Send It: Canadian Snipers In Afghanistan

CONTENT

The guest today is Barry Nisbet who joined the Canadian Forces in 1997. He completed RCR battle school graduating at the top of his class and was posted to the 1 Royal Canadian Regiment in Petawawa. In 2003 he completed U.S. Army Ranger School. He deployed to Kosovo in 1999 and Bosnia in 2003 as a rifleman. His first tour to Afghanistan was to Kabul in 2005. In 2006 he deployed to Kandahar as a sniper, call sign 63C, taking part in Operation Medusa. He received the Chief of Defence Staff Commendation for professionalism and leadership while rendering first aid to a severely injured soldier, 1 RCR Battle Group, Joint Task Force Afghanistan, 11 January 2007. Barry taught on multiple basic sniper courses in Petawawa training soldiers from the 1st and 3rd RCR Battalions and Canadian Special Operations Regiment. He returned to Afghanistan in 2010 as a Sniper Detachment Commander, call sign 66A, this was his 5th and final deployment before retiring as a Sergeant in 2012.

We discuss his path to becoming a sniper including the demanding sniper selection and training course and his experience as the first Canadian corporal to pass US Army Ranger School. Barry talks about the evolving tactics and operational realities of sniper teams in Afghanistan and reflects on the personal impact of combat. We finish off discussing the book he wrote with two other snipers Gordon Cullen and Mir Bahmanyar "Send It: Canada's Snipers at War in Afghanistan."

Barry's book choice on Desert Islands Dits is "The SAS Survival Handbook" by John "Lofty" Wiseman. My choice is Barry's Book "Send It: Canada's Snipers at War in Afghanistan."

Barry's website is at: Author, Sniper, Veteran - Co-Author of Send it

Instagram: Author Sniper Veteran (@senditbook) • Instagram photos and videos

Photos courtesy of Barry Nisbet.

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