This mental fortitude is essential, especially when physically exhausted, operating alone, or in small teams, and miles from friendly elements, where a mind can pray upon fears and doubts. This courage and self-confidence are important due to the lack of support. Consistently throughout the history, there is an opinion that snipers are cowards, who lack the backbone to fight like conventional forces. Moreover, conventional forces due to their ideology shun these elite individuals. Merriam-Webster defines cowardice as a lack of courage or firmness of purpose. This thought of cowardice derived from social class mindsets of the 18th century, according to Martin Pegler a military historian and author. Early Snipers were enlisted men, who typically aimed for officers, which intensified a feeling of unfairness: killing outside of an individual’s social class. Particularly during the Revolutionary War, these elite riflemen were often given no quarter when overrun or captured, as the methodical shots infuriated regular infantrymen. The British concept of warfare was based on chivalry, and the opponent must not be placed at a disadvantage. This understanding viewed the American expert riflemen who shot from great distances as dishonorable, while artillery was …show more content…
The mindset of warfare brings many challenges and acceptances from an ordinary infantryman. Most acknowledge an undeniable acceptance for death or bodily harm, however it occurs, as combat is both unpredictable and impersonal. This allows the individual soldier to realize some factors about combat death are outside their control; however, most believe death will not take them. The presence of a Sniper changes this sensation in an instant. When an unanticipated force such as a Sniper attacks, every single soldier becomes the target, as the war takes a personal approach, creating hatred for the unseen enemy. The soldiers who inhabit the frontlines find the invisible death demoralizing and semi-debilitating. A pair of soldiers could be engaged in a conversation, and a split second later, one of them could be lying dead at the feet of the other. Such events often happened far from the confusion of large-scale battle, where they assumed they were reasonably safe. Consequently, when a sniper eliminates and enemy, it is usually the individual they meant to kill, not just someone standing around in the wrong place and time. The mindfulness of "Collateral damage” or rather the accidental killing and wounding of innocent bystanders is almost nonexistent. When compared to heavy bombardments, a sniper is not just flawless but almost unfathomable. The possibility of unexpected annihilation at any moment,