[5thgrp"C"]

Before the Army I was in a Scout Sniper PLT out of Lejeune. The command can say what they want about not knowing, this symbol has been used as far back as any of us could remember. Our sniper instructors had the symbol branded into them upon graduation of sniper school, the history on that was the instructors would make the brand for the class, give one out on graduation day. Then the whole class would go out get drunk and brand each other. Now by the time my generation was going through school branding was no longer accepted so tattoos were what people got. I will say I did not considering I come from a minority filled city I didn't want to explain to each and every person that I meant for it to symbolize scout sniper. Considering most guys got it on the back of their necks, I felt they were just asking for an attack from behind, at the time I was a little older then my peers by a couple of years, maybe my indestructible toughness was already wearing off.

The sniper culture has promoted this symbol from the top down. To ride the PLT level shooters about this is the wrong answer. I remember seeing senior guys show off their brand as a mark of passage, and these were E7s and above, the guys who were in charge of the Scout Sniper School and major programs.

Then again maybe they are just paving the way to a kinder and more considerate time when women can feel at peace to join the unit.