How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from The Hurt Locker.
Quote #1
THOMPSON: Twenty-five.
SANBORN: Twenty-five meters, roger that. You are now in the kill zone.
THOMPSON: Thanks for reminding me.
SANBORN: That's what I'm here for, baby.
Thompson's sarcastic "thanks for reminding me" suggests that he might be at least a wee bit scared about his proximity to the bomb, despite his attempts to keep things light. Maybe that's the big difference between him and Will: he seems to have a healthy respect for the power of the bomb. And yet he's the one who gets killed.
Quote #2
ELDRIDGE: Aren't you glad the Army has all these tanks parked here? Just in case the Russians come and we have to have a big tank battle.
SANBORN: I'd rather be on the side with the tanks, just in case, than not have them.
ELDRIDGE: Yeah, but they don't do anything. I mean, anyone comes alongside a Humvee, we're dead. Anybody even looks at you funny, we're dead. Pretty much the bottom line is if you're in Iraq, you're dead. How's a f***ing tank supposed to stop that?
SANBORN: Will you shut the f*** up, Owen, please?
ELDRIDGE: Sorry. Just trying to scare the new guy.
Eldridge is the most fearful member of the EOD team by far. Here, he seems to be making light of the dangers they encounter (at least somewhat) by talking about the overall absurdity of how the military does things. But don't be fooled: he's really, really afraid. He claims he's trying to "scare the new guy," but once we know more about Eldridge and his anxieties, we realize this moment is definitely about him working through his fears.
Quote #3
WILL: This box is full of stuff that almost killed me.
ELDRIDGE: And what about this one? Where's this one from, Will?
WILL: It's my wedding ring. Like I said, stuff that almost killed me. You know, I just think it's really interesting, you know, to hold something in your hand that could have killed any one of us.
Some people like to avoid the stuff that could scare them (or at least banish such objects from their bedrooms), but not Will. Instead, he collects the remains of those things. Seems to be kind of a power thing, right? Not only has he taken away the bomb's power, but also he gets to keep and own a little piece of it.