Spc. Alexander Day, a scout sniper with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, fires a Barrett M82 .50-caliber sniper rifle during a basic sniper course being taught by a mobile training team Nov. 9, 2010, at Fort Bragg, N.C.

U.S. military snipers have emerged during the past decade of wars as one of the most effective but least understood weapons, USA Today reported. Snipers' ability to accurately shoot and take out their targets minimizes collateral damage — a key factor in effectively conducting counterinsurgency operations.

And more troops want to be part of that job field. The number of slots at the Army's sniper school at Fort Benning, Ga., for example, increased from 163 in 2003 to 570 last year, USA Today reported. The Marine Corps too operates several sniper schools.

Refinements in training and advancements in technology have made snipes quite effective in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, USA Today wrote in a report on snipers changing modern warfare.

Source: USA Today