US ARMY SPEC OP MARKSMAN: We can learn a lot from civilian shooters…

War is Boring has a post worth reading.  I don’t care for the title with it’s objectionable pejorative, but it’s good.

In short, a top US Army Marksman tells why civilian firearm aficionados often out-shoot elites of the military — and how the military’s trainers could learn a lot from those hard-core civilians.

Without reading it, you’ve probably already got a clue.  The gun culture takes this stuff seriously.  We eat, sleep, live and breathe this stuff.  It’s about self-improvement and mastery of tools.  And – importantly – civilian competitive shooting sports provide an outstanding way to sharpen your skills.

Here’s the teaser:

by KEVIN KNODELL

(War is Boring) – Master Sgt. Scott Satterlee is really good at shooting things. He’s a member of the U.S. Army’s elite 1st Special Forces Group based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. He’s also a nationally ranked competitive precision rifle shooter—and one of the military’s best marksmen.

You wouldn’t guess any of this if you met him. Satterlee is soft-spoken and humble—to the point of almost being self-deprecating. Though confident in his abilities, he doesn’t brag.

Recent hit films such as Zero Dark Thirty, Lone Survivor and American Sniper have put America’s special operations community in the spotlight like never before. It’s an odd turn of events for a community often called “the silent professionals.”

Satterlee says he ordinarily wouldn’t talk to a reporter. But another soldier encouraged him to share his story.

In short, in his time spent in competitive shooting, he’s identified some areas where the military’s training could be improved significantly – saving lives of soldiers and civilians.

Some money quotes:

…Satterlee said that practical exercises should force shooters to make quick assessments and act decisively. He said he often wonders how many soldiers might be alive today had they not hesitated to ask for permission to act when they saw a threat.

…He says they need to train in an environment that simulates the uncertainty of a modern war zone, without its lethality. They need training that allows them to fail safely, and to reflect and learn from mistakes.