Is a Designated Marksman a Sniper?

[Komissar]

Rifleman

By the early 1990s all US Army soldiers received 12-days of Basic Rifle Marksmanship instruction with the standard M-16/M-4 weapons system. This included engaging targets with open sights at ranges of
300m and closer. The M-16 had a maximum effective range of some 600m,
especially with match ammunition although regular soldiers were not
trained to fire to the longer distances. However the individual rifle
squad in the field was often lacking the support of a long range sniper
team, which handicapped them engaging targets with rifle fire more than
300m away.

Snipers

The United States Army has had a long tradition of sniping and snipers. Entire units of sharpshooters were founded in the American War of Independance (Roger's Rangers) and the US Civil War (Berdan's Sharpshooters). By the time of the Vietnamese war dedicated sniper
schools trained picked and specially equipped men to become detached
snipers. These snipers were held at the battalion level and higher and
trained to stalk and engage high-value targets on the battlefield with
optically scoped precision weapons. These men still exist in three-man
dedicated teams assigned to a sniper platoon and are trained to engage
targets out to 1000m with bolt action rifles and beyond 2000m with
specialized 12.7mm (50 caliber) weapons.

Designated Marksmen

What was needed was a squad level designated advanced marksman who would act in the "marksmanship gap" zone from the 300m top out of the standard rifleman up to the lower operational envelope of the dedicated
sniper teams who would take care of long range sniping out past 600m.
These men were not true 'snipers' in the meaning of they did not freely
roam detached from their unit stalking targets but instead were embedded
inside a regular rifle squad and supported that unit exclusively. These
squad level marksmen would engage targets of opportunity, particularly
those at distances that the regular solider with iron sights and the
standard weapon would have difficulty with.

[Phoenix]

On any other the day of the week I might be expected to have just gotten home an hour ago and still be winding down. I try to keep the same schedule on my off days so my "Monday" doesn't suck.

As you can tell History is the only other thing that can get me talking forever at any hour. Another cool thing about the Berdan's is that those guys were hot stuff. Special uniforms, special guns, scopes (basically converted spy glasses), gear unavailable and unnecessary for infantry troops (e.g. stock mounted cap holders).

a painting of the Berdan's in action. You can't see it but the trousers and sack coat are green.
http://www.historicalartprints.com/images/product_large/24R-Berdan%...

A unit of Berdans marching
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs108.snc3/15544_101999949823783_100000413347324_52397_6765781_n.jpg

Sharps Rifle w/ Malcolm scope
http://www.gunblast.com/images/SHOT2007/Day1/100_0163.jpg