Marcus300 Interviews Older lifter

[marcus300]

marcus300 interview Older lifter

marcus300: Where about's in the world do you live and how do you like living there?
Older lifter: I have a place in Thailand and a place in Lao and also get to Vietnam quite a bit. I also have a home back in Queensland

marcus300: Which part of Thailand do you live?
Older lifter: In the North, not much for big cities, but know I need the services so close to one.

marcus300: What are your stats?
Older lifter: 45 years old 6’1 was around 245lbs a few months ago but an accident took me out of the gym for awhile and I know I have lost weight but don't want to check it yet. Bf around 13%, I am happy around 245lb, feels good and does not hinder other things I like doing.

marcus300: Are your married and do you have any children?
Older lifter: Never married and never will, No kids and I don't want any

marcus300: Why would you never get married or have any children?
Older lifter: It’s an understanding about myself really and the world I know, I have lost faith in people, not in a religious way or anything like that as I don’t believe in religion. It’s more in a way like “just who do we think we are” sort of way. I think we have lost our way and I know we can never get back. It seems everyone lives in there own world, a world created usually by themselves, and what’s important is all too often not what we really need…. Arr it’s really hard to say this right. I don't feel that I have any love to give, it’s gone but I am ok with that. When I want company from the opposite sex I get it, I don't want to talk or express feelings that I am supposed to have but don't. At times when I was working I had steady girlfriends, I would be away for about 3 months usually and have 2 weeks back. At times I would come back from very high stress areas or a couple of days before I might have been clearing a place where there had been an accident and all of a sudden I'm supposed to want to go shopping, or being asked “what do I think of this dress” etc. It just seemed so unreal, and so un-important. I know that is not fair but also knew I would be acting if I pretended to be interested.
So, I am very honest with the ladies I meet, I tell them from the beginning that I don't want any kind of relationship and this is just for fun and if it’s ok at that level fine. I know I will die alone but in my experience we all do anyway.
Kids, well 1, as you can read from above it would not be right and 2, I believe in sustainability, there is a limit to the amount of people that are supposed to be in each area, balance etc, we are way past that, most of the problems in this world come from people, it’s simple, more people the more the problems get worse. For every person in the US or OZ that makes a saving trying to save the planet there is a 1000 people in developing countries coming up hungry for that car (in places like these there are car companies producing and selling cars etc with no emission testing for as little as a few thousand dollars), the air-con, making more rubbish, wanting fuel, gas, electric and the all important Money etc etc. I remember many years ago (before people learned what to say) I asked a bloke in a isolated village why they kept having kids when they had no food (he had lost 7 through starvation) he said “we need a kid there when a good season arrived and that one would survive to take over the farm”, to me that made sense, kind of the same way nature does it, then in come the western charities, No!! every kid must survive, give food etc, the villager keeps going the way they always have and keep popping out kids, there surviving, they now have no way to feed them the land won't support them and hey they need aid all the time (now times that by 1,000’s). Stupid if you ask me.
Anyhow, I have seen the bad side too much, and it ways out the good side, why would I want to bring a new life into this?? Sorry if this offends the people with kids, I don't mean too this is just my opinion, and it doesn't really matter, you be happy with what you have.

marcus300: What was it like growing up and do you have a big family?
Older lifter: The early part of my life was fine, normal I guess, I am from North Queensland but grew up on the Gold Coast, surfed a lot, wagged school if the waves were good, just normal. I have no family now, my mother developed cancer when I was 16 and I looked after her but she died when I was 18, at the time my mother and I were in England at a cancer hospital (at that time the best one was in the UK, think it was called “Cristie’s”) and while I was there my father and brother had a car accident and also died, at this time I realized how expensive it is to bury someone and all the things you have to do, I had to ID the bodies so I did my mother first, but I was broke and before getting back to Australia to see to my farther and brother I ended up sleeping in a hedge for a couple of nights before my flight time. No time to morn, things were in kind of a spin. When it was all sorted and the depts paid I ended up with nothing so number one was surviving.

marcus300: How did you cope dealing with the death of your whole family in such a short period of time?
Older lifter: It might not be what many expect to hear but, I just coped, you do. When I saw my mothers body she was ashen grey and I looked at her and saw that she was not there anymore, she was gone. It got very busy, I was alone in a foreign country, there was a lot that had to be sorted, I never got a death certificate for her as they cost money (I never knew) I just got a registration of death. Anyhow there was a huge amount to get sorted and I just got to it. Things went in kind of a blur I guess, one thing after another, I knew nothing of the depts my family had and all that stuff so the learning curve was very steep. In one way it might have been worse if I had the time to sit and dwell, of course I miss them, esp my mother who was very kind and good. I have only one picture of her but I keep it safe.

marcus300: What was your first job and what kind of career do you do now ?
Older lifter: Well.. as you can see from above I was in a bit of a spot, I needed a home and money and food would be nice,,, the Army, everything in one. I joined (maybe they weren't the best reasons to join but it seemed a good idea at the time) Its funny, I don't really like being told what to do but I quite enjoyed the Army, I went to “Kapooka” for basic training and ended up winning the “best shot” and “most outstanding solider” awards, this basically meant that I got my first choice in what corp to go to,, I picked the engineers. It was in the engineers that I found I had a real knack with explosives and that became my specialty. Booby traps, IED’s and demolitions were my area, (the other side of this is that you also have to disarm the same stuff) anyhow I did the courses and pretty much planned for staying in the Army for awhile. But fate what ever had another idea, on one of the parachute jumps when I hit the ground I just crumpled up in pain, and on investigation the doc’s found I had spinal bifida. Not a real bad level but enough to mean I could not stay where I was in the Army, I opted to get out.

Shortly after getting out and while wondering what to do next a mate got in contact, he was working for a company in Africa and told me they would give me a job, Ok I went. During this time there was a lot of shit going on in central Africa and the company I worked for was clearing the rebels out of areas and my job was to clear the booby traps and IEDs from the infrastructure (Mines, housing etc) and get rid of the mines etc from roads and tracks. Most of the traps were simple tripwires and pressure plate stuff with a few trapped mines here and there. Enjoyed the job but had quite a few hairy moments, Every now and then the rebels would hit us at night, usually just hit and run but there was a few all out attacks. One time we got hit at around 23:00 hrs, they got through the main fences and where basically around the bottom of the buildings we were living in, got into one of those surreal type things, with us on the roofs shooting down, guys throwing grenades down the steps to stop them getting up and everyone keeping an eye out for the ones with rpg-7’s, it was real dark as the generator had been taken out, anyway they must of figured that they were losing to many and they pulled back taking what they could carry with them, it was a good job too because we had nearly ran out of ammo. The place was in a mess in the morning and took some cleaning up, the good thing was they had tried to get to our explosive bunker but had failed, I was happy with that as if they had got some my job would have gotten a lot worse.

We constantly came across the rebel persuading techniques, they would hit a village and being “big” men do what they wanted to intimidate the villages in not helping the government and take the younger lads away for brutal brainwashing and training. We came across one village I will always remember, they had made 2 baby pig sticks, shoved re-bar through 2 babies arses and out there mouths and cooked them over a fire, leaving them there for all to see how “big and powerful they were and they could do anything” I stood there looking at them for awhile and I guess I started to change inside, I had always kind of believed that we are all equal etc etc, now I was starting to see first hand that we are not, no way was the guys that did that equal to me. “Pocketing” was another common way they left a message, they would cut 2 slits in the lower torso and shove the guys hands in there so it looked like his hands were in pockets, they tie him up like that so it a slow death as infection or blood loss took hold. Anyhow to cut a long story short I was there for about 5 years, made some great mates, real characters, lost a few and was changed forever.

The UN had started trying to sort things out in there usual inept way, they had “peace keepers” with a mandate that did not allow them to keep the peace unless they were fired upon directly, so the rebels quickly learned this and carried on as usual right in front of the UN’s eye’s, we laughed in sadness when a rebel leader came in and just took the peace keepers hostage one time and these “soldiers” just let them do it, they were then given food and weapons to let them go,,,, haha what a joke, I new then and they have only got worse that the UN was a complete waist of time, It is just run by academics and they will always go for the political option which included talking to Rebel leaders and offering them positions of power in newly formed governments, the same guys that have been committing atrocities, I guess anything goes if they can say “look we stopped the fighting” (for a little bit and lets not report the stuff going on that no one see’s). UN “United Nothing” I learned about there stupidity and criminality many times more in my carrier. Anyhow I left that job and started working for NGO’s and commercial companies clearing bombs and stuff all over. Now I still work with bombs as a consultant, but most of my time is with my own business that takes me to Thailand, Lao and Vietnam.

marcus300: Tell us some of your hair raising stoires?
Older lifter:I worked in Kuwait when Iraq had invaded, that was interesting, there was this hill right near the Iraq Kuwait boarder and the Iraq’s had set up anti-air missiles (French ones) there and we were getting rid of them, Man we had a good laugh what we found just cracked us up (and I heard from other guys the same thing) The missiles had not been fired, the guys had just ran away, one closer inspection (in case they were wired) we found out a possible reason, the instruction book for the missiles was in French, and what they were doing was trying to translate using dictionaries from French to English and then from English to Arabic,, we laughed at how the guys must have been shitting themselves as the planes came in and flicking through these books trying to figure out how to turn the missiles on.

Trying to keep this short, lets see, got stabbed in Kenya, an ar$ehole wanted to rob me and pulled a knife, I'm not going to risk getting hurt over a bit of money but when I went to take out my wallet the prick went at me with the knife, he went for my gut but I moved back and managed to block it a bit but it went right into my right knee. He got no money.

Got stabbed again in Somalia, this time I got it in the head, bit of a story there too.

Shot in Kenya, we were working near lake Victoria and avoided travelling at night but on this instance we had no option, Some of the villages try and ambush cars at night and we had learned how they do it, so we were on guard, anyhow sure enough there was a tree across the road (they want you to slow down and they can jump out of the bushes and get you), a mate was driving and I was in the passenger seat, we saw the tree and my mate put his foot down and drove through the biggest bush at the side of the road, I think we got some as there were some big bumps as we went through, and all of a sudden all hell broke loose, we were getting peppered by heaps of round and we’re bouncing all over the place, how he got back on the road to this day I still don't know, but he did and we got away, but we were both hit.

Was in Iraq 3 weeks after the war (ended), landed in Basra (controlled by the British at that time) We need to find somewhere to stay and we ended bunking up at the Sheraton,, lol it had been burned out and looted so no it was not luxury. We had Zim guys with us and they were the de-mining teams, the first night they were really nervous with all the gun fire (the locals were shooting up in the air about some shit and the local ladies were egging them on with that funny sound they make) Anyhow I was doing the boss thing and I leaned in to the room (by room there was no roof or windows) and told the guys not to worry there not shooting at you when “thump” one of the rounds that they had shot into the air came home, missed my head by about 2 inches and got one of the guys in the leg. I though just typical ,,,lol After a couple of days we found a base out from town and started work. Had some great days, the bombs were mostly new and we did some huge demolitions in the vast open spaces.

We worked well at the start as there was little trouble and cleared quite a bit, there was a few nasty jobs, one that I wish I never had to do was a kid and a pregnant woman, seemed that the kid had pick-up something (probably a rockeye) and it had gone off, the kid was in bits and the force of the explosion had hit the woman in the stomach, opened her right up and spread it out, the father didn't dare go into the area and when we got there was quite a few people around not that happy, I cleared a lane in and had to pick up all the pieces and make sure there was nothing under them before allowing them in to get the bodies, always harder when it’s kids.

Another time we were clearing an area between 2 villages when they started having a shit fight, I don't know why but we were in the middle laying behind these humps at the side of the road with the rounds whizzing just overhead, lots of stuff like this. Things started to change with the local population, some say because the mullah’s started coming in, some say the rebuilding was too slow, whatever but things got hotter.

I was clearing an cluster strike when these pricks rocked up looking for water, then they pulled out guns and you guessed it pointed them at us, as the only westerner I was the main target and ended up with 5 AK’s pointed at the back of my head, the interpreter was waffling on like hell and I guess he said something right because they stopped poking my head with the nasty end, but then they put a knife to my throat, again a lot of banter and they ended up nicking the truck and all our stuff. But I owe my life to the interpreter, but if I ever see one of those guys again……..

Got ambushed 2 more times there but by then we had kitted ourselves out and that felt better as I don't want to go out like a pig on a stick. Got shot at a few more times and then the order came to pull out, the security situation was getting too bad and we moved into Kuwait for a while.

While waiting in Kuwait I was sent to Laos, I worked with the big bomb program there, good fun, no one shooting at you and some nice big bangs. Then back the Africa, this time into the Congo, by this time I was running all the technical operations, did a hard job right in the centre of the Congo, a place that you can only get too via helicopter, nice spot but we had to basically live on dried monkey and bush rice, this was the place with the RPG stuck in the tree picture you can see in my profile.

Another area I had to deal with the local Militia group the “My My” (not sure how they spell it but that’s what it sounds like) You often have to deal with groups like this in the areas where you work but this was an interesting one, through the interpreter we did the deal and they allowed us to work there, but all through the talking I was drawn to a double strand of something around his neck, in the end I just had to ask, they where testicles he had taken from his enemies. Had some shit here too, again thanks to the UN, The UN came into the town where we had a base and they wanted our base, we told them to F-off so they went to the local Army Captain and paid him to get us out, this guy had been a problem for us before, he was a drunk and often beat and abused the villages, anyhow this “guy” came to us and yes he was drunk and told us to get out, we said no, we have a contact, it was a private home etc etc, guns again, he pulled a pistol out and said he would shoot us all and take the place,, a mate of mine told him to shoot himself first and then us,,, this got him really mad (probably was not the best thing to say) and he started jumping around and shooting in the air, at the end of the day he got to the owner of the house and we moved out,,,,, nice one again UN. I can't say just how many terrible things are done by the UN, not just the total level of incompetence but also by the so called soldiers from African countries they use. In one year there was over 700 rapes allegedly committed by UN peace keepers just in the Congo. By this time my body was getting tired I guess, I had malaria 9 times in a year including cerebral malaria, had a worm get into my head, and to top it all off I got cancer. Was sent out of there for treatment and lost a nut from the cancer, had the radiation and stuff then back to work. There is a funny story there too but I think this is getting too long and no one is going to read it anyway.

Back in Lao and my time working for NGO’s was near a end, to many ex-UN people now running things, effectiveness has gone down, paperwork way up, (had to fill in 13 papers just to buy a tin of paint etc) then I was told I can't hire anyone without a woman’s perspective, I have been hiring teams for over 17 years and suddenly I needed a woman’s perspective, this is not social sciences, this is bomb disposal. All this coming from someone that would not go into the field and only knew about it from Uni, an office and meeting room,,,, great,, Arr, you get the picture, ended up telling them where to go and walked away from a carrier that had seen me work all over the world, doing the smallest to some of the biggest explosive devices, suicide bombers to complex IED’s etc,, Bit sad.

conti:-

[marcus300]

conti:-
marcus300: Explain what happened in Somalia when you got stabbed in the head?
Older lifter: I didn't even know, we were just on the boarder and we pulled up in this small wouldn't say village just a few kind of huts, I was in the back with some mates and (dropping no names here) the guys in the front hopped out, I didn't see what happened at first but I heard the shouting and when we looked out, there were 5 black guys going at it in the dirt with our 2 mates holding on to the rifles of 2 of the attackers and not letting go and the other ones trying to get them off, I guess they didn't see us (we were in the back of a troop carrier and I guess they were after the car), we hoped out and dived in. This all happened very quickly, there was only 2 rifles I guess as I didn't see any others and we were just kind of fighting, the guy I was targeting was very thin but strong and it was quite a hard few seconds, anyhow 2 of them (the ones with the guns, no way was the guys that grabbed them going to let go) we got and the others managed to run off, one of my mates ran over to me and asking if I was ok, still kind of numb in the seconds after and I said yeah, he told me there was a knife sticking out the side of my head, I didn't even see a knife or knew where it had come from, I had no idea how it could of got there at all, it had gone in the side on an angle and basically hit the bone and slid along it under the skin. I have to say this was one time I was happy to have a big head, I mean I really do have a large xxl thick head. The medic looked it over and later I got shipped to a hospital but yet again I was lucky. But did I ever get some ribbing about that one, head jokes came thick and thin for awhile, even now my old mates still play that one.

marcus300: How did lossing a testicle effect you and how was the treatment?
Older lifter: When you hear the word cancer you always get a jolt I think. It all happened pretty quick, I felt one of my nuts feeling a little different, no pain nothing like that, I went to this Dutch doctor in Lumbumbashi and he quickly told me to get it checked and it didn't look good, was flown to South Africa and sure enough it looked bad in the ultrasonic. I opted to go back the OZ for the operation (first time back there for many many years, not sure why, maybe a free trip home) got a business class flight covered by insurance, that was good. Had the operation done back in Brisbane, sure enough it was a bad type, they took away the ball and the gonad, woke up and the doctor told me his wife liked my body (guess she was in the operating room too), that was a laugh as I had lost heaps of weight from everything. I then had to do radiation for a few weeks (don't remember how long), I was booked into this meeting to talk (I thought) to a doctor but it turned out to be a physiatrist. Now anyone that knows me knows that I really don't like the touchy feely shit, she started asking how I was feeling and that it does not mean your losing your manhood and that they could store some of my sperm and shit just in case I get sterile from the radiation. I tried to be polite at first and it was like she kept fishing for more emotion that I didn't have, I started to lose my patience and I guess I insulted her or something,, not a good meeting, I didn't like getting cancer but I had it, losing a nut, so what, I would rather live, and the sperm thing well I had no intension of sporning kids so fine. Lets just get it done and I can get out of here. The radiation was every two days or so and in the last week you did start to feel tired from it, I hated sitting in the waiting room with all the others until it was time for me to go in, but the nurses and guys in that department were really great.

marcus300: From all your experiences over the years what would you say is the most horrific scenes you have come across and how did you deal with them?
Older Lifter: Again this might surprise you. I know some people will want a gory story here but to be honest it’s simply “just what people do to other people and animals” that’s what I find horrific, and I mean physically and mentally. Corruption, lying, cheating, stealing, torture, etc etc, and yet people believe in a god, well in my opinion if there is one we aren't going to any heaven so what’s the point.
How do I deal with it, I have done the usual, bought things that I think will make me happier, they don't, not really. Rely on other people, I have at times but the few good friends (and I mean real friends) are scattered all over. What I have and it’s very simple but really makes a huge difference is I get a real connection when I go surfing, I feel a part and kind of a balance, it makes things much better and I feel very re-energized. I don't mean the local crowed surf spot, I usually go to Bali and get a boat to one of the islands, just a few guys and great beautiful places, I feel the world can still be beautiful and I feel apart of it. (no I’m not a tree-hugger) I think its getting back to something simple and pure that makes all the rest seem a bit better, it’s just you and a force of nature. Make of that what you will but it makes all the difference to me.

marcus300: The stories what you have told about being ambushed and shot are amazing and must of been very scary but have you ever shot anyone who was completely innocent if so what happened?
Older lifter: Of course not. I don't like violence at all, even fights as you never know where they can lead. I will always try and avoid any situation that can get nasty, but because I have worked in places that are often unstable, things happen and at those times like everyone else I do what I have to to get out of it and watch my mates back, I have lost friends for stupid reasons, great guys that I respected very much, gone over some money or the colour of there skin or what religion they are. Just bloody stupid. But I am not naive, those things will always be a major problem.

marcus300: What have been the highest and lowest parts of your life?
Older Lifter: The high parts are easy, I am not the greatest people person as you may pickup and these 2 have always stuck in my mind.
1; One day when I was about 16 and everything was starting to go haywire I took sometime out during a heavy rain to surf Kirra, I was out in the line up alone and the rain was so heavy you could hardly see the sets coming in, when suddenly I was joined by a pod of dolphins’ we surfed for maybe an hour together, I felt such a connection it is hard to put into words.
2; I was on Christmas Island (the one with the red crabs and the coconut crabs) I went to the other side of the island and camped alone on a beach, in the morning there was a huge old green sea turtle stuck in the shallows, she had come in to lay her eggs and been caught by the low tide and could not get back out, I covered her with palm leaves and spent hours splashing her with water to keep her cool, I know this can sound lame but when I first found her she lifted her head and looked right at me and I swear she seemed to know I was going to help, she never tried to move away, I don't know but it was special. Anyhow as the tide came in she felt the time was right and she tried, I watch her get over the last reef and I jumped around cheering like a bloody idiot……lol

Low points
There is a lot I could put here but to be honest I have always just dealt with it, I guess not really having the time to morn the loss of my family kind of set a way of being that has served me well in many bad moments. I hope this does not sound cold as I am not a cold person it is just the way I am, I don't really like sympathy or whiners and find most of it fake.

marcus300: If you could live your life over again, what would you do different?
Older lifter: What a hard question. Been sitting here thinking about this one and I can't say that I would change my life in anyway, as it is my life that has made me the way I am and I feel ok with myself, I have been close to death many times and seen it in many forms and really don't worry about it too much. Sure there are things I wish I had never done but there you go.

marcus300: Which bomb do you fear the most while dismantling?
Older lifter: Easy one, you might expect something real technical but it’s not, the ones I really don't like are old WP ordnance (White phosphorus) even in Lao you still find these things, old and corroded they react to air and often the seals are damaged or rotten but holding as long as there not touched, I have been burned by this stuff and it’s not fun, had many risky times with them. We don't disarm the old ones we destroy in situ if possible or we have a way to move them to a safer place to destroy (pending just what it is). It’s the moving from the ground to a bucket of water that can be an issue at times. Also the Chinese stuff, just real shitty made.

marcus300: Is there anything from your past what effects your life today in an emotionally way?
Older lifter: Everything, everything I have done and everything I have seen has made me, my way of seeing things, responding and my expectations are all a reflection of my life, as with everyone. I feel but I guess many people do that the wool has been pulled from over my eyes and I see things more as they really are, the bullshit is everywhere on that you can believe and I don't want a part of it (unavoidable but I try, I don't vote, I don't give to charities anymore, I don't like guns, don't like violence and I don't expect too much from people).

marcus300: What are some of the things you wished you never did?
Older lifter: “get born” no seriously, Honestly I have to say nothing. I have never stolen, I treat others like I would like to be treated, but will also treat others like they treat me. I have helped and maybe saved many people, I have made mistakes like everyone but at the end I feel like I am a good person. I'm ok just how I am. Sometimes I feel it would have been better to be ignorant on many things but then I don't really know what that would be like, just the truly happiest people I have meet are often the ones with the least.

marcus300: What countries have you visited?
Older lifter: Worked in, Angola, Somalia, Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, S Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Sudan, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Iran (but that was illegal and I only went there for a piss), Sweden. I am sure there are a few more but they all merge together after a time.
Visited; Thailand, Bali (well Indonesia), England, Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy, Cambodia, Russia (when still communist) New Guinea, Fiji guess that’s about it, again maybe more

marcus300: When did you first start lifting weights and have you ever used any anabolic support?
Older lifter: I started to get interested in weights while in the Army and that got stronger when I found out about my back and some doctor told me I would be in a wheel chair by 40 (pfff, what a crook) I figured that strong muscles could only help in this matter and I believe they have. With the work I have had there has been many times when I lost weight and then gained it back again at another time, food was a problem in many places too.
I have done 3 cycles, the first just a test-e and it was “BIG” that helped a stupid me in the best way forward. The other 2 I got help from a guy you don't see on the board much now

marcus300: Where do you see yourself in 5 yrs time?
Older lifter: Either still here or back in Australia, hopefully surfing often and having a bit of peace in my life, hope to have a couple of good friends and kind of stay out of all the fake bull that seems to make up so much of today’s society

marcus300: Which forum members would you most like to meet?
Older lifter: I often just read the responses on the board without saying much, it’s still hard to get to know individuals, Would like to meet “Big” though, I know we will disagree on things but I still think he would be interesting and straight, same with you Marcus but you lost a few points with the “have I shot anyone who is innocent” question…lol. I think BJJ would be very interesting when I feel like having a real debate about something. Igi seems like a nice guy, probably it would be a better question as to who would want to meet me…lol

marcus300: Name 3 things what you couldn't do without in your life?
Older lifter: Lol, I can do without many things, of course health is a big one but if it goes it goes,, umm well surfing as you might have guessed is important, my dog, True friends (i mean true friends) which are very hard to find.

marcus300; 3 wishes, what would you wish for?
Older lifter: Less people, my own island with surf and peace in my life.

marcus300: You have had an interesting life and from the sounds of it, its made you the man you are today. I've really enjoyed reading your life story and your experiences. I would like thank you for re-living those events for us and for being so open and honest, I have nothing but admiration for you.
Older lifter: Thank you, This is the first time i have done something like this, usually only sharing with close friends that i knew at the different times, i hope the members find it interesting and while they may not agree with many of my ideas i do hope they maybe understand just how life and what part you live in it makes your way of thinking and seeing thing.

You also have my respect, while i have never meet you and i am sure that applies to many on the board, and i don't know much about your life (reminds me that you need an interview) you spend your time with these interviews and advice to help others, people you don't know, but share a common interest, understand each other better. My hats off to you Marcus.......


marcus300: Please dont ask any questions on this thread, we will follow this interview up with members questions: please send your questions to me via PM. There are also some photo's in Older lifter's album in his profile what may interest some people, they are well worth a look

[marcus300]

Member questions for Older lifter

Members question: You deal with dangerous explosives up close and personal all the time..can you explain what goes through your head when you approach something capable of killing you?
Older lifter: This is a good question, but one that I have been asked quite a lot and is hard to explain. The approach depends on a number of factors, environment, intel on conflict, known items in the area of conflict, age, booby trapping possibilities, etc etc. You kind of run through this automatically. Where possible you ID the ordnance before approach, there are items that require the removal of all metal items on the body before approach (destructor ((DST’s)) fuses for example) there are other things that you just can’t approach (vibration detecting devices etc) until they become inert (we deal with these in a different way on a case by case basis), then you have the target selective and anti tamper devices. I don’t touch any of these things unless I know all about them in everyway or can work it out. (that can be hard with some of the new stuff that is still considered secret). You also have to beware of there fill, explosive, cluster devices, chemical, DU (depleted Uranium) etc. And booby traps and IED’s require another set of approach procedures. As to what’s going through my mind, you run through all of the above then add in security situation, safety distances and perimeters (all defusing or demolition actions are taken alone (except special circumstances like training or you just need 2 people to do it) with guards at key points around the area stopping anyone getting too close, the distance of this perimeter is determined by what your working on and can be well over a kilometer in some cases and can mean evacuating a whole village etc) You also have to work out if the item should be defused, can it be defused (sometimes there is too much damage) is it armed or not, is it safe to move or not, demolition possibilities (damage for area, structure risk, venting possibilities etc). All this sounds like a lot but actually most of the time you make all this assessment in a few minutes when you know the ordnance.
Feeling wise, in the beginning when I first got into live situations I was nervous, like many i did my time with mines (hate mines) my hands shook on the first few real mines I dealt with. Kind of funny when I think of it, but also natural. I was glad to get away from mines, hated wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) found it really boring and did not like the idea of getting my hands blown off (seen a few guys missing them). I didn’t do them for that long, just kind of an initiation I guess and was soon running the teams and taking care of the bigger stuff. I like the big stuff, no PPE (there’s no point) and if you make a mistake your just not going to know about it, much better. Now I don’t shake anymore, I am careful and planning but it’s just a job, some worse than others but you just deal with it using your experience and knowledge, I still get nervous with tricky things but not in the same way as when I started.
The one thing that I think most would agree with is what we call the “lonely walk’ that is when you have set up a demolition, either one item or a stockpile of tons and the detonator fails. We use electric det’s and there is usually only one (pending again what your doing) you have tested it, tested the cables and the firing device and all is good, but when your at the firing point and hit the button nothing happens, you wait a period and then you do the “lonely walk” a long walk back to a live demolition, remove and disconnect the dud det. Always glad when I get the dud det off, then you redo with a new one and walk back.

Members question:Do you have anymore stories about your life what may be of interest to us?
Older lifter: Lol, I was a little surprised that so many even read my first set of answers, I guess I have quite a lot of things I could talk about, things I have seen and done but I think I would need quite sometime to write them all down and it would be way too long for anyone to read. The interview that Marcus has done has given you an insight into my life, it may not be the normal life to many but I think I gives a good idea of how different things can be and how things make us the way we are.

Members question:What is your idea about a possible evolution of another species in another part of the universe?
Older lifter: I am a simple guy, I try to make my opinions by looking at the basic’s, the thought of the countless number of other planets just being there for us to look at, that the circumstances that allowed life to evolve here only happened here is in my opinion unrealistic. Yes I think there are other planets with life.

Members questions: Do you believe religions were used to dominate the human being?
Older lifter: I believe that religion was created by man as a means to manipulate and control. It is sold by giving us what we all seem to need, that we are special, we’re not the same as all the other animals, we’re different. And if you follow and do what is preached you get a reward when you die or a punishment if you don’t. I have very little time for religion, and I do not think we are special. I believe that, that feeling we have, that feeling that we need to fill is one of out of balance, of not feeling that we belong anymore and in my opinion we don’t belong anymore we have done too much damage.
I just want to be clear on this, Working in many different countries I am always being told to respect the culture and respect the religion of that country. I say “No” I will accept that they have a different culture or religion but I am not going to respect what I don’t agree with and don’t think is right. Trust me I have seen some very strange cultures and religions

Members question: Do you believe in a multi-universe scenario?
Older lifter: No I don’t

Members question: Is your profession paid well and what kind of lifestyle do you have?
Older lifter: It can be well paid (all depends on what level you talk about) I get a lot less than many business people and more than others. You normally get per diem and living/ food is provided so if your smart you can save a lot. Most of the contracts have been 3 months on with 2 weeks off so you do after time lose your old friends, your just not a part of there life anymore and your priorities change. Marriage can be very hard, like I explained in the interview you kind off start living in a life that’s just not the same as everyone else, your away all the time and in an environment that has risks, that can be hard for a wife sitting at home hardly ever seeing you to put up with for long, many of my mates in the field have either divorced or just live separate lives from the partners. You will also give up many interests, you can’t do hobbies when you out in the jungle or desert. And you will probably see some horrible things.
On the good side, you see places that most people will never see, do things that most people will never do, you do have excitement, do some real big bangs (I know that sounds childish but they still give a buzz) meet some real friends, real people that you know will watch your back, that can be hard to find in normal life. And you learn things about yourself and the world that most never learn (that one might not be a good thing…lol).

Members question: Worse injuries you have seen inflicted by a bomb and what have been the luckiest escapes you have seen?
Older Lifter: Not going to get into a lot of gory stories here. I have lost some friends. But if you make a mistake on something big there is nothing left, your just gone. One time in Africa we had teams clearing a track, up to this point we had no idea that the gorilla’s had brought in some booby traps from South Africa, these things were designed to get us, we learned after this incident that they were using 2 anti tank mines stacked on top of each other and then connecting them with this S.A. switch, what it does is pick-up the metal detector that’s used in clearing operations as it passes over the mines and detonates them. The mines went off, we looked for any remains and only found one bit that was recognizable, a bit of toe nail with flesh hanging off it, all up about enough bits to fit in a small shoe box.
Everyone doing this has stories of times when there hearts miss a beat, and like most I have had a few, most would not be understandable unless you knew what I was talking about specifically regarding a technical aspect of something. On time that I can laugh about was in Iraq (please understand that the only thing you can do at times is laugh), many of the locals were doing there own bomb clearing (mainly small stuff, large rounds etc) they weren’t doing it to help, they were breaking open rounds empting out the propellant and taking the cases (later they were doing it to collect the explosive to use in IED’s). Needless to say this is not very smart, anyhow Saddam had moved a lot of his munitions in iso containers and placed them near oil pipelines in an effort to not get them taken out. We had cleared many of these and you never really knew what was going to be inside. We were doing a rekey on some containers, one was facing the other way from the rest, we came around the side and looked straight at this Iraqi, your mind registered what was going on straight away, he was standing there up to his ankles in propellant with HE rounds all over and he was smoking, he saw us, turned dropping his cig and started yelling at the others inside, it kind of went in slow motion, I saw the cig falling, think my eyes must of got the size of plates, I yelled out something and we started running. Even with the other ISO containers between us you could feel the heat, then shit started cooking off, there we were running like hell in a open desert with no cover and shit was whizzing and pinging all around us, we could see the hits on the ground everywhere and I swear I could feel the things as they went past us, I think we must have been some of the quickest runners on the planet at that point. Once it got far enough away we both turned and said the same thing (can’t repeat that here), it kept cooking off for over an hour and the next day we cleared what was left, nothing left of the Iraqi’s.