Soldiers in Poland Try Out for Sniper School

By Army Spc. Andrew McNeil, Battle Group Poland

BEMOWO PISKIE, Poland, Jan. 10, 2018 — In the world of horology -- clocks and watches -- the mechanism that tells the time is called a movement, but the added-on features of the timepiece, like a chronograph and calendar, are called complications.

In the infantry, the movement might be considered the infantrymen themselves. They are the key piece and focus of the unit. When a unit wants to add a complication, they call upon snipers.

“Snipers bring quite a few assets to a squadron like this,” said Army Staff Sgt. Cameron Angers, the sniper section leader assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. “Snipers are able to support a troop and squadron by being able to find assault positions, support by fire positions and find their own sniper firing positions.”

Wanting to add this beneficial complication to their movement, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, held a sniper school tryout Jan. 2-4, in Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland.

The tryouts allowed the unit to select the five best candidates to send to the strenuous 7-week long sniper course at the U.S. Army Sniper School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Tryouts

“The first day we had a [Ranger Physical Fitness Test], which consisted of push-ups, sit-ups, a 5-mile run and 6 pull-ups,” Angers said. “After that we gave them a break, later we gathered back up to do a day and night land [navigation] course.”

On Day Two, the soldiers had to perform a 4-mile weighted litter carry while completing three different testing stations on the path. The last day of the tryouts, the soldiers had to go on a 12-mile ruck march.

After the ruck march, the soldiers were quizzed by their senior leaders about their personal motivation for wanting to be a sniper with 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

“It was always a dream of mine when I first joined,” said Army Sgt. Cody Wise, an infantryman assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment and sniper slot applicant. “I finally get the opportunity and it feels pretty good.”

Once selected and qualified, the new snipers will not only add to the unit as a whole, but will allow the squadron and Battle Group Poland to have a new tool to create complications on the battlefield for any adversarial threats.

“Being a sniper, to me, means being stealthy” and “the best of the best,” said Army Pvt. Bryce Dorvall, an infantryman assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment and sniper slot applicant.

Battle Group Poland supports Atlantic Resolve and demonstrates the U.S. commitment to the security of NATO and NATO allies. This unique, multinational battle group comprised of U.S., U.K., Croatian and Romanian soldiers serves with the Polish 15th Mechanized Battalion as a deterrence force in northeast Poland in support of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence.