Spotter

I just watched Discovery Channel's Surviving The Cut. They featured Sniper's School. I did not know that snipers works with spotters. I always thought they worked alone. Spotters are guides to where the sniper's rounds fall. Spotter's are equipped with powerful Spotting scopes. They help the sniper dial in their shots. Many factors affect a bullet's path. Wind and gravity affects how a bullet travels. Rounds can fall short or overshoot the target because of these factors. Spotting scopes magnify the results of every shot. The spotter reports the results to the shooter and they in turn make the necessary adjustments.

During the course, snipers are trained to stalk and how to camouflage themselves. They try to crawl as close as they can to the instructors and shoot a target without being spotted. Instructors scan the area with Spotting scopes after every attempt to try and locate the shooter. Those who are successful get additional points. Getting the minimum points allows them to graduate.

The course is tough. More than half of the aspirants do not make the cut. Those who are good enough to earn enough points are honored with the sniper's badge. They go back to their mother units with pride. They become members of a very elite group of individuals who are a cut above the rest. Their role is very important. They neutralize the enemy before they harm their comrades. They are the long range deterrents. Without spotters, they are able to complete their mission.