Everyone knows what camouflage is, but fewer people have seen a ghillie suit. You might not see it period unless you are looking hard. The ghillie suit dates back to Scotland when barons would hire guys to patrol their properties to prevent poachers. Ghillies, as they eventually came to be known, would hide themselves in the brush and wait patiently for poachers in outfits they would craft from rags and frayed textiles.
Today ghillie suits are used for a number of activities from the lethal art of sniping to the much less deadly game of paintball. The textiles used have changed but the technology behind the camouflage stays the same. The modern ghillie suit wearer looks like a pile of leaves when they are being still and can remain undetected even when the enemy or target comes within a close range to them.
Ghillie suits have always been synonymous with sniping because of their uncomplicated design and efficiency. The act of sniping began about the period of time of the conclusion of the eighteenth century. Rebels would pick off enemies from hidden areas to destroy and break the spirits of the enemy. Sharpshooters came about when rifles got more accurate and a sniper could be over 100 meters away from their target.
The technique in which wars were fought was altered because of the implementation of snipers. Before sharpshooters were deployed officers would go with platoons and give orders during battle. As more officers were killed, infantry combat went from direct engagements to more covered, flanking tactics. To avoid being shot, officers had to try and blend in with the lower-ranking troops. More covered areas such as woods and hills became the preferred area over open areas as shooting tactics became more popular. The code of honor that military men in the past stood by was forgotten as more vicious and hidden tactics were implemented in combat.
Every side used ghillie suits during WWI to kill high-ranking commanders and demoralize enemy troops. The same design used then is basically mimiced nowadays; suits are constructed from materials that hang down and give the sharpshooter the uncanny talent to stay unseen. There are several different kinds of the suit so that the shooter can blend in with surroundings no matter what environment they are in. A desert ghillie suit, for example, will appear a lot different than a ghiilie suit for the woods.
On imperative missions the ghillie suit is still used for protection and security by the modern-day shooter. A sniper's skill to stay hidden is essential for their security and survival since the majority of the time a sharpshooter operates alone or with one other man as the look-out. Aside from the rifle, a well-made ghillie suit to cover the sharpshooter is a sniper's most critical asset. If the shooter could not remain unseen until it was time to shoot, his security would be severely compromised. The getaway after a shot was taken is just as crucial to an assassin as the actual shot. Several times during the escape the shooter will use the camouflage of the ghillie suit to get them out safely.
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