The Sniper

flamed as annoying cowards in war games,
the sniper force proves to be the deadliest,
swiftest and safest addition to every men's
arsenal.

here's an interview with gunnery sergeant
jack coughlin, a marine sniper in hell iraq.
(ripped from fhm july 2005's issue!)


*jiaxian: the ladies can go away now..*

How did you become a sniper?
Most snipers are country bumpkins who started
shooting with daddy when they were 6. I grew up
in an east-coast, middle-class home. And I never
touched a gun before I joined the Marines.


How far can you pick off a target?
Our primary weapon is the M40A1, which is a
7.62-caliber weapon. The M40A3 is an upgraded
version of it and I've hit 892m with that rifle. We
also have a 50-caliber rifle which is accurate up
to 1.638km. I've hit targets at 1.365km with it.


What does a 50-caliber do to human flesh?
That weapon is designed to shoot through armour
on vehicles and older tanks. It could rip the top of
your head off. If it hit you in the throat, you could
be decapitated. If you were hit in the torso, it can
punch a dollar coin sized hole in the front, and a 6-
inch diameter burst in your back.

*jiaxian: that's the size of a human's face!"


Do you aim for the head?
I aim for the biggest meat on target to compensate
for error. That's usually right below the rib cage.
In hostage situations, where you have to kill the
target instantly, you aim for the medulla oblongata
which is a two-inch box from your upper lip to the
top of your nose. If I hit you there, you're not even
going to twitch.


When you look through the scope at a target,
what do you see?
At 546m, it's like looking at him from across a room.
I see the expression on his face when he dies.


Does that make it more difficult?
Yes. It's the hardest thing to do. Pilots drop bombs
on targets they never see. Infantrymen shoot at
targets, but they don't know if they hit them.
Sometimes the targets look dumbfounded when hit,
or they have a blank expression on their face. Other
times it's agony.


Would you shoot a guy in the back?
Yes. I'm not a police officer who has to identify
himself. This is a combat kill. Shooting people in
the back is the same target area as shooting
someone in the front.


How do you prioritize targets?
It depends on the mission, but I want to smoke
check--that's our expression for taking out a
target--officers, anyone with a radio and guys
with RPGs and heavy machine guns.


You received the Bronze Star for your service
in Iraq in 2003, which included 36 confirmed
kills. What was your best day?
When none of my Marines got hurt. I took out
13 targets in one 24-hour period, but we lost
Marines that day.


That was the assault on the Diyala Bridge during
the advance to Baghdad. It was reported that
Iraqi civilians died in that assault.
I was there, behind the scope. I know what took
place. Some people were innocent. Some weren't.
War sucks. Unfortunately, the taking of a life is
probably the most exciting thing in the world,
good or bad. But when you're there, innocent
people die, and there's nothing you can do.


What's it like to make history?
Incredible. I was the first soldier in the square
when the Iraqis tore down that statue of Saddam
Hussein in Baghdad. It was total euphoria. There
was real appreciation from the Iraqis there.
In my job, I don't get too much of that.


Would you have any tips for hunters?
I don't hunt. Once you've 'hunted' man, hunting
animals doesn't compare.

"he's dead, i'm aiming for his medulla oblonga-"..
poor counter-terrorist talked too much.