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Army leads sniper competition

FORT BENNING, Ga. – Army Staff Sgt. Joe Lynch and Staff Sgt. Michael Rach, of 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment , took the lead last night in the sixth annual International Sniper Competition. See the video

After four days of competing, Lynch and Rach knocked the Army Marksmanship Unit’s Sgt. 1st Class Jason St. John and Staff Sgt. Robby Johnsoninto second place.

As of Tuesday morning, Army teams led the competition in the first four places. A Marine Corps Team was in fifth place.

The competition, sponsored by the Army Sniper School, brought to Fort Benning two-man sniper teams from the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force as well as the British, Canadian and Israeli militaries. The Israeli team features the only woman competing in this year’s event.

“I want to clearly identify the best two-man sniper team in the world,” said Capt. Marc Messerschmitt, who is in charge of this year’s competition.

Twenty-six teams started the competition but one team was eliminated Saturday for negligent discharge.

Lynch said he feels the field of competitors is pretty evenly matched.

“You’ve got to keep on your toes … and do the best you can,” he said. “The toughest part of the competition is probably not knowing what you’re going to be doing and preparing yourself mentally.”

The weeklong competition started on Saturday, and the first two days were packed with scenarios designed to simulate combat.

Competitors have fought their way to an infantry unit pinned down by the enemy, fired an M2 .50 caliber machine gun at long range targets and tested their ability to shoot accurately after jumping over obstacles, running, and carrying 30-pound sandbags.

The combat-focused events were new additions to the competition.

“I think the battlefield is much more fluid” these days, Messerschmitt said. “Snipers need to be more adaptive and be able to engage the target [at] no matter what range.”

The event also is an opportunity for competitors to pick up lessons to bring back to their units and share tips with one another, he said.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Ron Batts, of the 786th Security Forces Squadron at Sembach Air Base, Germany, is a first-time competitor.

“It was an opportunity of a lifetime,” he said. “It’d be my pleasure to do it again.”

Cpl. Greg Shaw, of Britain’s 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards, said he has learned a lot from his fellow snipers.

“The fun part of the shoot has been meeting the other snipers,” he said. “We’ve met some good blokes. We’re like a sponge here, just trying to soak it all up.”

The competition resumes today with more than 24 hours of back-to-back events.

The Standings

As of Tuesday evening.

First place -- Staff Sgt. Joe Lynch and Staff Sgt. Michael Rach, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

Second place -- Sgt. 1st Class Jason St. John and Staff Sgt. Robby Johnson, Army Marksmanship Unit.

Third place -- Sgt. Michael Cassidy and Sgt. Thomas Payne, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Fourth place -- Sgt. Michael Gerniglia and Sgt. Christofer Kitto, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning.

Fifth place -- Marine Corps sniper school, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. Competitors’ names were withheld at their request.

• See a video of the competition so far