A sniper team from 3rd Special Forces Group took the top spot at this year's 15th annual international sniper competition hosted at Fort Liberty, North Carolina by the Special Warfare Center. A French sniper team came in second and a team from 10th Special Forces Group came in third.
This year 20 sniper teams competed in realistic training scenarios hailing from Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands. American teams came from 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, and 19th Special Forces groups, the 75th Ranger Regiment, MARSOC, Naval Special Warfare, and the Coast Guard.
A 1st Special Forces Group sniper identified only by his rank and first name spoke to the realism of the training scenarios that the teams were tested on during the competition.
"In this competition specifically, there are a lot of practical applications," Sgt. 1st Class Lin explained. "It’s a lot of real-world application, a lot of SOF sniper techniques, tactics and procedures are incorporated into these stages and experiences."
The sniper teams tested, "their skills in intense events that look, feel, and sound like modern-ground combat,” said Lt. Col. Scott Elliott who is the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Special Warfare Training Group commander. "The instructors of the Special Forces Sniper Course, the premiere U.S. military school for long-range marksmanship and sniper options, designed events that will challenge the three-person teams’ ability to work together."