January 13th, 2022
7:36 runtime
Weve all seen the movies.
It seems like a pretty rewarding and exciting line of work, right?
But as is the case in most things, reality differs greatly from fiction.
Despite how Hollywood usually portrays the role of the sniper, Grant LaVelle of Maximum Life Expectancy argues reality is often quite different.
How do you separate whats real and whats fake in the mysterious world of snipers?
Do you believe what you see in the movies?
Is Hollywood Right?
LaVelle was sworn into the United States Marine Corps in 1990. He was 17 years old at the time and left for boot camp as soon as he was 18.
Films like Shooter starring Mark Wahlberg are not the norm, said LaVelle.
The short answer is no, they are usually not even close.
Whether its military or law enforcement, its really the same thing.
LaVelle can be seen here in the desert camo boonie hat firing in the prone position at a sniper school he attended during his SWAT sniper career.
Youre there to not be seen, and when youre invisible you get the best intelligence.
Ultimately, youre an intelligence gatherer first.
Youre a resource for leadership, whether it be SWAT leadership or a battalion commander.
A sniper is an intelligence gatherer first and foremost. As a result,camouflaging skillsare of vital importance in this role. So is patience.
Youre there to give them eyes and ears on whatever battlefield youre at, he stated.
Your Longest Shot?
My next question for LaVelle was regarding the longest shot he ever took in the sniper role.
LaVelle has the skills to reach out long distances, as was provenwhen he attended the first NRL Hunter Matchwith theModel 2020 Waypoint rifle.
Ive seen him shoot at incredible distances, so I know long-range precision is in his skillset.
It was 62 yards, Lavelle stated quickly.
This is probably a little bit above the average distance of a police sniper engagement.
There have been some longer shots for sure, but those are extremely rare.
Although there are shooters who could do it and actually have, its not at all common.
How Many?
The first was against a suspect who had armed and barricaded himself after attempting to kill his wife.
A responding officer was fired at by the suspect but was able to pull back and call in SWAT.
Over the course of four to five hours, the subject fired about 40 rounds at the officers.
The subject was actually pretty savvy in the way he maintained his cover and concealment, said LaVelle.
No one ever actually saw him as he was shooting at us over those several hours.
That is, until that one time he exposed himself and I shot him, continued LaVelle.
The second shooting in which LaVelle was involved happened very fast.
A murder suspect had taken a hostage, and LaVelle rushed to the scene to respond.
Any Advice?
Take all the posters off your wall.
Paint that wall and then sit yourself 6 to 8 away and stare at it until the paint dries.
If you enjoy that, then youre going to be cut out for the task.
You are a gatherer of intel, a watchman and a leader.
Its not glamorous, and its not like it is in almost all the movies you see.
It definitely requires someone who is mature and patient and willing to tolerate all that.
When the excitement comes.
it comes with a boom.
It can go from nothing to everything in the blink of an eye.
