Former Navy SEAL sniper and bestselling author Jack Carr revealed in a gripping new interview how a split-second decision saved his life during intense combat operations in Najaf, Iraq, in August 2004, when a mortar round landed exactly where he and his team had been standing moments before.
Carr, who penned “The Terminal List” and its subsequent sequels, described the harrowing incident during a wide-ranging discussion about his military career, the evolution of modern warfare, and his journey from elite special operator to acclaimed thriller novelist.
“We jumped into this courtyard and I think it was like four of us, maybe five of us,” Carr recalled. “We’re looking at each other like, ‘Can you believe that we’re in this thing right now? This is crazy.’
And like, ‘Well, where do we go?’ Because it was just chaos everywhere.”
The author explained that urban combat in Najaf created a disorienting environment where echoes made it nearly impossible to distinguish friendly fire from enemy positions. Mortars, RPGs, and the constant roar of tanks and aircraft created a cacophony that added to the confusion.
“We ran to this wall and we jumped over the side,” Carr continued. “And when the last guy’s feet hit the ground, a mortar landed exactly where we’d been standing in that courtyard not seconds earlier.”
The near-miss left a profound impression on the young sniper, who reflected on how the smallest delay could have proven catastrophic for his entire team.
“If we had been delayed by just a few seconds for some reason, like someone saying, ‘Oh, I forgot to grab my water,’ we could have all been standing there and it would have been a direct hit with an enemy mortar,” Carr said. “That was pretty wild.”
The Najaf deployment marked the first time Carr’s sniper team operated in direct support of a larger conventional unit, working alongside the 27th Cavalry Regiment during an 11-day campaign to retake the city from Jaish al-Mahdi militia forces.
“It was like those World War II movies I’d seen with my dad where everything’s just rubble everywhere,” Carr described. “You have Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles and different aircraft from all the different services coming in, and you’re controlling those aircraft and pushing the militia back toward the Imam Ali Mosque in old town Najaf.”
Unlike typical special operations missions that involved building target packages and conducting nighttime raids, the Najaf operation represented sustained combat without the ability to return to base for rest.
“This was day in, day out, no going back to base to rest,” Carr said. “It was just full-on combat for 11 days. And it was hot there for those who were there in Najaf in the summer of 2004.”
Carr’s path to becoming a Navy SEAL began at age seven when he discovered the elite fighting force through a black-and-white film called “The Frogmen.” His interest was deepened by family history—his grandfather was a Marine Corps pilot killed in May 1945 when the USS Bunker Hill was struck by two kamikaze aircraft during World War II.
“My grandfather was killed in World War II, so I grew up knowing that and having pictures of him in his squadron,” Carr explained. “I had his medals, I had his wings.”
The author described how popular culture served as a connection to his grandfather’s generation, particularly through television shows like “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and the countless World War II films he watched with his father.
“Through television, through film, all these World War II movies, I think that was my dad’s connection, that was my connection to that generation,” Carr said.
After extensive research at his local library—where his mother worked as a librarian—Carr determined that Navy SEALs represented the pinnacle of special operations capability. He spent his formative years devouring books on military history, special operations, terrorism, and counterinsurgency.
“I realized that the wars of the future, my generation’s fight, would have something to do with terrorism,” Carr said, referencing events like the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, and the 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking.
The future author also credited his extensive reading of thriller novels by authors like Tom Clancy, Nelson DeMille, and David Morrell with teaching him the art of storytelling—lessons he absorbed during his formative years without the distractions of modern technology.
“What you do between age 8 and 18 or 10 and 20 imprints on you differently,” Carr noted. “I feel extremely fortunate that my parents encouraged reading.”
When Carr entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, his extensive reading helped him put the grueling experience into perspective. During Hell Week, when approximately 80 percent of candidates quit, Carr drew upon historical knowledge to maintain his resolve.
“I’m not storming a beach at Normandy right now. I’m not going over the beach at Iwo Jima right now,” Carr remembered thinking. “I’m on a beach in Southern California, and all those things that those guys sacrificed so that I could follow whatever my dream was.”
Carr deliberately chose to enlist rather than pursue a commission because he wanted to become a sniper—a role typically unavailable to officers. He served six and a half years enlisted before attending Officer Candidate School, a decision influenced by his desire to lead more effectively rather than complain about leadership he felt could be improved.
“I did not want to be that guy that I had seen in every single Vietnam film where he shows up a brand new officer and then immediately leads his men right into an ambush,” Carr said.
His deployments took him across the globe—from Okinawa and South Korea for presence operations, to Uzbekistan for specialized training, to Kuwait for ship boarding operations following the September 11 attacks, and eventually to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Carr described the surreal experience of watching the Twin Towers fall on television from a barracks in Guam, where his unit had deployed just two weeks before the attacks.
“The phones start ringing up and down the hallways because we had phones, no cell phones yet,” Carr recalled. “We went downstairs to where we had a big TV in the basement and watched the Twin Towers fall on television.”
Following his combat deployments, Carr was attached to a CIA covert action unit in Baghdad, where his responsibilities included battlefield deconfliction and tactical communications—coordinating with conventional military units to prevent friendly fire incidents and ensure smooth operations.
“I would go to those different battle space owners and set up QRFs, quick reaction forces,” Carr explained. “I would let them know, ‘Hey, we’re going to be coming through tonight around midnight.'”
The experience proved formative for his writing career, forming the basis for many of his novels. Carr also developed lasting friendships with Iraqi personnel who worked alongside American forces—connections he would unexpectedly renew years later at a book signing in Florida.
“These guys came up and then I recognized them,” Carr said emotionally. “They were two Iraqis that I worked with when I was at the agency. It was hugs and tears and all this stuff was super emotional.
It was really cool to see those guys who are now US citizens.”
Carr’s transition from military service to writing began with a promise he made to himself in sixth grade after reading Richard Connell’s short story “Most Dangerous Game.” That promise culminated in his third novel, “Savage Son,” which pays tribute to the classic tale.
However, Carr recognized that his characters needed proper introduction before exploring the dark themes of hunter and hunted. This realization led to “The Terminal List,” which became the foundation of his literary universe.
“I wanted to start with ‘Savage Son’ because of that sixth grade promise,” Carr said. “But I realized that the characters weren’t developed enough yet to explore the theme of that book.”
The author explained that he deliberately avoided writing during his active military service, not wanting anything to detract from his focus on being the best operator and leader possible. It was only during his final year, serving as operations officer at BUD/S, that he began developing ideas for his future career.
Carr also addressed the challenges many combat veterans face when transitioning to civilian life, noting that he observed colleagues struggling to move beyond their military identities.
“They built this amazing foundation in the SEAL Teams, but it was still a little bit wet,” Carr analogized. “That cement was a little bit wet, and their feet were in it, and then they had a hard time building on it because their feet were stuck in this foundation.”
To avoid a similar fate, Carr and his family relocated to Park City, Utah, deliberately making what he called a “clean break” from the SEAL-centric community of Coronado, California.
“That was one chapter in life. It’s wonderful. And now it’s time to turn that page and move forward,” Carr said.
Reflecting on his 20-year military career, Carr identified his greatest source of pride as maintaining focus on the people he served with rather than pursuing rank or position.
“For me, it was all about the guys,” Carr emphasized. “If they knew that you were really truly there for them and not looking for the next rank or the next position, they can tell 100 percent.”
The author stressed the importance of building trust both up and down the chain of command, viewing every interaction as an opportunity to strengthen those bonds.
“Trust was the most important takeaway from my time in uniform,” Carr said. “Taking every single interaction as an opportunity to build that trust, whether you’re passing somebody in the hallway or you’re going out to run the obstacle course.”
Carr’s writing career has flourished since leaving the military, with “The Terminal List” adapted into a successful television series starring Chris Pratt. His novels continue to draw upon his extensive combat experience and deep understanding of special operations.
The author remains committed to constant improvement, applying lessons learned in the SEAL Teams to his current profession.
“My goal today is to be a better author today than I was yesterday,” Carr said. “I want my next book to be better than this book. It’s always about constant improvement.”
Carr’s journey from a seven-year-old boy inspired by a black-and-white film to a decorated Navy SEAL sniper and bestselling author represents a remarkable arc of service, sacrifice, and storytelling—one that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.