The life of a combat camera Soldier in Europe
Coffee or Die | May 26, 2021
This article by Hannah Ray Lambert was originally published by Coffee or Die.
Silver mist floated through alpine peaks on a late-September day in Austria as soldiers loaded gear onto Haflingers and led the small horses up the mountainside. Combat photographer Sgt. Patrik Orcutt let his lens linger as the animals crossed streams of snowy runoff. While the rest of the group zigzagged up the final switchbacks, he ran ahead, staking out his position before the exhausted soldiers emerged atop the mountain, snowcapped peaks and green hills sprawling in the backdrop as far as the camera viewfinder could see.
With 2,000 feet of brutal elevation gain now behind him, Orcutt filled his aching lungs. Before long, rifle reports echoed through the hills. Snipers from Italy, Belgium, Germany, and other countries fired on long-range targets at the International Specialty Training Center High Angle Sniper Course at the Hochfilzen training area. The snipers would make the grueling trek up to the range several times during their two-week course, learning to aim and calculate trajectory in mountainous terrain and awkward positions. Orcutt shadowed them each time, dashing between firing positions up and down the range with his camera for hours on end to capture the idyllic scenes.
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