joey_deacons_lad, you're reffering to the 'Marksman' qualification. Crossed rifles worn on service dress. Achieved if you score 51 or more on your annual ACMT. Guys that attain this level of marksmanship should be considered for 'Sharpshooter' course or conversion to the new weapon. In all fairness, most guys in an Infantry Regiment should be capable of attaining that level...not always the case though!! I've been down in Pirbright and the HDPRCC facility down there recently and have seen/heard nothing of any Sharpshooter courses, like I said the ones I'm aware of are 'in house'.

i have been in touch with brecon also, and no response. it seems something they dont or unwiiling to discuss. As a "purist" i was scpetical about "sharpshooters" but it does help when on ops when you only have a one or two badged blokes around and you have six rifles and only two know ow to use them. I think there should be one or at least the Sniper part one quals you up with the option to do the part two if deemed suitable. Thats how i am running it and it is prety easy to set up a range and get guys firring up to 1 k as it is all in a AOSP and thats all that brecon use.

I suspect that you have not had a response from Brecon because they have been on exercise for the past week. They are in the office now though.

I hear your points Sniper9, but have you considered that Sharpshooters are a refined pool from which to recruit guys into your platoon from? After all, they have show the acumen to be able to achieve good shooting, therefore it would seem a solid progression for them to be your next Snipers.

Be careful how you manage it though; otherwise you will have CO's question why they need Snipers in the Current Environment when they have skilled shooters within the company.

Good point, but we dint not have any sharpshooter/sniper capapbilty till istarted doing it. This came down from the man himself that he wants a sharpshooter/sniper platoon set up for next herrick. Being FR i am up against it any way but it gives the boys another string to thier bow and as you have said it already weeds out the dross so i can send blokes on courses and get a highter pass rate ( i hope). But i do think brecon should consider it and allow us to run the part one and they concentrate on part two. They have sennybridge on thier back door and easier to set up

The FR Regiments get an allocation on the Part 1 courses as part of the RAC overall allocation. DRAC should be able to support you in this. The reason why Brecon run the Part 1 is due to the limited number of ranges set up to conduct the AOSP specified shoots. Hence, if there is one provider of this course, then there is less demand on the actual ranges. (I think there are only three in the UK and one in Germany). It therefore provides a greater return back to the field army.

In terms of running the Part 2, it has been an aspiration from Brecon to run this immediately after Part 1, however for the time being Sniper Part 2 remains distributed being that it places less of a burden on resources than the Part 1.

FR do get an allocation on the part one but perhaps FR regimants should conduct this themselves run thier own part ones. we only get three places per course and do to MST and the ops cylce you are lowest of the low. If FR did it them selves then we could take the pressure off brecon and start standing on our own feet instead of piggy backing from ITC. I am sure a few instructors could be trained up and sent down for start untill is get established. The whole situation needs looking at and and cordination between regiments and battalions. As for ranges i rang up and got a range with out any hassle, they are out there just have dig around and be prepared to travel!

Sniper9, fair enough. Which ranges did you get? The issue with instructors is that the FR Regt's tend not to load onto the Sniper Section Commanders Courses so ultimately do not have an instructor qual at their disposal. They would then have to go on and do SAA 1 - 5 as the Part 1 course covers both gallery range and field firing. So, they would need the full range management qualification.

It is all within the art of the possible, but it is a lot to ask a regiment that does not necessarily hold those qualifications to start building up that capability and introduce some form of legacy planning to enable that to continue when personalities move on to new jobs. Why not allow someone else to take on the training burden, such as the training establishments and lobby for more places on that particular course or indeed ask DRAC to request DINF to run an additional course to support the RAC requirements?

warminster IR2 900m (1000 if you ask nicely) also barry buddon, Lydd, and castlemartin. FR do get on SSC course also the PC course. I am trying to set sniper capability from scratch and informing the chain of command of what is required and how to cary it on when (if) i move on. as for places on courses its the OPs cylce that screws it all up.