This is a nickname used in the Fleet to refer to an engineer. (The Captain's Hand)
The term is likely a reference to identical U.S. and Royal (UK) Navy slang for members of the engineering crew aboard naval ships. These include engine room, fire room, auxilliary, electrical and other personnel working deep inside a ship.
According to naval jargon expert Jeff Crowell, "it is believed that true snipes cannot stand direct sunlight or fresh air, must have machine oil in their coffee in order to survive, and get nosebleeds at altitudes above the waterline."
External references[edit]
http://www.hazegray.org/faq/slang2.htm ("Naval Terminology, Jargon and Slang FAQ," 2003, Jeff Crowell)
http://oldsnipe.com/SnipeBegin.html ("Birth of Snipes," undated, former naval enginner Tom Thomas)