Zheng, Youzhen / Taipei

“To learn how to perform well under pressure is the prerequisite for task achievement.” During the 2015 Chinese New Year readiness exercises, the “snipers” from the R.O.C. Army Special Operations Command together with the “snipers” of the R.O.C. Marine Corps integrated sports and long-range shooting as to cover the offensive missions and create the chance of victory. They bore the responsibility and pressure of not having failure as an option. Under the threat of the enemy’s attacks, they had to protect their compatriots’ lives which showed that they are the elites of the national forces elites.
The recent movie “American Sniper” has brought up a military boom. This year, during the cruise media visit, the sniper team has become the attention of the reporters. The movie describes the SEALS sniper’s staying at Iraq war and focuses on its accurate and precise shooting skill which has saved numerous lives of its compatriots at the war field. It also portrays the internal struggle of the protagonist as well as its psychological adjustment in detail; its amazing shoots with unfailing accuracy triggers the audience’s curiosity and adoration towards the role of “sniper.”
On the first day of the readiness exercise, the sniper team of the R.O.C. Army Special Operations Command M107A1 and PERP-20 heavy sniper rifles which belong to 542nd Armoured Brigade carried out the air-ground air-airborne (machine) mission, the executive  frontline infiltration and striking mission. Yesterday, the R.O.C. Marines Corps pre-set the scene of the enemy stopped by Kaohsiung harbor by force after the cross-strait direct flights. It carried out the anti-assault military exercise opened up by the sniper team holding the national T93 sniper rifle with the aim to eliminate the enemy’s forces for the subsequent troops.
Owing to the different types of mission and topography the Special Warfare Sniper and the Sea Sniper have certain differences at their weapons and camouflage; however, their status during wartime is extremely significant. In the event that the sniper mission cannot be achieved, the subsequent offenses shall face severe challenges.
In addition, the public is also curious in regard to the snipers’ psychology and training. The interviewed sniper indicates that during the training, one must overcome the environmental factors such as the weather and enhance the individual performance under pressure as to achieve to an accurate and precise shooting mission. “The point is to calm down.” As it is a long-range shooting, the practice of breathing frequency is essential. Daily self-physical trainings shall be done as to possess physical and psychological resistance to stress and muscular endurance. This shows that in order to be tempered into a steel, only laborious hardworking and training could build up the fierce brigade.