For this fieldcraft article, I wanted to address a key component about stalking that may seem obvious, but it often overlooked: scanning and observation. The traditional military oriented stalk where a sniper sneaks out and pursues his quarry by crawling in the weeds wearing a ghillie suit and doing everything in their power to remain undetected, does not always exist on the modern battlefield. The drone infestation of Ukraine acts as the ultimate test of 21st century stalking, but there are also more common ‘contemporary’ stalks in less observationally contested environments that involve movements while accompanied by a security element, and then occupying the roof of an elevated structure with that security element staying on the ground floor for protection.
Whether you are performing a traditional stalk, or a non-traditional stalk, a key, and often times forgotten element is scanning and observation. What I mean by this is that often times we, as snipers, get wrapped up in elaborately planning our stalk, then elaborately insuring our camouflage is perfect, and then elaborately concentrating on our stealthy movement. This fixation often times leads us to focus so much on these tasks and where we are going, that we forget to take the time and do one of the most basic elements of patrolling; looking up and paying attention to what is going on around us! An example of this might include something like the following:
During the preparation phase of the stalk, a sniper team takes the time to properly memorize the number of terrain features that are passed before their specified ridge where they plan to locate their FFP. Then their security element properly, and covertly, drops them off at their demark point and the observer then leads the two man sniper team. Dutifully he is watching the small ridges as they walk, counting down until their designated ridge approaches, just like he imagined when examining the map. During this insertion and stalk, the observer looks down at the ground before placing his feet to ensure he doesn’t betray their presence by stepping on a dry twig and creating an unnatural sound. He then looks back up at the ridges to his right to be sure they are still on course, and then back at the ground, being ever so careful. Unfortunately, during this slow and methodical routine, there is an enemy patrol walking down the road 400 meters to their left. The sniper, in the meantime, is watching their six, careful to watch his assigned area of responsibility while the team stealthily moves toward their FFP.
The team has done nothing wrong, they have just not done everything they could, or should. Scanning needs to be incorporated during all movement techniques, and constantly practiced. It should become routine, and frequent, to pause and scan. Obviously, a detailed and overlapping traversing scan is not going to happen every time the team scans during a stalk, but a quick hasty search is the minimum that should be done and those scans need to happen more often than not. Eyes should be up and constantly swiveling, but all bodily movement should be slow and deliberate. Moving eyes will not give away a sniper team, but a moving head will.
This scanning requirement is necessary during all types of movement from the crouched sniper walk, to the most slow and deliberate sniper crawl. Get into the routine of taking the time to frequently stop and scan your sector of responsibility, insuring you also overlap with your other team member(s) and their sector(s). If you are crawling and performing a scan, do it from a concealed position. If you are near a tree, get as low as possible to the base of the tree and ‘become’ a tree root or wart, slowly and deliberately, perform that scan. The time that is sacrificed to do this will more than makeup for itself.
It is likely obvious that this practice is also very applicable in the hunting world and is a fine way to refine and master the skill. A whitetail deer has remarkable eyesight and hearing and are quite adept at concealing their positions. The same can be said for elk, coyotes, and numerous other forms of wildlife. Even birding can help get a team into the habit of clandestinely moving while effectively scanning.
Make it a habit and practice it a lot. Think of it like a carpenter does. A carpenter will measure twice and cut once. Sniper teams will scan twice, and move once. Anyone can be trained to shoot, it is our expert fieldcraft that makes us snipers… and that includes proper scans.
Mel E.
Sniper Central EIC
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