FORT BENNING, Ga. - Two sniper teams from 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, competed in the 2014 International Sniper Competition at Fort Benning, Ga., Oct. 20-24.
The International Sniper Competition is an annual competition, hosted by the U.S. Army Sniper School, which brings teams from all over the world to compete for top shot.
The Vanguard Brigade teams were Sgt. Cameron Pope and Spc. Preston Daigle, both infantrymen with 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment; and Spc. Bryan Coslett and Spc. Robin Poole, both infantrymen with 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment.
"We came here to represent the division at the international sniper competition," said Pope, a native of Hudson, North Carolina. "We were just going to do our best and hopefully come out on top."
Daigle, a native of Inverness, Florida, said "We both came in confident, and we weren't disappointed at all."
The competition this year was comprised of nine events, each with its own set of challenges. To keep the competitors on their toes, teams were not given a schedule of events, only a five minute notice to get onto a bus and they were briefed on location of the next event.
"We just wanted you to do your best at every single stage, not know where you were at, and shoot it as if you were in combat," said Staff Sgt. Alexander Tellez, an instructor with the Army Sniper School at Fort Benning and an event official.
Some events presented more challenges such as the night iteration of the combat outpost defense range, which required teams to have specialized equipment.
"When we did the night COP defense we didn't have the correct equipment," said Pope. "There was a huge wall of fog and with the equipment that we had, we just couldn't see through the fog." "We just laid up there looking for targets."
"That was pretty discouraging, especially being the second day," added Daigle. "We just put it behind us and went out the next day and went at it."
During each event there were many variations between equipment carried by each team because they were instructed to bring what they thought they might need, which wasn't always an easy choice.
"You never know the distance, how the target will present themselves or the position you'll have to take that shot," said Tellez, a native of Chicago. "You need everything you think you need."
Out of the 38 participating teams, Pope and Daigle took 19th place, and Coslett and Poole took 23rd. Pope and Daigle did manage to
take first place in one event though.
"Winning the day movers, that made us feel really pumped," said Daigle. "I don't think we missed one shot."
The day movers event had moving targets and the competitors
had a strict timeline to move between positions 100 yards apart. Daigle managed one shot that stood out during that event because it involved two targets.
"I saw them coming together and I just waited for my time, pulled the trigger and got two for one," said Daigle.
Many of the coaches and competitors said it was an honor to just participate in the event and felt it was an excellent opportunity to get together with others in the same profession.
Dialogue is a key part of the competitors' experience according to Tellez who said it was a part of the plan to have the sniper teams in a holding area after each event in order to give them an opportunity to communicate their successes and failures in order to better each individual.
"It's a constantly evolving craft," said Tellez of sniping. "After the events, we want there to be some interaction."
The competition allowed the Vanguard Brigade soldiers to develop and learn more about their profession.
"Patience is key in these type of events, and that can be life or death in combat," added Daigle. "We definitely learned some stuff we can bring back to our unit and train our guys on."
The event concluded with a banquet dinner where the first place team, from a U.S. Army special operation's unit, was recognized as top shot.
Related Links:
The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division DVIDS page.
The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart Facebook page.
The official 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Facebook page.
The official 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart website.
The official 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division website.
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