers in Iraq have shot past that distance.

In Iraq, most snipers also carry an M16 to patrol with, so they can have the semiautomatic firepower as opposed to the bolt-action 40. The spotters can carry an M16 or an M203 grenade launcher. A SAW (squad automatic weapon), a light machine gun, can also be used. Most often, both the sniper and spotter will also have a sidearm 9 mm Beretta. When a sniper really needs to reach out to extreme distances, he can opt for the 50. It’s the M82A3 50-caliber sniper rifle made by Barrett called the SASR, meaning Special Applications Scoped Rifle. It, too, has specific modifications. It’s capable of penetrating armor and other tough obstacles like car doors, windows, and the biggest obstacle—distance. This weapon can reach out to 1,800 meters (over eighteen football fields) but snipers regularly shoot past that distance. However, one of the drawbacks to this weapon is its weight. Fully loaded with a ten-round magazine, the rifle weighs in at 32.5 pounds.

The equipment used by the sniper teams is selected depending on the mission. But the essentials are two radios, night vision and thermal devices, global positioning devices, flares, a laser range finder, as well as ammunitions and explosives. If on observation missions, snipers can carry cameras and laptops that have the capability of sending information and pictures back to the supported unit from the snipers’ position.

During the invasion of Iraq in 2003, marine snipers fought side by side with infantrymen because of the speed involved in the attack. However, since the war was declared over, and infantry units have gone to security and stabilization operations, marine snipers have been primarily conducting defensive operations. This is something most snipers don’t prefer because it drastically reduces the opportunity to hunt. More often than not, sniper missions in Iraq involve keeping essential roads clear of improvised explosive devices or IEDs, also known as roadside bombs. Entire scout/sniper platoons have been tasked with these missions, leaving little room for conventional sniper missions.

For snipers, it’s sometimes a challenge to determine who is planting the IEDs. There are many different methods that the enemy is using to place the bombs and with each counter that Americans use, the enemy adapts as well. In one instance, marines encountered insurgents using children to cover their activities. The sniper came across a car pulled to the side of the road, loaded with a family. The father appeared to be changing a tire with his children surrounding him watching, but in reality he dug a hole, and when night fell another person planted and covered an IED. Another technique that insurgents have used is to modify their vehicles. On one occasion, insurgents cut a hole in the floorboard of a van and were able to pull over, dig holes, and cover their IEDs. This happened all within minutes and without anyone exiting the vehicle. With countless methods and techniques of planting IEDs, it’s become a challenging task for all coalition units in Iraq to stop these bombs.

Whether in combat or not, shooting is the primary facet that people focus on when they think of a sniper. Although shooting is only 10 percent of sniper operations, snipers shoot thousands of rounds, and once a sniper is very familiar with his rifle, he will know exactly where that round will land. A marine sniper focuses on one shot, one kill so much that it’s unbearable to the sniper if he misses in combat—but it’s also hard to believe that every sniper makes every shot he takes. In a sniper’s opinion, every shot is significant, because the more enemy personnel killed equals the more lives saved for friendly troops. Some people say they are haunted by the people they have killed but in my experience, it’s the ones I have missed that do the haunting.

A common misconception is that when someone is shot by a sniper rifle he immediately drops dead. However, many snipers in Iraq have reportedly shot people in critical areas on the body but the targets didn’t stop.

Another misconception is that all snipers in Iraq will get a kill; for many, the opportunity to do so may never be presented. For those who do get the opportunity, they only claim the kill if they and their partner can confirm a hit and watch the individual die. Unlike in Vietnam, the snipers today do not have a military record of their kills, but most feel the need to keep a personal record. City environments such as the ones in Iraq make it hard to claim kills. On many occasions there have been snipers who have engaged moving targets and confirmed a hit, but the target moved out of sight. Also in Iraq, the locals try to collect their dead for burial before sunrise, making it hard to confirm at night. When a sniper has shot an individual but because of conditions can’t confirm the kill, it’s called a possible.

One of the more difficult challenges in Iraq is to identify the enemy. The fact is that enemy fighters have no dress code and most American troops are uneducated on the differences in Middle Eastern culture. This makes it hard for snipers to identify the foreigners from locals. Some of the fighters are Mujahideen (referred to as Muj), which is translated in the West as Holy Warriors. These Islamic extremists are mostly Arabs from surrounding countries who are drawn to Iraq for the chance of fighting the Infidel Crusaders. There are also many local Iraqis who are fighting against coalition forces. Often, these groups work together, and they can easily slip in and out of the local population unnoticed by the average American.

In Iraq, American troops are finding that the enemy can be both anywhere and anyone. Because of that, snipers treat everyone as a potential target. But when a sniper shoots, he has to know that the person he is targeting is absolutely violating the rules of engagement. However, there are times when snipers have to distinguish the intent of people’s actions instantly, and when doing so, they must try not to think of their fellow marines who have been injured or killed by IEDs, suicide bombers, mortars, or by shootings. This makes the decision to take a person’s life unsettling for some, but for others it’s an adrenaline rush. Nevertheless, a sniper has to have the maturity and integrity not to be overcome by that power, especially when emotions are involved. Because a sniper has the ability to provide highly accurate rifle fire and has the ability to identify targets more so than anyone else, he has a greater responsibility for his actions.

2

Ambush in Ramadi

Name: Sergeant S., Romeo

Billet: Scout/Sniper Team Leader

Area of Operations: City of Ar Ramadi, Al Anbar Province, Operation Iraqi Freedom II, February 2004–September 2004

Numb, Romeo pulled the bolt out of his sniper rifle and slid it into his pocket, remembering what he was taught. If at any time you feel like you’re gonna die or gonna get overrun, do other marines a favor, take the bolt out of your weapon, and throw it. Smash or shoot a hole in the scope—but whatever you do, do not let the enemy have control of your rifle! Romeo wondered how this could have happened. He didn’t want to smash his scope just yet, because maybe what he saw wasn’t what he thought it to be.

It was mid-March of 2004 in the scorching desert of western Iraq and the capital city of Al Anbar province, Ar Ramadi, had been turned over to the Magnificent Bastards of the Second Battalion, Fourth Marines. After relieving the Eighty-second Airborne in late February, the battalion commander made it a point to make their presence known in the city, but with a population of over 400,000 in Ramadi, he knew right away that his 1,000-man unit faced an enormous challenge. Still, the marines mounted a strategy of continuous foot patrols, which was a tactic that the army hadn’t used and in a sense it was proving to be successful because insurgents were surprised by all of the marines on the ground.

The battalion’s scout/sniper platoon had been split up and most of the teams were attached to the companies spread throughout the city. Sergeant Romeo and his four-man team were assigned to Echo Company based out of an old Iraqi military maintenance facility called Combat Outpost on the eastern side of Ramadi. The compound sat along the city’s main road, Route Michigan, and was a group of concrete buildings surrounded by a wall with guard posts. For the sniper team, being with Echo Company made coordinating and getting supplies easier because the PIGs in the team knew the marines in the company.

A few months before the battalion deployed to Iraq, the scout/ sniper platoon received the marines that were chosen from the indoc; but they needed to be trained—and fast. They endured a tough time and the HOGs knew they were capable and ready. After all, if they had stayed in their infantry platoons, most of them would have become squad leaders or section leaders. Finally after months of rigorous training, the team leaders selected the marines that they wanted in their teams.

Romeo was the team leader for Headhunter Two, and he chose the outcasts of the platoon. Corporal Ferguson from Philadelphia was the ditsy one. He’s the blondest black man that you could meet, and was very respectful. Corporal Stanton from Virginia, who was full-blooded Thai, had an attitude, but Romeo liked his sense of humor and heart. Corporal Stayskal from Southern California was the workhorse of the team and was laid back. Other team leaders thought he had an attitude as well, but Romeo saw his strengths. Romeo had been in the platoon for four years and was a HOG for almost as long. A short and muscular Filipino, he was always mellow and knew how to get along well with his teammates. He didn’t use his rank or status to intimidate or belittle them, either. It didn’t take long before the team was working well together, and they came to understand their roles. They had to. Their lives depended on it.

Shortly after arriving at the combat outpost, Romeo and his team started to run overnight IED missions. A northern road on the outskirts of town was becoming increasingly littered with roadside bombs, and the battalion was catching the brunt of them. The road, Route Nova, wasn’t far away, and after sundown the team left the outpost on foot. They patrolled through the suburbs of the city to find an observation position along the road. Every night they watched a certain area, and before dawn the team walked back to base. The problem with this was that no matter where they positioned themselves, IEDs were found or detonated on a section of Route Nova that they couldn’t see. And when they did move their hiding positions to compensate, the IEDs were found elsewhere.

Even though they operated strictly at night, it wasn’t hard to believe that someone knew where they were hiding. When they left the outpost, kids and teenagers followed close by. Dogs revealed their presence by barking as they passed, and the locals stared with looks of amazement toward these crazy Americans walking around after dark—and just the four of them. Soon the marines considered that the IEDs were being planted during the daytime and not at night. At the time, Romeo’s team hesitated to operate during the day because of the chance of compromise and because patrols from the infantrymen were continuously on the roads. But they couldn’t be everywhere.

Romeo understood the situation and knew that if his team were to catch the people planting bombs, they needed to stay out longer than just overnight. Before long he went to the Echo Company commander and told him that he wanted to carry out a twenty-four-hour IED mission. His team fully understood the consequences involved. Being out in the daytime meant a greater chance of compromise, especially being in a city with the population of this size. Even so, the team would take its chances; they knew that killing bad guys planting IEDs outweighed the risk.

Another motivation for the team to stay out longer came days earlier when a squad from Echo Company got in the battalion’s first engagement. The squad caught insurgents planting IEDs on Route Michigan. Because of that, everyone in the battalion was itching to get combat action.

During his mission planning, Romeo received an intelligence report: A few days ago American contractors were ambushed and killed in the city of Fallujah, located forty miles east of here. Two of the four men’s bodies were hung from a bridge. Insurgent activities had been increasing in that area and our battalion intercepted reports that insurgents might be planning something in our area as well.

The marines knew that they weren’t wanted in Ramadi. They could tell by the locals. When they patrolled, most people seemed to have animosity toward them, and although some were friendly, lately the attitude seemed to grow worse. Also, the kids weren’t following the patrols like they usually did, and Iraqis ducked into their homes as the marines passed by.

Romeo briefed the team, and afterward everyone began to prepare for the mission. Stanton, the assistant team leader, arranged the patrol route, Romeo checked the radio frequencies, and the rest of the team situated the equipment they would need. When everything was done, Romeo held a team gear inspection ensuring nobody forgot anything, and as usual, everything was good. As darkness slowly fell, the team cleaned their weapons and discussed any last-minute details about the mission. Just as they normally did, the team waited an hour or more after sundown to depart friendly lines. Romeo gave a