Eyes on roof watch over air show

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
  • Air Force Print News
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. (AFPN) --   His eyes scan the crowd looking for the person who doesn't fit in.

Master Sgt. Greg Palmer of the Air National Guard's 188th Security Forces Squadron used his skills as a sharpshooter to assist base security during the Little Rock Air Show Nov. 4.

Sergeant Palmer, who teaches three classes a year at the National Guard Sniper School at Camp Robinson, Ark., said his mission was vastly different from a normal sharpshooting mission in one aspect. Perched atop the roof of a base hangar, the sergeant and his teammate made no effort to hide from the view of the crowd streaming through the gates at the air show

"We usually blend in, and if we are doing our job right will never be seen," he said. "Up here everybody can see us and hopefully we can act as a deterrent to anybody thinking of causing trouble. We are in an elevated position and can see what the security forces people on the ground can't and we can help them by passing on vital information."

Sergeant Palmer said he has been shooting guns since he was 8 years old, and it was inevitable that he would become an Air Force sharpshooter.

"It really was a calling for me, and it is not for everybody," he said "You have to have the mindset that someday you might have to send a shot downrange."

Air Force sharpshooters operate in a team of two. One member is a shooter, and the other is a spotter. 

"The spotter actually has the most difficult job," Sergeant Palmer said, "because they have to factor in wind and dozens of other factors, while the shooter just has to pull the trigger." 

He said the most experienced sharpshooter in a team usually acts as the spotter.

On the hangar roof, they take turns looking through the binoculars to prevent eye fatigue. They scan the crowd looking for people who are acting strangely or may have weapons in their possession. Sergeant Palmer said the attention to detail he possesses as a sharpshooter and the assistance of his partner help the air show security mission.

Communication is vital to the success of a good team, he said. Members of an experienced team will get to know each other well. His squadron has an advantage over active-duty squadrons because they get to spend more time together and can build a lot of continuity because they won't get broken up by change-of-station orders.

"What I like about the National Guard is you may get to spend your entire career with the same group of guys" he said. "It gets to the point that we finish each other sentences."

The sergeant enjoys being an instructor at the sniper school, and he said he likes interacting with the next generation of sharpshooters.

"It is truly one of the most rewarding things I do," he said. "I love seeing the lights go off in their heads when they start to understand what I'm teaching them."

Sergeant Palmer has some advice for anybody interested in becoming a sharpshooter and attending the sniper school.

"Be physically fit, you can't do the mission if you can't get there," he said. "Practice your shooting a lot so that you already have good shooting fundamentals when you get to class."