In the Crosshairs

I fancy myself as knowing the basic tenants of science. So, I love watching Abby Sciuto on NCIS. And CSI is so fascinating.

But as I watch NCIS I have found the principal character, LeeRoy Jethro Gibbs, was once a sniper. A important colleague, Officer David (pronounced Dah'veed) is also a trained sniper and will shoot anyone, including her half-brother.

My teenage years were during the later days of the Vietnam conflict. Beginning in those days, I have heard repeated stories of a lone enemy sniper picking off the last member of a patrol squad and shooting him.

So why write about snipers?

What effect does a single sniper have on a battle? They usually don't shoot the highest ranking person, although they can. They wound or kill the grunts.

Consider this story. A private was recently assigned to patrol duty. Two days ago a sniper killed his buddy standing next to him. Yesterday the replacement was airlifted to a MASH unit to amputate what is left of his arm, shot off by a sniper. Today he is scheduled for a recon mission in the same area. How willing is he to follow orders? 

The effective work of a sniper is to produce fear in the grunts. And fear debilitates. It causes the individual soldier, the lonely-feeling one, to want to go A.W.O.L. He wants to quit. He senses he is next to die. 

Is Satan your "sniper". Have you been shot, or are you, like me, feeling you are next? Today, are you planning to go A.W.O.L. from God's Army? 

DON'T QUIT! But don't try to be a hero, either. Snipers work on killing ONE soldier, the lone soldier. So, get around other soldiers. Regain courage by listening to them. Restore determination by association.

Finally, consider this. In 'Nam' they dropped Napalm bombs where there were snipers. When the could not find them, they burned them. Is God going to 'Napalm' your sniper?