Everybody has heard of what camouflage is, but fewer people have seen a ghillie suit. You may never see it at all unless you are looking carefully. Dukes would pay men to patrol their lands and hunt illegal hunters in the beginnings of the ghillie suit. Ghillies, as they eventually came to be known, would hide themselves in the bushes and wait patiently for illegal hunters in suits they would craft from rags and shredded textiles.Today ghillie suits are implemented for a variety of activities from the lethal act of sniping to the much less lethal game of paintball. The materials have changed but the concept behind the camouflage stays the same. Even when the opposition or mark comes within a very close range to them, the modern day ghillie suit wearer can remain undetected and look like a pile of leaves in the woods.Because of their uncomplicated design and effectiveness, ghillie suits have always been associated with sniping. About the time of the end of the eighteenth century the act of sharpshooting started. Guerillas would shoot at opposing armies from far-away locations to defeat and demoralize the enemy. When weapons started to be more accurate and were efficient from more than 100 meters, sharpshooters appeared more and more in the battlefield.The use of sharpshooters in military combat changed the way wars were fought. Officers would go with troops and give commands during an encounter before the deployment of snipers. As more commanders were killed, infantry combat went from face-to-face engagements to more sheltered, flanking techniques. Commanders had to try and mix in with the common troops to avoid being shot. covered areas such as woods and hills became the preferred terrain over open fields as sniping tactics became more prevalent. As more vicious and far-away tactics were used to fight, the rules of engagement that troops before held onto was abandoned.To kill high-ranking officers and to demoralize enemy armies during WWI, all sides had ghillie suits and sharpshooter tactics. The same design used then is generally emulated today; suits are constructed from textiles that hang down and give the sharpshooter the unbelievable ability to stay unseen. No matter what environment they are in, there are so many styles of the suit that the wearer can blend in with their surroundings anywhere. A desert ghillie suit, for example, will look a lot different than a ghiilie suit for the woods.Modern day shooters still continue to implement the ghillie suit for protection and cover while on important operations. Since a sniper often operates alone or with one other person the skill to stay hidden is necessary for a sniper's safety. A well-made suit to cover the sniper is the most essential asset besides the rifle. A sniper's life would be extremely compromised if they didn't have the ability to remain unseen until it was time to take the shot. Escape after a shot was taken is just as essential to a shooter as the actual shot. Several times during the getaway the shooter will use the camouflage of the ghillie suit to get him out safely.