Paul Grahame - Fire Strike 7/9

It was Private Graham, the lad who’d been airlifted out of the Green Zone with four bullets in his guts. I couldn’t believe it. They’d done a fantastic job of patching him up. He didn’t seen to have anything much wrong with him. An older bloke came over, and stood on young Davey Graham’s shoulder.

‘I know who you are,’ the guy said to me. ‘I’m Davey’s father, and you’re Bommer. You saved my son’s life. Anything I can do for you, anything — just name it.’

‘Tell you what,’ I said, ‘buy me an ale.’

‘You what?’ said the dad.

‘Buy me a lager-top and we’re quits.’

‘A beer?’ queried the dad.

We were all filling up by now. ‘Aye,’ I said. ‘An ale would be gleaming.’

Sergeant Grahame’s Fire Support Team (FST) during the siege of Alpha Xray was call sign Opal Five Eight . It consisted of himself, plus four other individuals. The concept behind the FST is that it forms a distinct unit attached to a battle group to direct airstrikes and supporting fire from artillery and mortar teams during intense combat.

Sergeant Grahame had the following air assets at his disposal in Afghanistan:

• A-10 tank-buster ground attack aircraft — call sign Hog

• F-15 fighter jets — call sign Dude

• Apache attack helicopters — call signs Ugly and Arrow

• French Mirage fighter jets — call signs Mamba and Rage

• Dutch Air Force F-16 fighter jets — call sign Rammit

• B-1B supersonic heavy bombers — call sign Bone

• Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) — call sign Overlord

• Harrier attack jets — call sign Recoil

• Lynx attack helicopters — call sign Veda

• F-18 fighter jets — call signs City Desk, Wicked, Devo, Voodoo and Uproar

• Chinook transport helicopters — call sign Morphine

• Classified US air assets — call sign Spooky and Dragon

One 2 MERCIAN soldier would be awarded the CGC for his actions at Rahim Kalay in attempting to rescue Corporal Paul ‘Sandy’ Sandford. For the entirety of 2 MERCIAN’s tour covered in this book, the lads rightfully earned a caseload of medals. The list of decorations includes:

The OC for the majority of B Company’s tour, Major Simon Butt, received nothing. In light of the ferocity of the fighting that B Company experienced over their tour, their honours are far from overstated.

Sergeant Grahame has been a Forward Air Controller with B Company, 2 MERCIAN Battle Group. His performance throughout has been tremendous. Operating in the Green Zone (GZ), the irrigated narrow band of fertile ground between the desert and the Helmand River, Grahame supported the most intense battles seen during the deployment.

B Company supported a battle group deliberate attack into the GZ: the environment is exceptionally complex with deadly engagements taking place at very short ranges. The company advanced against a very large number of resilient and deadly enemy fighters who, rather than just attempting to delay, counter-attacked the company in ever larger numbers as the operation moved into its fourth and fifth days. Grahame moved wherever the threat was greatest. Oblivious to danger, Grahame facilitated Close Air Support (CAS) and indirect fires, and in just five days controlled 160 air missions dropping multiple ordnance types on to an enemy in very intense and confused situations. Grahame worked tirelessly, often maintaining control of complex assets without sleep and in the most testing conditions. More than once Grahame maintained control, synchronised support and designated targets while under direct and indirect fire. In one instance, the company’s tactical headquarters were caught in an enemy attack. Small arms buzzed through the air and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) exploded hot shrapnel across the killing zone. Grahame, standing alone above the protection of armoured vehicles while other soldiers took cover, coolly and skilfully called for fires and swiftly adjusted to hit the enemy. Grahame’s actions saved the day and allowed the headquarters to move out of the killing zone without incurring casualties.

On 30 July Grahame directed a Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for several hours, positively identifying a group of thirteen enemy fighters. To maximise effect, Grahame gave timely and accurate information that enabled a coordinated joint fires attack. He initiated the attack firing a Hellfire missile from the Predator — the first JTAC-directed Hellfire firing from a Predator. The effect on the enemy was immediate and substantial: seven were killed instantly, and the subsequent coordinated fires accounted for another three.

Without Grahame’s courage, professionalism and diligence, B Company operations would have been significantly more difficult. During at least five platoon and company operations, Grahame’s coordination of air assets enabled dismounted infantry, who were decisively engaged and pinned down, to extract without loss of life. Twice, Grahame facilitated the most dangerous air support imaginable: danger-close engagements at night. This level of competence and confidence is remarkable and no other JTAC in the Battle Group has come close. Grahame’s advice was keenly sought and the soldiers of B Company and 2 MERCIAN regard Grahame as a talismanic figure conjuring the impossible from apparently hopeless situations. Grahame is an inspirational non-commissioned officer. His devotion to duty is remarkable. His actions saved the lives of British soldiers and deserve public recognition.

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Published in 2010 by Ebury Press, an imprint of Ebury Publishing A Random House Group company

Copyright © Damien Lewis and Paul Grahame

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