ASA Certification Program

The position of the police sniper is one of the most important and most difficult in law enforcement. It encompasses high expectations, high liability, and immense individual responsibility. Such a position should require the very highest in standards for selection, training and utilization. Unfortunately, this is not the case. National standards for police snipers do not exist. What constitutes a sniper varies greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. This variance leads to an inconsistency in selection processes, training of personnel, equipment, policies and most importantly, performance. In this day and age of accountability, this is no longer acceptable. The American Sniper Association has established a comprehensive process designed to set consistent standards between sniper programs and test standards of performance for individual snipers. It will allow us to recognize professional capability in a uniform manner. What are the benefits of sniper certification to individual snipers and their agencies? Certification builds trust. It demonstrates a commitment to have a professional sniper program in place to protect the lives of citizens and other law enforcement personnel. It provides a benchmark for programs to achieve and maintain. It will provide a stronger defense against lawsuits brought against your snipers in the performance of their duties. It will provide greater accountability within the agency, as team leaders and administrators have clearly defined standards to expect and enforce. It will tell everyone—the agency, administrators, the media, the courts, and the general public—that your sniper program is well-organized, well-trained, properly equipped, and recognized by their peers as being fully capable of doing their job in a consistent and professional manner. Who among you would want to put anything less on the streets? Your agency can apply for ASA Sniper Certification for your individual snipers by following these steps: • Send a formal request to the American Sniper Association, asking for the Sniper Certification Program Packet. The request must be on department letterhead, and signed by the agency representative who will be administering the tests. The packet will be mailed to the administrator and must remain in his control throughout the testing process. • PLEASE NOTE: THE TESTS MUST BE ADMINISTERED BY A NON-PARTICIPATING THIRD PARTY PROCTOR. • The request letter should be accompanied by a check or money order for the application fee. This fee helps cover the cost incurred by ASA for this testing and certification process, and is non- refundable. This cost includes postage, printing, supplies, and records maintenance. The fee schedule per agency is as follows: 1 – 4 snipers from one agency, $50; 4 – 8 snipers from one agency, $100; and 8 – 12 snipers from one agency, $125. • The request is to be mailed to: American Sniper Association, 6232 Apple Road, Sebring, FL 33875. No telephone or electronic requests will be accepted. Be advised, this is not a simple certificate mill. In order to receive certification, your agency will be held to a high, but attainable, standard. Your snipers will have to demonstrate a reasonable level of technical proficiency and knowledge. Your agency will have to provide documentation of a comprehensive sniper program, which is an integral part of a special operations team structure. These standards were not arrived at arbitrarily, but have been established after intensive study of agencies nation-wide that have efficient and successful sniper programs. Further input was gained from nationally recognized sniper trainers, administrators and legal experts. This process is meant to be educational, as well as motivational. It will show you how your sniper program ranks compared to others around the country. It will point out your program’s strengths and weaknesses. It will be an accurate gauge of your team’s operational readiness. If your snipers or your agency can’t meet the standards, hopefully this will serve as an incentive to make the changes necessary to raise the level of your program as soon as possible.

American Sniper Association

Police Sniper Certification Standards

and Requirements

• Certification candidates must be members in good standing of ASA. If not, a completed application for membership must accompany this packet. • Certification candidates must have successfully completed at least a 40-hour basic police sniper course, and must provide documentation of same in the form of a certificate or letter issued by the sniper school’s director. • Certification candidates must have at least one year of operational experience as a sniper at the time of application. • Certification candidates must present a written Standard Operating Policy specifically addressing the agency’s SWAT/Sniper team. This policy must include guidelines dealing with selection of personnel, training standards, use of deadly force and qualification courses. In the case of multiple snipers from a single agency applying for certification, a single copy of this course will suffice. • Certification candidates must provide a written copy of their agency’s current sniper qualification course. In the case of multiple snipers from a single agency applying for certification, a single copy of this course will suffice. • Certification candidates must provide a copy of their agency’s SWAT/Sniper team training program, listing all proposed training topics to be covered in the next 12-month period. In the case of multiple snipers from a single agency applying for certification, a single copy of this course will suffice. • Certification candidates must complete the Written Examination portion of the Certification Packet, as prescribed in the test instructions. A minimum score of 85 points (out of a possible 100) is necessary to pass this section. • Certification candidates must shoot the Basic Marksmanship Skills portion of the qualification course as prescribed in the course instructions. Candidates must attain a minimum score of 84 points (out of a possible 120) to pass this section. • Certification candidates must shoot the Stress Fire Skills portion of the qualification course as prescribed in the course instructions. Candidates must attain a perfect score to pass this section. • Certification candidates must pass the Police Sniper Functional Fitness Test with an aggregate score of 375 points (out of a possible 500). • Certification candidates, or their agency representative, will have no more than 60 days to submit the completed Certification Packet to for grading and review by an ASA Sniper Certification Administrator. Provided the certification candidate meets all of the standards and requirements listed here, he will be awarded ASA Certification, recognizing his individual operational readiness and the compliance of his agency. He will receive a certificate, and he will be listed in the ASA Certified Police Sniper database. This certification will remain in effect for three years from the issue date. Recertification will require the submission of proof of continued ASA membership, proof of ongoing training, and continued service as a sniper.