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CNN Live At Daybreak
American Snipers On Duty in Afghanistan
Aired February 01, 2002 - 06:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. military personnel who serve as snipers in Afghanistan have a lonely but very important duty.
CNN's Martin Savidge visited two of them, comrades in arms, but there's an important difference -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the edge of the Kandahar Airport, in the middle of an old Soviet helicopter graveyard sits an isolated building known as the Hilton. This is the sniper's lair.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seventy-five percent.
SAVIDGE: Jake Anderson (ph) and Vinny Adler (ph) are a team. They've been together for over a year and a half. They build a makeshift workout gym using sandbags, an old engine battery and pulleys pulled from the derelict helicopters outside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty much in the experimental phase right now. OK. See if this works.
SAVIDGE: The two men spend almost every hour of every day with one another. And even though Jake (ph) hand chose Vinny (ph) to be his partner, they are not friends. The world of Army snipers won't allow it. Jake (ph) is senior in rank.
JAKE ANDERSON (ph), SNIPER: There is a reason for it.
SAVIDGE (on camera): What do you think that reason is?
ANDERSON (ph): That's the way the Army's existed for centuries, you know, someone's got to be in charge. Now, if I'm his buddy, and I tell him to do something that might threaten his life, he's not going to do it, you know what I mean? OK.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): The decorative steam is early Marines, the contrast almost comical, a child's handmade Christmas card hangs beside a string of bullets. The two have added their own touches.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's my motivation to get through the day.
SAVIDGE (on camera): What is? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Britney Spears. Oh you're going to air that, ain't you?
SAVIDGE (voice-over): The pair work 15 feet above where they live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Want to check your rifle?
SAVIDGE: They settle into a routine of watching and waiting. Vinny (ph) is the spotter and dreams of one day being Jake (ph), the shooter. A sniper's art is in the breathing.
ANDERSON (ph): Take one big inhale, one big exhale, one big inhale, one big exhale and then you take your shot. You got about 10 seconds before you start -- your body starts to react from the lack of oxygen.
SAVIDGE (on camera): Snipers in movies tend to be depicted as quiet, independent, totally solitary individuals, silent killers. Jake (ph) and Vinny (ph) say that's not them, at least not yet.
ANDERSON (ph): A lot of times our missions are just reconnaissance and then snipe is almost secondary, you know. You carry the rifle with you. If something comes down, you get a high payoff shot, they might let you -- you know let you have it, let you take it but probably not.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Neither Jake (ph) or Vinny (ph) have ever killed anyone and wonder what it would be like.
ANDERSON (ph): Well he had a weapon in his hands, was shooting at U.S. troops, I'm not sure -- I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem at all.
VINNY ADLER (ph), SNIPER: Yes, that would be very cool to blow someone away, but I don't think ...
ANDERSON (ph): He says what do you think about people?
ADLER: Oh what do I think about (UNINTELLIGIBLE)? They're cool. I'm one of those people.
ANDERSON (ph): He's kind of a violent person.
ADLER: Yes, it's -- don't let my mentality fool you.
SAVIDGE: They're not crazy psychopaths, but young men serving their country with a tough job that someone has to do for whom killing time can have a dual meaning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: They look so young, don't they? That was CNN's Martin Savidge reporting from Kandahar.
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