PHOTOS: US Army soldiers become part of the forest as they learn to be snipers and to stealthily hunt down enemies

Ryan PickrellJun 23, 2020, 00:52 IST

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

Snipers learn to hide and stealthily hunt enemies trough stalking exercises.
The difficult training is designed to help US military snipers learn the ins and outs of camouflage and concealment, vital skills every sniper must have to not only carry out their mission but also to stay alive.
These photos from a recent training at Fort Benning, Georgia show US Army soldiers learning to disappear in a woodland environment.

No one hides like a sniper.

US military snipers learn camouflage and concealment skills through stalking training, which involves moving into an isolated position and putting fire on a target without being detected.

Amazing photos from a recent training with US Army soldiers in the Sniper Course at Fort Benning, Georgia show what snipers go through to blend into their environment.

Snipers typically start the training by painting their faces and using local vegetation to camouflage themselves and their gear.

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

The aim is to break up the outline of the human form, and a top sniper can effectively "veg up" in a matter of minutes.

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

Camouflage is only part of the equation, the other part being concealment.

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

"The best tool snipers can use to disguise and conceal themselves from the enemy is a solid understanding of their surroundings," Capt. Greg Elgort, a company commander overseeing sniper training at Fort Benning, previously told Insider.

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

"The best tool snipers can use to disguise and conceal themselves from the enemy is a solid understanding of their surroundings," Capt. Greg Elgort, a company commander overseeing sniper training at Fort Benning, previously told Insider.

"It's not just about the face paint or what I attach to my body. It's the natural environment around me that I can utilize to keep them from seeing me," 1st Sgt. Kevin Sipes, a seasoned sharpshooter, previously told Insider.

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

"It's not just about the face paint or what I attach to my body. It's the natural environment around me that I can utilize to keep them from seeing me," 1st Sgt. Kevin Sipes, a seasoned sharpshooter, previously told Insider.

Concealing oneself from an adversary's gaze is about putting "anything you can between you and whatever might be observing you," Staff Sgt. David Smith, a sniper instructor at Fort Benning, told Insider last year.

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

Concealing oneself from an adversary's gaze is about putting "anything you can between you and whatever might be observing you," Staff Sgt. David Smith, a sniper instructor at Fort Benning, told Insider last year.

That means looking for natural or constructing artificial screens in the field, especially when setting up a forward firing position.

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

"You and your gun need to look like everything around you," a Marine Corps scout sniper instructor told Insider during an earlier visit to Quantico.

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

"Don't be the bush. Be the space between the bushes," he said, stressing the importance of disappearing into the negative space.

U.S. Army photo by Patrick A. Albright, Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Public Affairs

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PHOTOS: US Army soldiers become part of the forest as they learn to be snipers and to stealthily hunt down enemies

Snipers typically start the training by painting their faces and using local vegetation to camouflage themselves and their gear.

The aim is to break up the outline of the human form, and a top sniper can effectively "veg up" in a matter of minutes.

Camouflage is only part of the equation, the other part being concealment.

"The best tool snipers can use to disguise and conceal themselves from the enemy is a solid understanding of their surroundings," Capt. Greg Elgort, a company commander overseeing sniper training at Fort Benning, previously told Insider.

"It's not just about the face paint or what I attach to my body. It's the natural environment around me that I can utilize to keep them from seeing me," 1st Sgt. Kevin Sipes, a seasoned sharpshooter, previously told Insider.

Concealing oneself from an adversary's gaze is about putting "anything you can between you and whatever might be observing you," Staff Sgt. David Smith, a sniper instructor at Fort Benning, told Insider last year.

That means looking for natural or constructing artificial screens in the field, especially when setting up a forward firing position.

"You and your gun need to look like everything around you," a Marine Corps scout sniper instructor told Insider during an earlier visit to Quantico.

"Don't be the bush. Be the space between the bushes," he said, stressing the importance of disappearing into the negative space.