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Day in the Life: Sniper Leads Life of a Soulful Soldier
Staff Sgt. Matt Meadows, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, 9 Jul 08
Article link
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Looking through a rifle sight into the eyes of an enemy, no matter how evil he is or how many innocent people he has killed, and pulling the trigger to end his existence affects a Soldier. It takes a certain type of person to perform the duties of a sniper but not necessarily the type of person one might envision.
Sgt. Murray Spence is a 30-year-old Soldier assigned as a sniper to Scout Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
German Mennonites raised Spence, a full-blooded Sioux, in Canada after he was put up for adoption at birth.
“They raised me as one of their own, and I consider them my family. That’s the way it is,” explained Spence. “It really helped shape me to be who I am. They were really Christian, God-fearing people, and they instilled that in me. I am very thankful for that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Whenever Spence is not on a mission, he likes to workout at the gymnasium and to go running. When Spence says he likes to run, he is not joking. He represented Fort Polk, La., in the Army 10-miler race in Washington in October 2007. His team placed first in its division, active-duty military mixed, with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes.
“The experience in Washington was pretty fun; an all-expense paid trip to go to the AUSA convention and hear the secretary of defense, and Gen. (George) Casey,” said Spence. “It was definitely something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Nowadays however, Spence spends most of his day cleaning his “kit,” weapons and equipment, and getting ready to go out on missions.
“Missions shift and change every day. It might be one thing for a day, or maybe one thing or a week or two weeks, and then again six hours before (we are scheduled to leave) we might get shifted to do something else,” said Spence. “(I spend time) just making sure I’m ready to go, making sure I know what I’m doing when I get out there, so if I have people relying on me, then they (know they) can rely on me.”
Spence said he is allowed to operate fairly independently, which took some getting used to.
Although he coordinates movement with the battalion, it is good to have the freedom to pick and choose his positions during missions to take advantage of his sniper-school training, he explained. “I definitely don’t just run around out there and do my own thing,” he commented.
Being a sniper might seem to be a lonely existence. Even though Spence operates somewhat separate from other Soldiers, he does not feel he is alone or unsupported.
“I don’t feel isolated at all. The Wild Boar battalion treats me pretty well, and they make sure I’ve got what I need (and) all the support I need,” said Spence. “As long as I’m doing the right things for the right people at the right time, everything just falls into place. It’s a pretty good system, I like it.”
The life a sniper leads is a challenging one to say the least. However, Spence has been facing and overcoming challenges his whole life from the day he was born.
He served as a reserve in the Canadian military for two years assigned to a rifle company, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. After leaving Canadian military service, Spence tried to return but he said the process was taking too long, so he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He decided to become an infantry scout and subsequently ended up in sniper school, where he excelled to become honor graduate for his class.
“After I got out of the Canadian army I thought my Army days were done, but I got into construction and just got bored,” explained Spence. “Somehow I ended up here. Somehow I ended up a sniper in Iraq.”
Spence overcame the sweltering August summer heat of Georgia in 2007 and the challenge of mathematics to leave the sniper school with top honors. Spence was 28-years old when he attended the school, years removed from any elementary or high school math classes. “Getting back to the math and how to figure out calculations … on the fly was pretty tough, but it was worth it,” he said.
If Spence had had a little more pocket money at the time, he might not ever have joined the Army. His life almost took a turn toward a much different military lifestyle.
“I toyed with the idea of joining the French Foreign Legion before I came here actually,” said Spence. “I was about $200 short of buying a plane ticket to Marseilles, France, and that still interests me a little bit, just for the adventure. I might have enough of the Army lifestyle after this. We’ll see what happens.”
Spence is more than just a long-range shooter. Staff Sgt. Tommy Peek, Spence’s platoon sergeant from Fort Polk, La., said Spence has provided protection for their battalion commander while moving throughout the Wild Boar operating environment and also has helped many less-experienced Soldiers.
“He is a very diverse Soldier,” expressed Peek, explaining Spence was a crew-served weapons expert with the M-240 and 50-caliber machineguns and the Mk-19 while assigned to Co. D. “All his information and guidance to the younger Soldiers we had actually helped a lot in their mentorship and their understanding of the crew-served weapons systems.
“He is a cut above the rest,” continued Peek. “He is not just the basic Soldier. He has a lot more to offer than just long-range target acquisition.”
Working with Spence is a “delight” because of his consistent professionalism and guidance to younger Soldiers, which makes Peek’s job much easier, he said.
Spence explained he could not be considered for special forces because of his Canadian birth and several attempts to go to Ranger school have not worked out for one reason or another. Whatever Spence does in his life after redeployment, it is a safe bet it will not be boring.
“So, I guess it’s time to move on and see what else is out there; something interesting, something challenging,” said Spence. “Hopefully (I’ll) try to become an underwater welder or something like that. It’s different. It’s challenging. It’s operating on your own a lot. It’s pretty dangerous, I think.”
Being on his own a lot and having to do what he does, Spence believes religious faith is very important in sustaining him and the majority of his sniper comrades, who also are practicing Christians. “It helps me day to day, every day, all day,” he explained.
Spence’s message is a simple one. He would like people to know he and other Army snipers are not heartless, hardened hell-bound gunmen.
“We are not just stone-cold, steely-eyed killers without souls,” expressed Spence. “We are just regular people like everybody else.”
Sgt. Murray Spence (left), an infantry scout sniper from Canada, reads the serial number of his M-24 sniper rifle as Staff Sgt. Tommy Peek, Spence’s platoon sergeant from Fort Polk, La., verifies the number during a sensitive items inventory, July 8. Both Soldiers are assigned to scout platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
Sgt. Murray Spence, an infantry scout sniper from Canada, lays out his “kit” for a sensitive items inventory in front of his battalion’s headquarters, July 8.
Day in the Life: Sniper Leads Life of a Soulful Soldier
Staff Sgt. Matt Meadows, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, 9 Jul 08
Article link
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Looking through a rifle sight into the eyes of an enemy, no matter how evil he is or how many innocent people he has killed, and pulling the trigger to end his existence affects a Soldier. It takes a certain type of person to perform the duties of a sniper but not necessarily the type of person one might envision.
Sgt. Murray Spence is a 30-year-old Soldier assigned as a sniper to Scout Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
German Mennonites raised Spence, a full-blooded Sioux, in Canada after he was put up for adoption at birth.
“They raised me as one of their own, and I consider them my family. That’s the way it is,” explained Spence. “It really helped shape me to be who I am. They were really Christian, God-fearing people, and they instilled that in me. I am very thankful for that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Whenever Spence is not on a mission, he likes to workout at the gymnasium and to go running. When Spence says he likes to run, he is not joking. He represented Fort Polk, La., in the Army 10-miler race in Washington in October 2007. His team placed first in its division, active-duty military mixed, with a time of 1 hour, 4 minutes.
“The experience in Washington was pretty fun; an all-expense paid trip to go to the AUSA convention and hear the secretary of defense, and Gen. (George) Casey,” said Spence. “It was definitely something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Nowadays however, Spence spends most of his day cleaning his “kit,” weapons and equipment, and getting ready to go out on missions.
“Missions shift and change every day. It might be one thing for a day, or maybe one thing or a week or two weeks, and then again six hours before (we are scheduled to leave) we might get shifted to do something else,” said Spence. “(I spend time) just making sure I’m ready to go, making sure I know what I’m doing when I get out there, so if I have people relying on me, then they (know they) can rely on me.”
Spence said he is allowed to operate fairly independently, which took some getting used to.
Although he coordinates movement with the battalion, it is good to have the freedom to pick and choose his positions during missions to take advantage of his sniper-school training, he explained. “I definitely don’t just run around out there and do my own thing,” he commented.
Being a sniper might seem to be a lonely existence. Even though Spence operates somewhat separate from other Soldiers, he does not feel he is alone or unsupported.
“I don’t feel isolated at all. The Wild Boar battalion treats me pretty well, and they make sure I’ve got what I need (and) all the support I need,” said Spence. “As long as I’m doing the right things for the right people at the right time, everything just falls into place. It’s a pretty good system, I like it.”
The life a sniper leads is a challenging one to say the least. However, Spence has been facing and overcoming challenges his whole life from the day he was born.
He served as a reserve in the Canadian military for two years assigned to a rifle company, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. After leaving Canadian military service, Spence tried to return but he said the process was taking too long, so he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He decided to become an infantry scout and subsequently ended up in sniper school, where he excelled to become honor graduate for his class.
“After I got out of the Canadian army I thought my Army days were done, but I got into construction and just got bored,” explained Spence. “Somehow I ended up here. Somehow I ended up a sniper in Iraq.”
Spence overcame the sweltering August summer heat of Georgia in 2007 and the challenge of mathematics to leave the sniper school with top honors. Spence was 28-years old when he attended the school, years removed from any elementary or high school math classes. “Getting back to the math and how to figure out calculations … on the fly was pretty tough, but it was worth it,” he said.
If Spence had had a little more pocket money at the time, he might not ever have joined the Army. His life almost took a turn toward a much different military lifestyle.
“I toyed with the idea of joining the French Foreign Legion before I came here actually,” said Spence. “I was about $200 short of buying a plane ticket to Marseilles, France, and that still interests me a little bit, just for the adventure. I might have enough of the Army lifestyle after this. We’ll see what happens.”
Spence is more than just a long-range shooter. Staff Sgt. Tommy Peek, Spence’s platoon sergeant from Fort Polk, La., said Spence has provided protection for their battalion commander while moving throughout the Wild Boar operating environment and also has helped many less-experienced Soldiers.
“He is a very diverse Soldier,” expressed Peek, explaining Spence was a crew-served weapons expert with the M-240 and 50-caliber machineguns and the Mk-19 while assigned to Co. D. “All his information and guidance to the younger Soldiers we had actually helped a lot in their mentorship and their understanding of the crew-served weapons systems.
“He is a cut above the rest,” continued Peek. “He is not just the basic Soldier. He has a lot more to offer than just long-range target acquisition.”
Working with Spence is a “delight” because of his consistent professionalism and guidance to younger Soldiers, which makes Peek’s job much easier, he said.
Spence explained he could not be considered for special forces because of his Canadian birth and several attempts to go to Ranger school have not worked out for one reason or another. Whatever Spence does in his life after redeployment, it is a safe bet it will not be boring.
“So, I guess it’s time to move on and see what else is out there; something interesting, something challenging,” said Spence. “Hopefully (I’ll) try to become an underwater welder or something like that. It’s different. It’s challenging. It’s operating on your own a lot. It’s pretty dangerous, I think.”
Being on his own a lot and having to do what he does, Spence believes religious faith is very important in sustaining him and the majority of his sniper comrades, who also are practicing Christians. “It helps me day to day, every day, all day,” he explained.
Spence’s message is a simple one. He would like people to know he and other Army snipers are not heartless, hardened hell-bound gunmen.
“We are not just stone-cold, steely-eyed killers without souls,” expressed Spence. “We are just regular people like everybody else.”
Sgt. Murray Spence (left), an infantry scout sniper from Canada, reads the serial number of his M-24 sniper rifle as Staff Sgt. Tommy Peek, Spence’s platoon sergeant from Fort Polk, La., verifies the number during a sensitive items inventory, July 8. Both Soldiers are assigned to scout platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
Sgt. Murray Spence, an infantry scout sniper from Canada, lays out his “kit” for a sensitive items inventory in front of his battalion’s headquarters, July 8.
