by Rob Maylor
There is also a special place in my heart for the Royal Marine Corps. It was a place where I really felt at home and enjoyed myself while I learnt my trade. The bootneck (marines) attitude is very similar to that of the lads from SASR, and is a possible contribution as to why the regiment and SBS get on so well.
I picked up a book a little while ago about a bootneck called Mark Ormrod from my old unit, 40 Commando, who was horrifically injured in Afghanistan. This is a true account of shear bootneck courage and determination to get his life back together and push his injuries aside; I was touched by his story. Sorry Mark, bootnecks do cry!
I met the most memorable characters during my time in the Royal Marines. Cheeky bastards always up for a laugh, but good hard soldiers also. Taff Cuddihey is one them and would have to be one of the top characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing–a corps character not just a unit character. He is one of the toughest chefs you will ever come across. Standing in the breakfast queue one morning I noticed a bloke (or I should say ‘fool’), complaining rather loudly about the state of the baked beans and the food in general. Taff was getting quite irate about his rudeness and we could all see what was about to happen as he had a fiery reputation. Taff moved to the front of the bain maries and grabbed this poor bloke’s head and shoved it into the hot baked beans. His parting comment was, ‘Now they’re fuckin’ ruined!’
Not many people messed around with Taff, least of all the bouncers at the Ivory Club, a nightclub in Taunton which 40 Commando used to patronise. He used to get very drunk, as we all did, and then fight with the bouncers for fun. A rumour going around at one stage was that Taff had knocked them all out over various nights. In fact, as Taff entered the club the bouncers always used to raise their hands and say, ‘We don’t want any trouble tonight, Taff.’
Taff is a part owner of a bar in Pataya, Thailand. I’m not sure of his arrangement with the Thai woman who runs it, but he used to spend every leave over there, generally taking some of the younger marines and leading them astray. He is a very likeable bloke and loyal to his mates. We used to take the piss out of him in Northern Ireland as he took his weightlifting very seriously; he had a strict routine and even took protein and muscle-building powders. Unfortunately he never worked on his legs and he ended up looking like a toffee apple–big on top but with legs like a sparrow–and the subject of some good banter.
In 3RAR as I mentioned, I became very good mates with Lee, an ex-Grenadier guardsman from England. He is passionate about his hunting and is very good at it. We share the same values and have been great mates since day one of that reconnaissance course. We also both shared the same opinion of several blokes who were so-called instructors on that course.
Lee writes a lot of articles for hunting magazines and is a well-known for his stories of hunting with dogs. We had access to a hunting property outside Bathurst which produced a lot of game. We used it a lot during my time in Sydney. He passed selection for 4RAR and has also completed a couple of tours of Afghanistan.
I also became good friends with RS over the years, who was also at 3RAR. I met him when I was posted to support company after our first Timor trip; we played intercompany rugby together–fortunately on the same side since he is 6 ft 8 in (203 cm) and solid muscle. He is another who doesn’t suffer fools but unlike Lee, RS can be very diplomatic about it when he needs to be. We did the same selection together and he is responsible for talking me out of throwing it all away. RS is very focused and completed the 13-week training program we were given as a guide for selection day by day, and activity after activity. He has excelled as an operator in the regiment, and is also an SAS sniper, but his main calling is as an as assaulter and he is exceptional. RS has also been in a few scrapes in Afghanistan and won the Medal of Gallantry there in 2006 with Matt Locke.
I have had some great experiences in the forces and have learnt some valuable life skills. I grew up fast in the marines and made some great friends. I could have had a full career in the regiment if I chose, but it would mean not being able to deliver my promise to my family of spending more time with them. It was time to give them a break. While I don’t regret my time in the forces–in fact I’m truly proud of it–it’s now time to be a father and a husband first.
The Eleven Rules
These are my personal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that I would try to implement if the situation or terrain allowed. Sticking to these SOPs will give you the best chance of success and survival.
1 Keep all movements slow, and always look before moving
–Movement attracts the eye and will be the main thing that will compromise you.
–Scan the ground to look for anything unnatural and to plan your next move.
2 Use the shadows
–Shadows will conceal movement to a certain degree.
–They will also soften your outline.
3 Never enter and exit a hide by the same route
–If you have been observed moving into an area it is likely that an op will be established to observe for more movement, or worse, an ambush.
–If you are being tracked it will prevent you coming face to face with the enemy.
4 Use natural foliage
–To be able to blend in to the surrounding area properly you need to use natural foliage. Man-made materials can be good but there’s no substitute for the real thing.
5 Only fire 1 to 2 shots from the same location–if possible move after first shot
–Repeated shots from the same location will give your position away.
6 Whenever possible have a deception plan–false hides, false trails etc.
–If working in the same area for extended periods, having a deception strategy that you can observe will give you early warning that the enemy are on to you.
7 Marksmanship principles
–Position and hold must be firm enough to support the weapon.
–The weapon must point naturally at the target without any undue physical effort.
–Sight alignment or aiming must be correct.
–The shot must be released and followed through without disturbing the position of the weapon.
8 Eye on the crosshairs, target slightly blurred
–A reminder to focus on the crosshairs just before taking the shot and not on the target for correct aiming technique.
9 Shoot past a solid object
–This will give you cover from fire.
–It will also produce a sonic crack making an observer think the shot was fired from that object.
10 Always have an escape route
–If compromised you’ll need to get out of your location undetected and unimpeded.
–Your escape route should have cover from fire but that is not always possible, at the very least, you should achieve cover from view.
11 Never sacrifice security
–A reminder not to be lazy or complacent. Good security will keep you alive.
Ballistics Terminology
Action The breech mechanism of a rifle that loads, fires and unloads. This encompasses the trigger, magazine housing and bolt.
AP Armour piercing bullet. The projectile has a hardened steel or tungsten core designed to penetrate armour.
Ball Full metal jacket projectiles, a standard round which has a lead core enveloped in a copper jacket.
Ballistics Data concerning trajectory, velocity and energy (kinetic) of the bullet, or characteristics of a projectile before and after it leaves the muzzle of the weapon.
Bore The interior of a barrel.
Bullet drop The ballistic measurement of how far a bullet will drop after being fired. Bullets (projectiles) are affected by gravity, which gives it a trajectory–a curved flight path.
Calibre The diameter of the bore measured from the land surface. A rifled bore has grooves in it to cause the round to spin once fired; these are called ‘land and grooves’. The projectile is slightly larger than the bore size so it will take up the space in the grooves givin
g it a gas seal.
Cartridge case The brass container that holds the propellant and projectile.
Chamber The enlarged part of a bore into which the round is placed. The round will fit snugly in the chamber, which is slightly larger than the round to allow for expansion of the cartridge case once fired.
Chronograph An electronic instrument used to measure the velocity of a projectile.
Culminating point The maximum height above a horizontal surface which a projectile rises to above the line of sight while in trajectory to a target. The maximum height a round will go before gravity starts to pull it back to earth. This will vary at different ranges.
Drift The amount of shift of a projectile to one side or the other due to its rotation in flight or air resistance. If a rifle bore is rifled with a right-hand twist (which is usually the case) the drift of that round will be slightly right. This is known as Magnus drift and is more noticeable at longer ranges.
Ejector A small spring-loaded post at the face of a bolt that will push the empty case out of the weapon.
Elevation The amount of adjustment needed to compensate for range.
Extractor Usually spring-loaded device at the face of the bolt that clips onto the rim of a cartridge case and then pulls it out of the chamber to be ejected.
Field of fire An area relatively free of obstruction into which a sniper can fire.
Field of view The angular measurement of how wide an area can be observed through an optical device. Spotting scopes generally have a narrow field of view, rifle scopes are wider, and binoculars wider still. During observation, you will look with the naked eye, if you see something, then use binoculars, and to clearly identify what you’re looking at the spotting scope is used, adjusting the magnification.
Free-floating barrel A barrel that does not touch the stock or any other part of a rifle. The most accuracy you can get is from a barrel that is screwed into the action, but does not touch anything else.
Grain A unit of weight, there being 7,000 grains in a pound, and 437 grains in one ounce. The weight of a powder charge and the weight of a bullet are expressed in grains.
Group A number of shots, usually three to five, fired by a shooter at the one target using the same point of aim, position and hold.
Hide The temporary or permanent position a sniper occupies to engage a target. This should have excellent concealment and cover, good observation, and good entry and escape routes.
Hold off Aiming off to compensate for wind.
Lead The amount of allowance used by a sniper to lead in front of a moving target.
Line of sight (LOS) An imaginary straight line from the firer’s eye through the sights to the point of aim.
Mil dot A tiny dot of very exact dimension in the scope’s reticle pattern, used for range estimation, lead and hold off.
Minute of angle (MOA) A measurement that measures 1 inch at 100 yards (27mm at 100 metres). When a shooter says he can achieve a ½ MOA group at 100 metres, he means he placed three to five rounds on a target at 100 metres that measured 12–13 mm apart.
Mirage Heat waves. The image of the target will be slightly displaced due to the refraction of light through the heat waves, how much the target will be displacement depends on how fast the mirage is running. A sniper needs to be able to read a mirage accurately as it will help him an estimate on wind speed.
Mean point of impact (MPI) The centre of a group.
Muzzle brake A recoil reducing device attached to the end of a barrel that defects blast sideways or backwards to pull the rifle slightly forward. Unfortunately on the larger calibres like the .50 calibre, it will produce more of a signature, i.e. create more dust from the blast.
Point of aim The point where the sights are aimed.
Point of impact The point where the round strikes first.
Prone position Lying flat, head and shoulders raised and supported by the elbows leaving the hands free to hold and operate the weapon.
Rate of twist Term used to describe rifling by the distance in inches a bullet passes in the barrel during a single rotation. A .308 sniper rifle will typically have a 1:12 rate of twist, one complete turn in 12 inches.
Recoil The rearward movement of a rifle produced by its discharge. The severity depends on calibre, weight and velocity of the round. Other factors are the weight of the rifle (the lighter the rifle the more recoil), the design of the stock and the use of a suppressor (suppressors will reduce recoil).
Reticle Crosshair.
Rifling The helix formed in the bore of a barrel to give a spinning motion to a projectile passing through it. This spinning motion is what gives the projectile its accuracy and will keep it stable on its flight.
Range card A detailed sketch of a sector or arc of fire including all prominent terrain and man-made features, likely enemy routes and dead ground, also including ranges to key points. Can also include weather conditions and wind strengths for rapid adjustments to engage targets, can also include bearing to key points.
Sniper data A detailed record of ballistic data developed and periodically modified, on the performance of a particular sniper rifle and ammunition during varying weather conditions and ranges.
Spotter A sniper who helps another sniper detect and identify targets, then adjust his fire onto the target. He is also responsible for close range security. Usually called the No. 1 and No. 2, the No. 1 being the shooter and No. 2 the observer.
Suppressor A device that uses baffles and or fine mesh to dissipate and slow the escape of gases from a weapon muzzle, reducing noise and signature. Usually affects trajectory, and can sometimes even increase accuracy.
Sear The lock or catch in a weapon that holds the firing pin back until released by the trigger.
Shooting platform Anything a sniper can use to place himself or his weapon to accurately shoot from.
Swirl The disturbance in the air the observer can see through optics from a spinning projectile. This gives a good indication of where your round has struck the target, or missed.
Terminal velocity The remaining velocity or speed of a projectile at the point in its downward path where it is level with the muzzle of the weapon.
Trajectory The curved path the projectile follows on leaving the barrel until it strikes the target.
Trigger pull The resistance offered by a trigger when pressure is put on it. The force to overcome this is expressed in pounds or kilos. The average trigger pull is 3–6 pounds. The less trigger pull, the less you will anticipate the recoil and the shot will be release without any undue stress on the rifle.
Trigger squeeze The correct method of firing a weapon.
Tumble Used to describe a projectile that turns end over end.
Windage The amount of adjustment required to compensate or allow for the action of wind on the projectile in flight.
Zero The adjustment of an optical or open sight so that a bullet precisely hits a target at a given distance.
Abbreviations
AFP
Australian Federal Police
AME
air medical evacuation
ANA
Afghan National Army
AO
Area of Operations
AP
armour piercing
ATV
all-terrain vehicle
BPT
brigade patrol troop
CDF
Chief of the Defence Force
CO
commanding officer
CT
counter-terrorism
CTC
Commando Training Centre
DOP
drop-off point
DS
directing staff
FOB
forward operating base
GPMG
general purpose machine-gun
HE
high explosive
HME
home-made explosive
IA
immediate action
IED
> improvised explosive device
IRA
Irish Republican Army
IRR
incident response regiment
JTAC
joint terminal attack controller
KIA
killed in action
LP
landing point
LRPV
long-range patrol vehicle
LSW
light support weapon
LUP
lay-up position
LZ
landing zone
MVT
medium-value target
NBC
nuclear, biological and chemical warfare
NVG
night vision goggles
OHP
overhead protection
OP
observation post
PLCE
personal load carrying equipment
PRC
potential recruits course
PSD
personal security detail
PT
physical training, ‘phys’