[Hoot Gibson]

Nothing diminishes the heroism of courageous acts in the service of this country. I have not seen the movie yet, but I worked with a former sniper for a couple of years and it is not a job for cowards. He sometimes had to lie motionless for three days in the desert waiting for a target and as soon as he fired a shot, then he had to scramble to find a new position before the enemy closed in.

Being a sniper is a nasty and extremely dangerous job but it is an equally important role that somebody must do for the sake of the troops. People who disparage snipers as cowards are fools, as are those who think that human imperfections diminish their wartime heroics.