1. Discovering sniping

2. Record details

3. Private life

4. References

Craig Harrison (born November 1974)^[1] is a former Corporal of Horse (CoH) in the Blues and Royals, a cavalry regiment of the British Army, who held the previous record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, at a range of {{convert|2475|m|yd|0|abbr=on}}.^[1][2] Craig Harrison is most famous for his military service in Afghanistan as a sniper but he also served in the British army in Iraq and the Balkans.

Discovering sniping

The first time Harrison used a sniper rifle was when firing a Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD) on a firing range near a British military base in Split, Croatia. In his autobiography The Longest Kill, Harrison described rifle SVD as looking like "an elongated AK" and after firing at a tree he says it "practically split the tree in half".^[3]

Record details

In November 2009, Harrison consecutively struck two Taliban machine gunners south of Musa Qala in Helmand Province in Afghanistan at a range of {{convert|2475|m|yd|0|abbr=on}} using a L115A3 Long Range Rifle.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} In a BBC interview, Harrison reported it took about nine shots for him and his spotter to range the target. Then, he reported, his first shot "on target" was a killing shot followed consecutively by a kill shot on a second machine gunner. The bodies were later found by Afghan National Police looking to retrieve the weapon (which had already been removed). The first Taliban was shot in the gut and the other through the side. Later in the day an Apache helicopter hovered over the firing position, using its laser range finder to measure the distance to the machine-gun position, confirming it was the longest kill in history at the time. ^[1][9]

In the reports, Harrison mentions the environmental conditions were perfect for long range shooting: no wind, mild weather and clear visibility.^[9]

Private life

Harrison's father and mother were dog handlers in the Royal Air Force Police (RAFP). They separated when he was very young. Harrison was the younger of two boys. He joined the Household Cavalry at 16, and later served in the Blues and Royals. He is married to Tanya and has a daughter.^[1]

After returning from Afghanistan in 2009 he developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and was discharged from the army in 2014.^[14] He has stated since that:

The Ministry of Defence paid Harrison £100,000 in compensation for revealing his identity which put him at risk of kidnapping by Al-Qaeda supporters. The blunder led to Harrison being placed on permanent sick leave and then discharged.^[11][12]

Harrison has written The Longest Kill, about his life and career as a sniper.^[13]

References

• .38-56 WCF
• 3857 BC
• 3858 BC
• 3859 BC
• 385 area code
• 385 in poetry
• 385th Infantry Division (Germany)
• 385th Strategic Missile Wing
• 385 U.S. 116
• 385 U.S. 374
• 385 U.S. 493
• 385 U.S. 545
• 385 U.S. 589
• 3860 BC
• 3860s BC
• 3861 BC
• 3862 BC
• 3863 BC
• (386454) 2008 XM
• 3864 BC
• 3865 BC
• 3866 BC
• 3867 BC
• 3868 BC
• 3869 BC