Stephen Grey - Operation Snakebite

Corporal Ivano Violino, 36 Engineer Regiment, 17 September 2007 (hostile explosion).

Private Thorbjørn O. Reese, The Royal Life Guards (Denmark), 26 September 2007 (hostile fire).

Private Mikkel K. Sørensen, The Royal Life Guards (Denmark), 26 September 2007 (hostile fire).

Major Alexis Roberts, The Royal Gurkha Rifles, 4 October 2007 (IED).

Major Anders J. S. Storrud, The Royal Life Guards (Denmark), 16 October 2007 (hostile fire).

Major Jeffrey R. Calero, 20th Special Forces Group (USA), 29 October 2007 (IED).

Lance-Corporal Jake Alderton, 36 Engineer Regiment, 9 November 2007 (vehicle accident).

Captain John McDermid, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 14 November 2007 (IED).

Private Casper A. Cramer, Guard Hussar Regiment (Denmark), 29 November 2007 (hostile fire).

Private Mark Visholm, Guard Hussar Regiment (Denmark), 29 November 2007 (hostile fire).

Trooper Jack Sadler, The Honourable Artillery Company, 4 December 2007 (mine strike).

Sergeant Lee Johnson, 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, 8 December 2007 (mine strike).

Corporal Tanner O’Leary, 1–508 Parachute Infantry Regiment (USA), 9 December 2007 (IED).

Sergeant David J. Drakulich, 1–508 Parachute Infantry Regiment (USA), 9 January 2008 (mine strike).

Corporal Darryl Gardiner, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, 20 January 2008 (mine strike).

Staff Sergeant Donald T. Tabb, 6th Military Police Detachment (USA), 5 February 2008 (IED).

Corporal Damian S. Lawrence, 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, 17 February 2008 (IED).

Corporal Damian Mulvihill, 40 Commando Royal Marines, 20 February 2008 (IED).

Private Morten K. Jensen, The Royal Life Guards (Denmark), 24 February 2008 (accidental shooting).

Senior Sergeant Sonny K. Jakobsen, Guard Hussar Regiment (Denmark), 17 March 2008 (suicide bomber).

WO2 Milan Sterba, Czech Special Operations Group, 17 March 2008 (suicide bomber).

Captain Christian Damholt, Home Guard (Denmark), 17 March 2008 (suicide bomber).

Private Anders B. Storgaard, The Royal Life Guards (Denmark), 26 March 2008 (hostile fire).

Lieutenant John Thornton, 40 Commando Royal Marines, 30 March 2008 (mine strike).

Marine David Marsh, 40 Commando Royal Marines, 30 March 2008 (mine strike).

Lance-Corporal Christian Raaschou, The Royal Life Guards (Denmark), 31 March 2008 (hostile fire).

In publishing this story, I owe a great debt to the many authors of books and publications on counter-insurgency. I was most influenced by John A. Nagl (principally his book Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife ), Colonel Thomas X. Hammes ( The Sling and the Stone ), Ian Gardiner ( In the Service of the Sultan , on the Oman war), Bernard Fall ( Street without Joy , on Indochina), and articles by David Kilcullen. On Afghanistan, I drew from, among others, James Fergusson’s A Million Bullets , Sarah Chayes’ The Punishment of Virtue , David Loyn’s Butcher & Bolt, and the series of books on the Soviet-Afghan war edited by Lester W. Grau and whom I would like to thank for his additional advice.

In the main, however, this was the result of more than 230 interviews conducted throughout 2008 in the UK, USA, Afghanistan and Pakistan with members of the British and US armies, a variety of officials and diplomats in the British, American, and Afghan governments, as well as many other experts. In order to tell a coherent story, I have been able to mention only a limited number of individuals and incidents, although there are many others that deserve the telling. As I trimmed down what became a vast manuscript there was a painful process of cutting out mention of many people, units and incidents. But I would like to thank all those who spared the time to help me, all of whom made a difference – whether their experiences are recounted here or not – in shattering at least some of my prejudices and helping to educate this account of some of the complexities of this war. It has been an honour to meet all of you choosing to serve your country in such a harsh environment. Due to the sensitivities of their position, I cannot name many of those in the various corridors of power who assisted me, but, while the mistakes remain my own, I would like to particularly thank the following for their time:

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff, and from the British Army general staff: Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt, Gen. Sir David Richards, Lt. Gen. Sir Nick Houghton, Lt. Gen. Peter Wall and Maj. Gen. Paul Newton.

From 52 Infantry Brigade staff: Brig. Andrew Mackay, Col. Stuart Skeates, Col. Neil Hutton (16 Air Assault), Lt. Col. Simon Millar, Lt. Col. Richard Wardlaw, Maj. Mark Gidlow-Jackson, Maj. Nick Haston, Maj. Geoff Minton, Sqn Ldr Simon Tatters, Maj. Sarah Henderson-Lea, Maj. Dai Bevan, Maj. Mark Haywood RLC, Maj. Jo McCord, Padre Neil Allison, Maj. John Cook, Maj. Andrea Magowan, Capt. Stuart Beattie, Capt. (Tfc) Clint Barker, Capt. Jim Reid, Flt. Lt. Rob Quaife, Capt. Mark Davis, Capt. Rob Hedderwick, Capt. Lenny Gill, Capt. Gavin Darke, WO1 Tim Bellis, Sgt. Graeme Scott, Cpl. Stacey Adamson.

From 40 Commando and others in the Royal Marines: Lt. Col. Stuart Birrell, Maj. Dan Cheesman, Maj. Alex Murray, Maj Duncan Manning, Maj. Steve Hart, Maj. Tony Chattin, Maj. Neil Wraith, Maj. Adrian Morley, Maj. Jez Stemp, Capt. Mark Elliott, Capt. Ian Preece PWRR, Capt. Sim Jemmett, Capt. Iain Sutherland, Capt. James Glancy, Capt. Dan Venables, Capt. Ben Baldwinson, Lt. Paul Newall RN, 2nd Lt. Jonathan Lasker, 2nd Lt. Rich Hughes, 2nd Lt. Ed Middleton, WO1 Neil Warrington, WO2 (CSM) Andy Brownrigg, Sgt. Pete Leahy, Sgt. Dave Young, Sgt. James Liepa, Sgt. Jim Wright, Sgt. Trevor Bennett, Cpl. Jon Kersey, Cpl. Danny Spencer, Cpl. Wayne Jones, Cpl. Ian Hulling, Cpl. Nick Martin Jones, Cpl. Gaz Ahearn, Cpl. Mark Mounfield, Cpl. David Flett, Cpl. Ali Inglis, Cpl. Nick Bushby, Cpl. Simon Greening, Cpl. James Fletcher, Cpl. Chris Harding, Cpl. Gordon McCrae, Cpl. George Alford, Cpl. Adam Lesley, LCpl. Dave Andrews, LCpl. Matt Croucher, LCpl. Phil Barber, LCpl. Nick Atkinson, LCpl. Paul Cook, LCpl. Guy Conti, LCpl. Matt Kingston, LCpl. Gareth Patterson, LCpl. Simon Stroud, Mne Mkhuseli Jones, Mne Kieron Yeoman, Mne Tom Elliott, Mne O’Dell, Mne Gary Ogden, Mne Doug Badcock, Mne Matthew Fenwick, Mne Josh Riches, Mne Mark White, and Capt. Andy Terrell USMC.

From the Right Flank, 1st Battalion Scots Guards: Maj. Chris Bell and Capt. Matthew Jamieson.

From the Household Cavalry Regiment: Col. Edward Smyth-Osbourne LG, Capt. Tom Armitage LG, Maj. Paul Bedford RHG/D, and his squadron, including Capt. Lorian McCallum RHG/D, CoH Victor Stevenson LG, Cpl. Maj. Jason Lochrane RHG/D, Tpr. Gautan Tamang RHG/D, Tpr. Jesse Morris RHG/D and Tpr. Mark Hall RHG/D, who met me on a difficult day.

From 4 Royal Artillery: Lt. Col. Greg Cole, Maj. Paddy Sher-rard, Maj. Andy Dimmock, Capt. Ben Baldwinson, Capt. Chris O’Halloran, Capt. Kirstie Main, Capt. James Manchip, Capt. Paul Britton, Capt. David Ferguson, Capt. Stuart Deakin, WO2 James Fraser, WO2 Digger Barnes, SSgt. John Knight, Sgt. Dean Barnes, Sgt. David Baxter, Sgt. Scott Henshaw, Sgt. David Powell, Sgt. Mark Wilde, Sgt. David Elstob, Bdr. Sheldon MacAulay, Bdr. Simon Snape, Sgt. Craig Douglas, LBdr. Adam Lusby, Gnr. Burton Valentine, Gnr. Michael Barnard.

From the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards: Lt. Col. George Waters, Maj. Guy Bartle-Jones, Maj. Jon Brinn, Maj. Tom Charles, Maj. Wayne Hennessy-Barnet, Maj. James Colby, Capt. Tom Radcliffe, Capt. Rob Sugden, Capt. Dominic Clive, Capt. Jamie Russell, Capt. Tom Bailey, Lt. Dan McMahon, Lt. Storm Green, WO 2(CSM) Michael Murphy, CSgt. Dean Markham, Sgt. Tony Bolton, Sgt. Alan Hanger, Cpl. James Southall, LCpl. Ozzy Read, Gdsm. Paul Dunn, Gdsm. Nathan Whybrow.