ReclaimerSpirit

I would definitely like to hear more about this. How did they decide who to send to get them back (i.e how did they know you wouldn't just go "hey, I'm already at a train station" and exfil)? In what way were they coerced? Classic mind trickery, peer pressure, incentives, threats, etc.? Can you tell us about a time you had to do this, or what it was like if it happened to you? I'd never heard of this happening before, and its opened a lot of questions in my mind about the operational capabilities of the CoS.

Afternoon, Mr. Castner. Thanks for doing this AMA. These are the kinds of AMAs I like to see. A few quick questions:

1) How often did you use a bomb disposal bot? How would you describe your relationship with them? Like, did you give it a name or what?

2) How did you know where to look for an IED? I've heard roadkill and general debris are signs to look for. If you don't want to talk about that stuff, were you taught what to look for and what to expect, or did you learn a lot on the job?

3) what would be your nightmare bomb?

I manage somehow.

Thank you so much for your answers. This is the first time i've gotten a response from any AMA, and I found your answers really interesting and enlightening.

Final follow up question if you have the time: You've mentioned how unpredictable and creative IED makers are. That being said, are there any trends you found in the design or placement of bombs in Iraq? Common locations, common mechanisms, etc.?

Thank you so much for the second answer! I have not read your book (yet, but I'm thinking about it now), so forgive me if you've already gone into this, but I feel like your connection with the people building and planting these bombs is a very interesting part of your experience. Getting to know the different areas and designs, "oh fuck off, its this guy who does X,Y,Z, the same guy who did A,B,C last week", but not getting to actually see them or engage them must have been really frustrating. The relationship you had with the people building these bombs is definitely something I'd want to read about.