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This soldier may look like Chewbacca, but his suit makes him one of the deadliest fighters on the battlefield

To carry out their mission, snipers must be masters of concealment and be able to disappear in any environment, be it desert, woodland, sand, or snow.

Hidden beneath twigs and weeds, a snipers stomach is flat on the ground, dirt and grime on his face. All that can be seen in the bundles of cheatgrass is a pair of steady, intense eyes.
  • The ghillie suit, a kind of artificial camouflage, is key to concealment. The US Army recently released photos of a sniper school instructor showing off the various pieces of a sniper's ghillie suit.
  • To effectively conceal themselves on the battlefield, snipers must also have an understanding of their environment and the tactics of concealment.
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Snipers have to be able to disappear on the battlefield in a way that other troops do not, and the ghillie suit is a key part of what makes these elite warfighters masters of concealment.

"A sniper's mission dictates that he remains concealed in order to be successful," Staff Sgt. Ricky Labistre, a sniper with 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment of the California National Guard, previously explained.

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"Ghillie suits provide snipers that edge and flexibility to maintain a concealed position,"he added.

A ghillie suit is a kind of camouflaged uniform that snipers use to disappear in any environment, be it desert, woodland, sand, or snow. US Army Staff Sgt. David Smith, an instructor at the service's sniper school, recently showed off a ghillie suit that he put together from scratch using jute twine and other materials.

US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce

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US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce

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US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce

US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce

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US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce

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US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce

U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur

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