Marines Hold Final Last Scout Sniper Course, Ends Program

The final eight Marines have passed through the iconic Scout Sniper Course as the Corps finishes a move to end the legendary and long-running program.

As previously reported by Guns.com, the service last February elected to scrap the 18-member Scout Sniper platoons organic to each of the Corps’ infantry battalions, transitioning them instead to new 26-member Scout platoons, cutting the snipers in favor of a unit that would provide more "continuous all-weather information gathering."

This left the last eight Marines to pass through the Scout Sniper Course at the School of Infantry at Camp Geiger, North Carolina, which began in October, to close it out on Dec. 15, 2023. However, the graduation was bittersweet, as the eight didn’t receive the coveted but now obsolete 0317 Scout Sniper military occupational specialty, as reported by Marine Times.

Few smiles. Official caption: "The eight U.S. Marines who graduated from the last Marine Corps Scout Sniper Course at the School of Infantry-East and retired Master Sgt. Cody Alford pose for a picture at Camp Geiger, North Carolina, Dec. 15, 2023. This course marks the last iteration of the Scout Sniper Course at the School of Infantry-East, which has trained Marines and other service members in long-range precision fires and field craft necessary to provide reconnaissance and surveillance to commanders in support of combat operations." (Photo: Cpl. Jose’ D. Cruz/U.S. Marine Corps)

Members of the non-profit USMC Scout Sniper Association, who opposed the move to eliminate the Marine Scout Sniper program, attended the final class graduation and had these words, reading the tea leaves as to the return of the specialty:

The final Scout Sniper Course is complete, and there will be no more…. For now, Scout Snipers are shelved.

But make no mistake, many of the men around the campfire that night will be prepared to answer the call when our Corps realizes it needs Scout Snipers again.

In the meantime, our heartfelt congratulations go out to the eight newest members of our community, the graduates of the final Scout Sniper Basic Course.

The Marines will retain a nascent sniper capability via the Corps’ Reconnaissance and Marine Special Operations units under a new military occupational specialty – 0322 (Reconnaissance Sniper) – which has a revamped, shorter training program.

There is also an experiment through the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab to assess the capability of squad-and-platoon-level Designated Marksmen trained at the company level.

Banner image: A student with the Scout Sniper Course, School of Infantry-East, conducts reconnaissance during a training event at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Dec. 13, 2023. (Photo: Lance Cpl. Zachary Candiani/USMC)

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