ZADAN, Iraq -- The combat engineers of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, assigned to the 1st Marine Division in Iraq have a special sort of guardian angel. But this one carries an M-40A3 sniper rifle
The battalion's Scout-Sniper Platoon joined the engineers, providing overwatch while the engineers uncovered weapons cache sites around what's known as 'Hill 55', a former hotbed of terrorist activity.
"Our mission here is to provide overwatch security to the engineers out there," said Sgt. Phil F. McCotter, a 24-year-old Marine sniper from Black Rock, Ireland. "Our job is to basically make sure no one tries to sneak up on them or plant a bomb in the area while they're gone."
The mission began for the sniper team at 4 a.m. when they cracked chemical lights inside their tent, so they could do a final check of their gear. They counted out weapons, night vision goggles, global-positioning systems and spotter scopes - just a few of the tools they rely upon for their role.
"There are only a few things we bring," McCotter said. "We have to travel light. For us, that means ammo, water, and food."
Engineers went to work with metal detectors, finding the buried munitions. After an initial assessment of the area, the sniper team picked a house that offered a good view of the area and keep them concealed.
"This mission didn't see us used in the traditional sniper role," explained Cpl. David Tollado, a 24-year-old Marine sniper from Montvale, N.J. "I'd much rather be given a target we have to acquire and then kill it. But units like the idea of having a sniper on board. It's a blanket of extra security."
The deadeye marksmen set up near windows inside the house, establishing a watch to keep an eye on the area. One sniper was scanning the area with binoculars or the scope of his rifle while the others kept communication with the battalion. They used field-expedient tools - copper wire - and ingenuity to extend the range of the antenna on their radio.
"We were in a dead zone, and communication can mean life or death for us and the engineers out there," McCotter said.
"If they need us or if we need them, it's important this thing works," he added, tapping the radio.
Keeping an eye on the engineers in the clearings in front of them and making radio checks with the surrounding units kept the team busy. In the lags of time, however, the team reminisced about humorous events they'd experienced when under fire.
"Do you remember that time when we were getting mortared and you grabbed my flak jacket by mistake, then wouldn't stand up even after the attack was over?" Tollado asked another team member.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeff L. Pursley, the team's leader and hospital corpsman, nodded and laughed at the memory.
"Yeah, I remember that mortar attack," Pursley said. "Was that when you covered your face with your hands, and I asked you what you were doing? You said you were laughing at a joke you heard earlier."
Amid the candor exchanged by the Marines, the farmers around the area continued on with their lives, tending their crops and their livestock. The snipers kept a close eye on anyone looking at the house or walking near it. When a group of cows walked by the windows of the room they were in, they decided it was time to leave.
"We were getting some bad looks from Iraqis passing by the house and every day we stayed was more dangerous for us," said Cpl. Olen P. Thyssen, a 27-year-old Marine sniper from Houston. "When our position was compromised by the locals, we knew it was time to go."
The team linked up with Company G, who had a platoon staying at another house in the area. They arrived to find the platoon keeping an eye on the surrounding area as well.
The snipers were seen as a welcome addition to the unit, even if for just the night.
"Our mission had been extended to a 96-hour time period by that time and we were glad to be somewhere we could get water and chow easily and lend a hand if we were needed," Pursley said.
It turned out the team was needed. At dusk, terrorists on a truck 500 meters away fired two rockets at the platoon's position. The Marines scrambled to the roof to engage the enemy and found the sniper team already there sighting in their target. Thyssen worked the scoped sights of his sniper rifle. He acquired his target with the help of one of his team members, shooting with precision aim.
The crack of his rifle was drowned out by the shouts and fire of the line platoon around him. Marines fired their rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers at the retreating vehicle. Illumination rounds were shot from a nearby mortar, lighting up the area as the darkness increased.
Marines shouted as the mortar tube thumped and the flare exploded above the fields in front of them. Other units were dispatched on mounted patrols to find the terrorists.
"They always wait until right before dark to attack," McCotter said. "It makes us harder to see them when they run away. They'll think twice before trying something like that again on us, though."