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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1984)
Thursday, September 6, 1984/The Battalion/Page 3 Marines here to show weapons of the corps marksmanship unit Photo by PETER ROCHA Sgt. James Ferguson, a scout sniper with the USMC, answers questions in the Memorial Student Center Wednesday af ternoon. By LYNN RAE POVEC Staff Writer The U.S. Marine Corps Marksmanship Training Unit, which holds shooting contests to help train Marines in marksmanship, will be at the Me morial Student Center through the end of this week to answer questions about its weapons dis- play. For more than 40 years, the unit has been responsible for es tablishing marksmanship policies and techniques for the marines. Based in Quantico, Va., it also de velops and refines the mech anisms of the weapons the ma rines use. The U.S. Marine Corps Re cruiting Station in Houston, which is responsible for recruit ing in College Station, invited the unit to set up the 50-gun display here. The Marines arrived here- Wednesday morning, and offi cers will man the display Thurs day and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Camouflaged in leaves and face paint, Sgt. James Ferguson will be on hand to explain how a scout sniper “surgically implants” a bullet. A Marine for six years, Fergu son is “highly trained in fieldcraft observation, camouflage and marksmanship,” skills he has taught for four years at the Ma rines’ sniper school. “(Snipers) are used to reduce selected key targets,” Ferguson said Wednesday. “We’re not bad people, or murderous individu als. We’re just like anybody else.” Snipers must be able to hit a stationary target at 1,000 yards and a moving target at 800 yards, he said. They work in teams of two — one spotting, the other shooting — and a sniper “selects a target on his own terms,” Fergu son said. “Don’t compromise,” he said. “Let the average guy go by.” Ferguson said a sniper’s first shot should, ideally, disable the enemy’s radio, the second, the ra dio man, and the third, the pla toon leader. At the risk of giving his posi tion away to the enemy, a sniper should never fire more than three rounds from the same spot, he said. Marine scout snipers use the M40A1 sniper rifle in execut ing their missions. “We have the distinction of be ing the only service that has de veloped, built and maintained our own sniper rifle,” said Chief Warrant Of ficer Gene Baker. Prior to 1978, the military serv ices used the M14A1 rifle. Baker said, which lost accuracy over time because moisture in the air shrunk its wooden stock. In 1978, the marines devel oped the M40A1 sniper rifle from a commercial Remington ri fle. The M40’s stock is fiberglass, which won’t shrink. It has a rust discouraging stainless steel barrel which allows for less recoil be- Sgt. James Ferguson: “(Snipers) are used to re duce selected key targets, We’re not bad people, or m urderous individuals. We’re just like anybody el se. ” cause it is heavier. “Currently all (military) serv ices are trying to buy this from us,” Baker said. He said 25 of the training unit’s 180 members travel to Ma rine bases around the world (ex cluding F.urope) to gather ideas on weapon improvement and to instruct Marines on marksmanship. Other ideas come from commercial industry and various organizations, such as the American Defense Preparedness Association, Baker said. Master Sgt. Gary Gregory, who drafts the weapons the training unit develops and who helped de sign the M40, said interactionfct the Marines’ shooting matches provide ideas for improving a weapon’s inner-workings. The unit holds four, month long division matches to train Ma rines in advanced marksmanship. These are held in Japan, Ha waii, California and North Caro lina, where Marines follow a week of instruction with three weeks of shooting practice. The winners of each match — the top 10 percent of those who participated — continue to other matches within the Marine Corps. National championships which are held once a year in Ohio. Living with roommates requires adjustments By ADA FAY WOOD Reporter Adjusting to living with a room mate can be as much of a learning process for college students as re quired classes. However, the Depart ment of Student Affairs has made the process a little bit easier by offer ing several ways to deal with this new style of living. “Spend time getting to know your roommate,” counselor Stephen Liter said. Lack of communication is the root of many or all of the problems that occur between roommates, Liter said. Students should discuss likes and dislikes and then lay out ground rules to follow. Begin the semester by discussing important topics with your room mate, Liter said, and always be will ing to compromise. If there are po tential or real problems they need to be dealt with immediately. Especially for freshmen, living with a roommate for the first time could be a difficult adjustment. “Freshmen are dealing with tran sition into a new atmosphere,” Liter said. This transition can cause prob lems. For example, newly felt inde pendence can lead to forgetfulness; students with early classes often can be very noisy to a sleeping roommate who has late classes, he said. If the problems aren’t confronted they can affect other people, and this creates a bigger problem, Liter said. If students can’t work the prob lems out alone, the dormitory resi dent advisers are available for help. The Student Counseling Service on the third floor of the YMCA Build ing is another place to go for help. Karmen Hinch, a resident adviser in Briggs Dorm, said the problems that have already arisen this semes ter include roommates who are messy and those who are inconsider ate. A roommate tenancy contract is available at the Off-Campus Center. The contract allows roommates to list all obligations and habits before hand. “Don’t ruin your whole semester,” Liter said. “Talk about it!” Students encouraged to register for voting By KATHICOOK Reporter As politicians begin to trek down the campaign trails, many people who normally wouldn’t be interested in politics suddenly are. But one step is necessary to participate, and it is a simple one — registration. Anyone who is 18 years old by election day and is a U.S. citizen without a felony record is eligible to vole if they are registered 30 days prior to the election date, Gerald Winn, tax assessor/collector of Bra zos County, said. “We’ve tried to make applications available everywhere we can,” Winn said, “they’re on campus, in several banks, or in my office in the court house.” Applications now are available at the Memorial Student Center hotel desk, the visitor information center, and the Admissions and Records Of fice. Winn said he has sworn-in volun teer deputy registrars who now are eligible to solicit voters to register. “There are several independent groups holding voter drives — like the Democratic parties and Republi can parties on campus,” Winn said. Winn said the presidential elec tion and the special congressional elections of Phil Gramm, Richard Smith and Neeley Lewis have cre ated the increased interest in voting this year. More than 5,000 students en rolled at Texas A&M are registered to vote in Brazos County, Winn said. With a constant student turnover, several names are purged from the voter file every two years. At the be ginning of the year, the tax assessor- /collector’s office sends each regis tered voter a new registration card. If it is not returned, the voter’s name is placed on a strike list from March 1 to Aug. 15 unless the voter re-reg- isters with his new address., If you choose to remain registered in the county of yout permanent res idence, to vote absentee you should contact your county clerk or election administrator 24 days prior and up to four days before the election day to receive a ballot. Even with easy access to applica tions and a re-registration sent to the voter, some citizens do not register to avoid jury duty, Winn said. irents tt IseforH ; a stop) They! c hood it tx)ut it. ion nfrrtnct 1 Board 14, Editor Editor s Editor Page Ed® .ditor -.ditor Michellff iraczykT Travis T< BiilHuf Angela Robin/ ihawnBd ainab Bu* ronyC«J , Patricw' iyWiesf , Karla Sara/* ncs R ...John Hi Karen #' .avePab* Peter R" in. Dean*- ortinR 'T’f tthoxM tsurikKr irs, /at""H rv neMpfi nognphl v ixf/uM*! ,« crM KTr/n'T’''' Help Wanted The Battalion is taking Applications for Photographers and Editorial Cartoonists Apply in 216 Reed McDonald i COUPON! INTERNATIONAL HOUSE .omous RESTAURANT Offer expires September 30, 1984 Breakfast Special 99* Includes 1 egg (any Style), Hash Browns, Buttermilk Pancakes or Toast. Good Monday thru Friday • I? 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