Jack Coughlin (author) - Military Career

Military Career

Coughlin enlisted in the Marines in 1985 and completed his recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. His first experiences with operating firearms, including shooting a rifle, occurred in the Marine Corps recruit training. He later attended Scout Sniper school. Coughlin was also stationed at the Subic Bay naval base in the Philippines with Alpha Company, Marine Barracks Starboard Security Platoon, and later the Jungle Operations Branch. Eventually, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion 4th Marines, part of the 7th Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division.

Coughlin was deployed with 1st Battalion, 7th Marines Weapons Company as a Scout Sniper during Operation Restore Hope. In an attack of an enemy compound north of the city of Mogadishu, Somalia, west of the stadium Coughlin was assigned a hide position as a scout sniper to take out targets of opportunity and report enemy movement. Prior to the start of the attack the compound was known to have a ZPU-4 anti-air weapon and tanks. Coughlin engaged the manned ZPU-4 and successfully dispatched the enemy so the attack to be effective. Without this action by Coughlin the attack would not have been as effective because US air assets may have been destroyed. Coughlin was deployed with this unit to Iraq in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 2003 invasion of Iraq with Basra. He initially spent some time with British troops in Basra, then fought with his unit north to the city of Baghdad. Coughlin and his unit were present at the famous Firdos Square statue destruction of Saddam Hussein. Coughlin originated the concept of the Mobile Sniper Strike Team, which he employed in Iraq to great effect. While in Iraq, he received his second Bronze Star with valor device. When he returned from Iraq, he retired from the Marine Corps.