Can a U.S. military trained sniper tell others of their skill, or do they have to keep it a secret?

Question

If a member of the U.S. military is a trained Sniper, or Sharpshooter, can they disclose that to civilians? Or have they signed something that states they can not discuss the fact with anyone outside of the U.S. military?

Answer 1

the fact that you are a sniper is not a secret (i am one) snipers operate withing a infantry battalion and are attached to the HQ company with the scouts all infantry units have a scount unit, that being said in the infantry we all know who is who since you train side by side on live fires the grunts can see who is carring a the m24 (army sniper rifle) and in breifings it is told to the grunts that they have sniper support and are also told in the area that they will be operating to help avoid friendly fire. now as far as a tab such as the airborne tab the army does not alow or athorise this due to the fact that as a sniper your primary target of opportunity is enemy snipers and in a combat zone any specail badges are not allowed to worn also to help min the enemy being able to select targets based on experince. also a new trend in iraq has started to come up that is very disturbing to us snipers and it is the use of us in combat zones the army is leaning toward a open and visual aproach to using us meaning that we are often posted out in the open in full sight of ppl. the reason behind this is a deterent to enemy insurgents some say it works but it goes against all that is tought to us in school. hope that helps answer your question.

Answer 2

Of course one can speak of training. It is only specific operational details that are out of bounds and everybody knows this. I grew up as a military brat and have been military all of my life myself.

But heres the thing and bear with me.. What I have done and where I have been does not define me as a person as it was "my job". I got married a year ago. Sure, as she works for a government contractor she understood the basics. As my wife she deserved for me to share a bit more. Some anecdotes and a few of the defining moments that make me who I am..... the rest is implied and not needed for general conversation.

When at a civilian work thing or even a military one. It is understood by all socially. In uniform people know. If not in uniform you just get practiced at deflecting it. "Yes I did once go to sniper school or am SF" but "hey, anybody need a new drink"? Its all implied in ones bearing and that is usually enough........

Those who do the do might give a detail here and there. But here is the bottom line. Last week I went to happy hour /dinner because it was a special occasion to honor my father who was military and flew for many years. Out of the 28 men there (my age in the 40s) was a few Army SF (me), one Seal, a few Marines, a Navy aviator, one Air Force pilot, a General, a guy with the State Department, a guy with the CIA, etc.

Some general talk of course but it is all understood.... no paper needed. You konow what we talked about for the most part......... cooking for your wife and exchanging recipes. It matters not how tough you are.

Answer 3

Given that most specialized training courses earn one something that is worn on the uniform, such as a Parachutist's Badge, Ranger/SF Tab, Diver Badge, Pilot wings, EIB, CIB, Medic Badge, and all kinds of marksmanship badges, and that civilians often see these uniforms, it would be a real surprise if a person had to keep the fact that they had won such an award a secret.

What they had actually DONE with the skill might be a secret, and even if not, a story no normal person would want to talk about, but that's not the same thing at all.

It's like a lot of civilian things. I'm a lawyer. I can tell people I went to law school, have a license, and years of experience, but I can't tell you anything about client matters.

Answer 4

Snipers can disclose this fact to anyone they choose. They can talk about weapons, training, or tactics if they feel like it too.

It's an open joke in the Army to respond to questions with "if I told you that I'd have to kill you". It sounds like someone is messing with you.

Answer 5

They are not required to keep their skill or MOS a secret. Snipers and anyone involved in potentially sensitive operations are debriefed and details of missions are generally not discussed unless they are long past and revealing details would not compromise anything today. Most guys I've met that have seen combat don't really want to talk about. I have also met some individuals who boast about for example "173 confirmed kills" etc. but I think that bragging about how many enemy combatants you have killed in the line of duty seems to me to be the absolute height of bad taste. I have found that most people that have not been in combat have a morbid curiousity about the subject, but don't REALLY want to know what its like to kill someone.

Answer 6

Well If you mean at the bar trying to immpress the local bar maid? Sure. In General, telling people Your job is a professional Sniper, is not exactly conversational fare for the local 4th of July BBQ or the supermarket check out.......
Generally they keep to themselves or other shooters. Sort of like Sub drivers do.

Answer 7

Being a traines sniper is not, in and of itself a matter of security. There are some operational security matters that are kept secret from the general public, but no non -disclosure pledges.

Answer 8

I've seen programs where current and former snipers talk about the training and you watch a cross section of the training. They might not be able to talk about specific missions, but as a whole, they are free to talk.

Answer 9

My dad was a trained sniper in the Army and never talked about it while in the service, but has spoken about it while he was out.

Answer 10

Usually if they brag on it, I sense BS. They are not forbidden to disclose it to my knowledge. These days, every Army and Marine is a rifleman. Qualifications rank Marksman, Sharpshooter, Expert (Marines).