How Do I Become a Scout in the Marines?
The United States Marine Corps falls under the command of the Department of the Navy. Although the Navy is most concerned with amphibious operations, the Marines conduct warfare operations from the land, air and sea. A Marine Scout has two main duties: reconnaissance and sniping. To become a Marine Scout, you will need to become a skilled marksman; an expert at stealth, camouflage and concealment; and an expert infantryman trained in battlefield tactics, combat, and survival. Becoming an elite Marine Scout Sniper requires extensive physical and psychological training. Once you qualify, the duties you must carry out are just as challenging. More than half the recruits who pursue such training ultimately fail.
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Instructions
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Visit a Marine recruiting station and speak with a recruiter. The Marines take only the best, so expect to be grilled on why you want to be a Marine and why you think you deserve the opportunity.
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Join the Marines either as an infantryman (Military Occupation Specialty or MOS 0300) or in ground intelligence (MOS 0203). These are the only two positions in the Marines that allow you to enter the ranks of a Scout/Sniper unit. Scout/Sniper positions remain closed to all other job functions.
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Swear into the United States Marine Corps by visiting the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) and then complete basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) Parris Island, South Carolina, or MCRD Camp Pendleton near San Diego, California. Prepare for physical challenges while being pushed to your mental and psychological limits during basic training. Your days will typically begin at 4:30 in the morning and last until midnight, filled with non-stop training in weapons and tactics of a Marine.
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Pass the swim test while in basic training. If you do not pass the swim test, you will not be able to continue basic training. Your drill instructor will do everything he or she can to give you the swimming skills needed to pass, but ultimately you need to pass the test on your own.
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Pass your physical fitness test with the highest marks possible. You need to aim for a score of 220 or above to prove the best physical conditioning. This will include a t3-mile run in less than 18 minutes, 20 pull-ups in 2 minutes and 100 sit-ups in 2 minutes. You will need to maintain this level of fitness throughout your career to be an elite Marine Scout Sniper.
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Qualify as an expert rifleman at the shooting range during basic training. Your drill instructor will provide you all the required training to perform at such a level, but the task of performance falls on you. You will need to retain this performance level throughout your career . Once you arrive at your permanent duty station, you will be expected to re-qualify as a rifleman at least once annually.
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Graduate from infantry or ground intelligence training school once you have completed basic training. Infantry training will teach you advanced combat and survival skills for air, land and sea, while ground intelligence will teach the same skills in addition to the gathering and dissemination of battlefield intelligence.
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Earn the rank of Lance Corporal (E3) once you arrive at your permanent duty station. Attaining this rank is usually a formality, given after a year and a half of service. If your performance at your duty station is substandard or if disciplinary actions are taken against you, you may be passed over for promotion. Such performance will prevent your acceptance into a Marine Scout Sniper unit as well.
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Request a transfer to a Scout Sniper unit. Make the request through your chain of command. Placement with such a unit will be temporary until you pass all required training and tests to be a Marine Scout Sniper.
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Pass the indoctrination test for the Marine Scout Sniper unit you are attached to, along with all required tests and training for that specific Scout Sniper unit. Each unit has its own training and procedures for indoctrination. You are expected to adapt and succeed, much as you will have to on the battlefield.
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Pass the pretraining assessments and drills with your Scout Sniper unit to prepare for Marine Scout sniper school. You will need to pass each assessment according to the standards prescribed by the unit. Depending on the unit, your performance, and the availability of a seat in Marine Scout Sniper School, you can expect this training to last from 6 months to 18 months.
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Attend and graduate from Marine Scout sniper school in Quantico, Virginia. This is the last step and the most rigorous part of the training to becoming a Marine Scout Sniper. You will receive training in all aspects of reconnaissance and the art of sniping. Expectations are high. Although shooting is important, it is not the overall emphasis of the school. Stealth and intelligence-gathering on the battlefield are the most crucial skills to master. You must pass all aspects of training in order to receive the distinction of Marine Scout Sniper and secure a permanent placement with an elite unit.
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Tips & Warnings
As a Marine Scout Sniper you will often be in compromising, dangerous positions and you may have to take human life without hesitation or with deliberate calculation. This can pose psychological problems for some people and dramatically increases your risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
References
- Photo Credit sniper rifle on the tripod and optical sight image by Vladimir Melnik from Fotolia.com
