Devil Dogs

a. Types of Personal Camouflage. There are several types of camouflage commercially available in a variety of colors. These include stick camouflage, commonly known as a came stick, grease paint, and camo compac.

b. Advantages/Disadvantages. Choosing a form of camouflage will depend on the terrain as well as the weather conditions. Some forms of personal camouflage are more durable than others.

1) The came stick is the most difficult to apple but lasts the longest.

2) Cam compac is easier to apply but does not last as long.

c. Uses for Personal Camouflage.

1) When using a came stick or grease paint, all exposed shin should be covered. This includes the hands, back of the neck, ears, and face.

2) The parts of the face that naturally form shadows should be lightened.

3) The predominant features of the face that shine, such as the forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin, should be darkened.

4) The patterns and colors that are used should blend in with the natural vegetation and shadows.

5) For jungles and woodland, light green and loam colors should be used.

6) For desert, light brown and sand colors should be used.

7) For snow, white and gray colors should be used.

8) Facial patterns can vary from irregular stripes across the face to bold splotching. The best pattern may be a combination of the two to ensure a blending with the background terrain.

a. SOUND. Sound may be made by movement, equipment rattling or talking. The enemy may dismiss small noises as natural but when someone speaks he will know that someone is near. Gear should be silenced using tape before a mission so that it makes no noise while running or walking. Moving quietly is done by using slow, deliberate, smooth movement.

b. MOVEMENT. Movement itself is a target indicator. The human eye is attracted to movement. A stationary target may be impossible to detect, and a slowly moving one might be left unnoticed, but quick jerky movement will most certainly be seen. Again, slow deliberate movement is necessary to remain undetected.

c. IMPROPER CAMOUFLAGE. The largest number of targets will be detected due to improper camouflage. There are three types of improper camouflage:

1) . Shine comes from reflective objects exposed and not toned down, such a belt buckles, watches, or glasses. The lenses of optical gear will also reflect light. Shine can be eliminated by placing a paper shade over the end of the optics and by staying in shadows. Any object that reflects light should be camouflaged.

2) Outline. The outline of objects such as the body, head and shoulders, weapons, and web gear are very recognizable even from a distance. Often times the human eye will pick up a recognizable shape and concentrate on it even if the object can not be identified right away. Therefore, outlines must be broken up into unrecognizable patterns.

3) Contrast With the Background. Contrast means to stand out against a background, such as a man in a dark green uniform standing against a cinder block wall. When using a position for concealment, a background must be chosen that will absorb the appearance of the sniper and his gear. A difference in color or shape from the background will usually be noticed. A sniper must therefore camouflage himself and his gear in accordance with the coloring of his background and stay in the shadows as much as possible.

a. Plotting an Azimuth. To plot an azimuth from a point on a map, the sniper will:

I) Place the protractor’s index at that point.

2) Rotate the protractor until the base line (N-S. 0 degrees to 180 degrees) is parallel to the nearest north-south grid line.

3) Make a tick mark on the map at the point indicated on the protractor’s degree scale for the desired azimuth.

4) Remove the protractor and draw a line from the starting point to the tick mark. This line represents a grid azimuth.

5) It is essential that the protractor index lines be precisely parallel with the grid lines. A slight variation from the parallel will result in a measurement error of several degrees.

6) Verify measurement by extending the drawn line between the two points until it intersects with a grid line, place the protractor index exactly on the point of intersection of the N-S grid lines and read the azimuth.

b. Plotting Back Azimuths. During land navigation, the sniper may find himself having to backtrack. This is done by determining a back azimuth. The back azimuth is the reverse direction of the original azimuth. It is like doing an about face or making a 180 degree turn. To obtain a back azimuth from an azimuth the sniper merely has to:

1) Add 180 degrees if the azimuth is 180 degrees or less.

2) Subtract 180 degrees if the azimuth is more than 180 degrees.

3) An easy way to remember this is to use the acronym LAMS - less add, more subtract.

a. Direction. There are two ways to express direction:

1) Degrees. There are 360 degrees in a circle. These are subdivided into minutes and seconds.

2) Mils. There are 6,400 mils in a circle.

b. North. Any direction must have a reference line or base direction. In map reading there are three universally accepted base directions.

1) Magnetic North. The direction to the north magnetic pole as indicated by the north-seeking arrow of a magnetic instrument, such as a compass.

2) Grid North. The north that is established by the vertical grid lines on a map.

3) True North. A line from any position on the earth’s surface to the north pole. All lines of longitude are true north lines.