The U.S. Army Sniper School is part of the United States Army 197th Infantry Brigade based at Fort Benning, Georgia. The first U.S. Army Sniper School was short lived, being established in 1955, but disbanded in 1956 at Camp Perry, Ohio. The U.S. Army's first permanent school was established in 1987 at Fort Benning, Georgia.[1][2]
The school trains soldiers in marksmanship, sniper equipment and tactics, collection of battlefield intelligence, stalking and other sniper-related skills. The primary mission of the sniper is to deliver long range, precision fire. Their secondary mission is the collecting and reporting of battlefield information. Soldiers are taught how to blend in with the surrounding environment by wearing a ghillie suit. They must go through a course where they come within 300 meters of spotters in a small tower and take a shot at a target without being noticed. Students are trained on the M24 Sniper Weapon System, M107 rifle, and the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System.[3]
The school is five weeks long and is open to Active Duty, Reserves, and National Guard. Students must be in MOS series of 11 (Infantry), 18 (Special Forces), or 19D (Cav Scout).
The United States Army National Guard established a second Sniper School in 1993 at Camp Robinson, Arkansas. The curriculum for this Course mirrors the Course taught at Fort Benning, Georgia.