2RAR and US Marine snipers train together

The US Department of Defence released a video and interviews with soldiers from the 2nd Battalion (Amphibious), Royal Australian Regiment, and US Marines Corps snipers as they worked together conducting integrated sniper reconnaissance training during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2018 – RIMPAC.

CAPTION: An Australian Army sniper with 2RAR (Amphib) sights in on a target with a Blaser Tactical 2 sniper rifle during live-fire training as part RIMPAC at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii. US Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Adam Montera.

A US Marine spokesman said the live-fire training integrated sniper teams from other RIMPAC participants with US Marines, and provided high-value training for task-organised, highly capable Marine Air-Ground Task Forces and enhanced the critical crisis response capability of US Marines in the Pacific.

The video (a shorter version of which was released by the Australian Defence Force, with zero accompanying information), features Corporal Isaac Morgan, a sniper-team leader with the 2nd Battalion (Amphibious), Royal Australian Regiment, and Sergeant Herley, a scout-sniper-team leader attached for the past several months to 2RAR (Amphib) from the US Marine Corps.

“What I love about being a sniper is actually the challenges of the shot and the challenges of the job itself,” Corporal Morgan says.

“It’s normally a pretty long haul to get into the job, and then once you do get there, it sorta doesn’t end until once you’ve taken the shot.

“It’s a pretty good challenge.”

Sergeant Herley says his favourite part about being a sniper is the personal camouflage aspect.

“I love being able to sneak up on people, and them not knowing I’m there, and their life is in my hands” [that last bit deleted from the Australian release of the same video. Please comment below if you were offended by the inclusion of this remark – or offended that the ADF censored it out!].

Sergeant Herley says the big eye opening thing in the past three months has been that Australian Forces and American Forces can operate on the battlefield side-by-side without any issues.

 

Australian Defence Force video by Corporal Jake Sims – released in the US before the Canberra censors applied their PC blinkers to it 😉

 

Twenty-five nations, 46 ships, five submarines, about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from 27 June to 2 August in and around the Hawaiian Islands and southern California.

RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise and provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.

RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

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