Send us a text A rifle on a rooftop isn’t a movie moment—it’s a profound responsibility. We sit with retired Canadian Army sniper Barry Nisbet and author and former U.S. Army Ranger Mir Bahmanyar to unpack what snipers really do when deployed to places like Bosnia and Afghanistan and why their new book, Send It, pushes past the myths of their missions and duties. Barry brings the ground truth from five operational tours and a rare first for a Canadian corporal at U.S. Army Ranger School. Mir ...
Show Notes
A rifle on a rooftop isn’t a movie moment—it’s a profound responsibility. We sit with retired Canadian Army sniper Barry Nisbet and author and former U.S. Army Ranger Mir Bahmanyar to unpack what snipers really do when deployed to places like Bosnia and Afghanistan and why their new book, Send It, pushes past the myths of their missions and duties. Barry brings the ground truth from five operational tours and a rare first for a Canadian corporal at U.S. Army Ranger School. Mir adds the historian’s eye and a Ranger’s respect for standards, sharing why he pulled real practitioners into the manuscript to keep the record straight.
We walk through the job as it is lived: building a sniper from disciplined infantry roots, the strict rules of engagement that govern every trigger press, and the invisible victories of overwatch that keep patrols alive. Barry breaks down night insertions, fragile hides, the exposure that comes with calling in artillery or air, and the nerve it takes to exfiltrate when the sun rises and the enemy knows you’re there. The conversation lingers where most war stories don’t—accepting risk without bravado, carrying loss without turning it into spectacle, and holding fast to the internal standards that separate professionals from pose.
Mir challenges the hype that flattens soldiers into slogans and war into entertainment. He argues for honest military history that preserves detail, context and consequence, and he credits Canadian sniper teams with a level of professionalism and restraint too often missing in popular narratives. Along the way we touch on leadership that actually protects people, the mental skills forged in stalking lanes and fieldcraft, and the quiet rituals—dogs, long walks, small places far from crowds—that help recalibrate after hard tours.
If you care about modern military history, leadership under pressure, or how precision and patience save lives, this one will stick with you. Listen, then pick up Send It for the full story told by the people who were there. If the conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who values honest storytelling, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.
Thanks for listening. Please check out our website at www.forsauk.com to hear great conversations on topics that need to be talked about. In these times of intense polarization we all need to find time to expand our Frame of Reference.
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