One bullet and one dead terrorist. That works for me.
Col John Gronski, the overall United States commander in Ramadi, said there could not be a military solution. "You could spend years putting snipers out and killing IED emplacers and at the political level it would make no difference."
I don't know Col. I know you're on the ground, but just look at the last election, and decreasing casualty rates. Plus, if you kill enough of them (terrorists), two things usually happen: Either the young'ens stop planting IEDs, or you run out off young'ens.
Oh, Col Gronski one other thing. I can't find the word "emplacers" anywhere.
5.56mm
One can only hope that the target suffered.
"I believe it is the longest confirmed kill in Iraq with a 7.62mm rifle," said Staff Sgt Gilliland, 28, who hunted squirrels in Double Springs, Alabama from the age of five before progressing to deer - and then people. "
He should write a book when he gets out.
Iraq = open season, no license required, no bag limits, no tagging and no cleaning of the game...
I ran that on a conversion website. Three quarters of a mile and change? Veddy nize.
Make it sound as if he's killing Iraqis for the fun of it. Give me a break - the man did his duty.
It made a difference to the IED emplacers who met Allah in Hell
Don't try to run--you'll just die tired.
That's okay, we will make more bullets.
BUMP!
That has to have made quite a dent in the terrorist population, especially the most dangerous semiskilled ones.
Salute!
Nice shot...
First off, I'm quite angry that any news organization would publish the names of any soldiers in combat, but doing so with the name of a sniper is beyond the pale.
Historically, being a "well known" sniper is a very bad thing, at least, while they're working. Remember that Carlos Hathcock had a bounty placed on his head. And giving the name and home town of a sniper is dispicable.
That said, a shot at that distance with a .308 is really something else. Usually, for those distances, .300 WinMag or .50BMG is used.
Being a sniper takes a very special person. Thank G-d that there are such men who are willing to take on the responsibility.
Mark
I wonder if he wasn't using the M24 .300 Winchester Magnum variant. Not that a .308 can't hit at 1,250 yards, the energy at that range is next to nothing.
Those insurgents better look out with military snipers like him. ;o)
The New York Times ought to be measured for "positive ID and proportionality."
These guys are real heros. There is absolutely no way to count all the lives they have saved. No matter how Al Qaeda trains, they will never have snipers like these men, because they do not kill out of hate, most of them have been hunting since they were small children, and they all have a well developed sense of right and wrong.