Every year, the US Army’s 7th Army Training Command hosts the European Best Sniper Team Competition in Bavaria, Germany. The competition tests participants’ physical endurance, marksmanship and mental toughness over a series of events based on real-life scenarios. In one event, for example, competitors must navigate a trench filled with tear gas while engaging targets both near and far. In another event, participants must rush to a downed helicopter, retrieve a 100-kilogram dummy and drag it to safety.
Teams from 14 NATO Allies and partners participated in the 2021 competition. Slovenia claimed first place, followed by Turkey in second and Latvia in third.
Footage includes shots of snipers from the Italian Army, the Slovenian Special Forces, the Swedish Army Ranger Battalion and the Turkish Army during the competition, and interviews with an Italian sniper and a US Army competition leader. COVID-19 safeguards were taken prior to deployment for the competition and participants observed social distancing where training requirements allowed.
Transcript
(00:00) TELEPHOTO SHOT – US ARMY UH-72 LAKOTA HELICOPTER LANDING
(00:05) TELEPHOTO SHOT – TURKISH SNIPER DISEMBARKING LAKOTA
(00:08) VARIOUS SHOTS – TURKISH SNIPER TEAM MOVING THROUGH PISTOL AND RIFLE SHOOTING EVENT
(00:55) MEDIUM SHOT – LAKOTA CABIN INTERIOR
(00:58) VARIOUS SHOTS – SLOVENIAN SPECIAL FORCES SNIPERS SHOOTING FROM AIRBORNE LAKOTA
(01:21) VARIOUS SHOTS – SLOVENIAN FORCES MOVING THROUGH PISTOL AND RIFLE EVENT
(01:44) VARIOUS SHOTS – SWEDISH RANGERS MOVING THROUGH PISTOL AND RIFLE EVENT
(02:26) VARIOUS SHOTS – ITALIAN SNIPERS CRAWLING THROUGH MUDDY TRENCH
(02:40) VARIOUS SHOTS – ITALIAN SNIPER ENGAGING TARGETS IN A SNIPER HIDE
(02:45) VARIOUS SHOTS – ITALIANS DONNING GAS MASKS
(02:54) VARIOUS SHOTS – ITALIANS MOVING THROUGH TEAR GAS-FILLED TRENCH WHILE ENGAGING TARGETS
(03:54) WIDE SHOT – ITALIAN SNIPER DUNKING HIMSELF IN A DECONTAMINATION TANK
(04:03) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Command Sergeant Major Michael Sanchez, Joint Multinational Readiness Center, US Army
“The competition’s been great. I’ve went across all of the events so far, and spoke to all the competitors, and they had nothing but positive and great things to say about it. Some things were new. Some things were a shock. As they’ve been told, they’ve told me, they’ve physically, mentally and emotionally been tested, which was the whole idea of this whole competition was to test their physical abilities, their mental abilities, their emotional abilities, and can they combine all their, have control of all three and still be able to maximise and focus on the task and get the achievement that they desire.”
(04:37) SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Command Sergeant Major Michael Sanchez, Joint Multinational Readiness Center, US Army
“The biggest benefit, from when we talk about interoperability, not just for this competition, but in any event, is one, we establish a better understanding when we communicate. And as long as we can establish a better understanding when we communicate, then it just makes things that much smoother.”
(05:01) SOUNDBITE (ITALIAN) – FIRST CORPORAL-MAJOR ALESSIO FRANZOT, REGGIMENTO LAGUNARI SERENISSIMA, ITALIAN ARMY
“It’s very, very realistic. In every small phase, in every small detail, every small detail was very particular. So for us it’s something exceptional.”
(05:08) SOUNDBITE (ITALIAN) – FIRST CORPORAL-MAJOR ALESSIO FRANZOT, REGGIMENTO LAGUNARI SERENISSIMA, ITALIAN ARMY
“Like I said before, it is an occasion to share ways of working, materials, equipment. And also learn the language, so learn one more language or improve your English, which I believe is essential.”
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