Sniper is only available to riflemen/NCO ranks. The quality of the soldiers in Sniper Platoons remains very high and I say they have a level of discipline and level of field craft above that of the rest of the Battalion.
Don’t just think of specialising in respect of sexy stuff like sniper. Bare in mind that different appointments as an officer bring different roles and responsibilities. There’s a difference between the job of a young platoon commander and a coy commander. Between Ops Officer or Adjutant. Between a CO and Brigade Commander.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that as an officer your days will be filled with emails about unpaid mess bills, staff duties and the CO’s coffee pot. You’ll have the chance to get fucking fragged like the rest of the blokes.
A platoon commander must be able to exercise control over his platoon at all times but a good Officer will know not to step on the the toes or fuck up the tactical initiative of his riflemen/NCOs. Don’t get me wrong, on HERRICK Multiple commanders were often young Lt’s/Capts in their mid 20s. They got stuck in like any other bloke.They were out on the ground, climbing through the same ditches and having the same rounds fired at them as the rest of the lads. I’ve seen commissioned officers getting rounds down. The rule of thumb is that the commander must be close enough to read the battle but should not get involved in the initial fire fight and will need to continually assess the changing situation. Navigation of the platoon to an objective ultimately falls to the platoon commander. Yes section commanders cover this but the buck normally stops with the Officer. In principle the section commander is responsible for the tactical considerations of the section or multiple ( shit like arcs of fire, positions, etc), whilst the Platoon Commander deals with the overall strategic plan of the patrol/operation and communication with coy HQ, administrative reorg (comms with zero, casualties reports, etc) as well as decided how best to employ their firepower effectively when fighting an increasingly dynamic enemy.
Point being as a young officer in the Reg you’ll not be stuck inside. If you want to “specialise” as an officer you could command patrols platoon as a Recce Plt boss, OC MG Plt, OC anti tanks or you could attempt PF or UKSF selection and complete a three year tour with them as a troop boss. Another thing to bare in mind is that if follow the normal rate and join young you’ll be a captain in six years or so and a Major in your 30s. Officers tend to ramp up the ranks a bit quicker than NCOs. Ask the right questions and you’ll learn more about the role and what opportunities you can have!