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.
“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.
Ghillie bottoms have some kind of webbing or net material attached to the back of it where jute and other materials can be attached to break up the outline of the groin area.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce)
A view of the ghillie bottoms from the back.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce)
Ghillie tops, like the bottoms, also have some kind of webbing or net material attached to the back and shoulders where jute can be attached to break up the outline of the shoulders and the space beneath the arms.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce)
A view of the ghillie top from the back.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce)
The Ghille tops and bottoms have been reinforced in the front with extra material in order to allow for longer wear of the suit with less damage to the natural material under it and to allow for individual movements like the low crawl.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce)
The head gear, which can be a boonie hat, ball cap, or some other head covering, has webbing or net material sewn in so that the sniper can attach jute or vegetation to it in order to break up the natural outline of a wearer’s head and shoulders.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Edwin Pierce)
Snipers concealed in grass by their ghillie suits.
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur)
When it all comes together, snipers become undetectable sharpshooters with ability to provide overwatch, scout enemy positions, or eliminate threats at great distances. “No one knows you’re there. I’m watching you, I see everything that you are doing, and someone is about to come mess up your day,” First Sgt. Kevin Sipes, a veteran Army sniper, previously told Insider.
This article originally appeared on Business Insider. Follow @BusinessInsider on Twitter.
