Roger D. Carstens

During his time with the Army, Carstens earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Special Forces. Carstens served in six different wars: United States invasion of Panama, Kosovo War,[10] Bosnian War, War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), Iraq War, and Somali Civil War,[11] and thirteen different military locations.[12]

During the 1990s, Carstens trained for years to conduct rescue operations as a special forces officer.[2] Carstens served as Company Commander of the Special Forces Qualification Course at the U.S. Army's Special Forces School.[13]

He also acted as an advisor to the Iraqi National Counter Terror Force and a senior civilian advisor to the International Security Assistance Force. After completing a tour in Iraq, he served as a legislative liaison for the United States Secretary of Defense.[14]

Daniel Pinéu, a professor at Amsterdam University College, wrote that Carstens is the embodiment of the phrase "an officer and a gentleman."[15]

In 2003, Carstens was selected as a finalist for the White House Fellows program.[16]

After leaving the military, Carstens was a Senior Fellow for the Center for a New American Security. He has also worked as a fellow for the New America Foundation.[17]

Carstens served as Senior Civilian Advisor on the Commander's Advisory and Assistance Team (CAAT) in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2011. He advised on counterinsurgency. General David Petraeus praised Carstens for his work with CAAT.[18]

Carstens helped train local Somali National Army and African Union Mission to Somalia security forces in Somalia through his work with Bancroft Global Development.[19] He has also worked for an NGO that delivered humanitarian aid from Jordan into southern Syria.[20]

Carstens previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. In 2019, Carstens condemned the human rights crisis occurring in Nicaragua.[21] He also advocated, among other things, to protect the human rights of women in Syria in the midst of the Syrian civil war.[22]

In 2020, President Donald Trump appointed Carstens as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.[23] He has prioritized building infrastructure in the hostage recovery process.[20]

Jason Rezaian, a journalist and former wrongful detainee in Iran, wrote an op-ed asking President Biden to keep Carstens in his position.[20] Carstens was one of the few political appointees that President Joe Biden elected to keep in place.[2][24]

Family members of Americans held hostage told Yahoo! News that Carstens has been a "relentless advocate" for hostages and their families.[2] In a 2021 report by the James Foley (journalist) Foundation, family members praised Carstens's dedication: "Ambassador Carstens made himself available to us saying if we need anything that we could call or email him at any time. There have been times where we’ve had to call and ask for help. It's much better… [we] feel like he's really there for the families.”[25]

Carstens supported President Biden's executive order that seeks to help American's unlawfully detained abroad and prevent such wrongful detentions.[24] He told NPR "I think overall the sanction tool is going to offer a chance to deter people in the long term when they see it being used. But whether it's going to specifically be the spring that gets Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan free - that is yet to be seen."[26]

In 2022, Carstens negotiated the release of Mark Frerichs as a part of a prisoner exchange for Bashir Noorzai.[27]

Carstens has engaged in indirect conversations with Iranian officials to secure the release of Americans being held by the Iranian government.[28]

In 2021, Carstens assisted in the release of American journalist Danny Fenster along with former Governor Bill Richardson. Carstens appeared on 60 Minutes to discuss his involvement in the case.[29][27]

Carstens assisted in the 2020 Nigeria hostage rescue mission of Philip Walton.[2] Walton had been kidnapped from his home in Southern Niger by armed group and taken to Nigeria.[30]

In April 2022, Carstens negotiated the release of Trevor Reed as part of a prisoner exchange for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot convicted of drug smuggling.[31] President Biden praised Carstens for his work to secure the release of Reed.[32] He has worked to secure the release of Paul Whelan (security director) and Brittney Griner.[33]

Carstens travelled to Syria during the Presidency of Donald Trump to try to negotiate for the release of Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz.[2][33] The Syrian government continues to deny holding Tice.[34]

Carstens has helped negotiate the release of nine Americans from Venezuela during his time as the head of hostage affairs. In March 2022, he negotiated the release of Gustavo Cárdenas, a member of the Citgo Six and also American Jorge Alberto Fernández.[35] In October 2022, Carstens negotiated a prisoner exchange that resulted in the release of seven Americans, including the remaining five of the Citgo Six, Matthew John Heath, and Osman Khan.[36]

Carstens appeared in "The Project," a documentary film that documents Carstens works a contracted military advisor[37] to support the Somali people in their efforts to combat the rise of piracy off the coast of Somalia.[38] Carstens was featured in NBC's "The Wanted," as an expert in counterterrorism.[39][40]