Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

When Irish snipers are smiling

Turns out there is more to the Irish military than irate airmen.

Irish_Army_Ranger_Wing_Sniper_Training_Best_25_(11291975743)
Irish_Army_Ranger_Wing_Sniper_Training_Best_25_(11291975743)

Turns out there is more to the Irish military than irate airmen. The other day, the Irish Ranger Wing won a sniper competition. It was the first time that a non-American team has won both in the international category and in the overall category.

Turns out there is more to the Irish military than irate airmen. The other day, the Irish Ranger Wing won a sniper competition. It was the first time that a non-American team has won both in the international category and in the overall category.

I wonder why the Irish have developed such good sniper capacities? And where have they been used?

Speaking of Rangers, those in Canada are dying so much that a study is being launched. A lot of them still carry Lee-Enfields. I used to see a lot of those weapons in Afghanistan, or at least local castings of them.

Photo credit: Irish Defense Forces magazine/Wikimedia Commons

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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