Royal Engineer divers assist search for fallen US comrades in Afghanistan

The British soldiers, who are all currently deployed on Op HERRICK 11 with 28 Engineer Regiment as part of 11 Light Brigade, were assembled at short notice after it was reported that two US soldiers had drowned whilst attempting to cross a treacherous stretch of the Murghab River.

The soldiers were American paratroopers Army Specialist Benjamin Sherman and Sergeant Brandon Islip from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

They were attached to the 2nd Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, to advise and train Afghan National Security Forces.

While conducting an airdrop resupply mission on 4 November in Badghis province the two soldiers were tragically swept away by a fast-moving current in a nearby river.

The British dive team assigned to recover the bodies consisted of six Royal Engineer divers and one signaller who all flew from Camp Bastion in Helmand province to the US patrol base near to where the soldiers were last seen in the water.

As soon as they arrived at the US camp, the team, headed up by Warrant Officer Class 2 (Squadron Sergeant Major) Stuart Lee and Captain Rob Duke, were briefed on the task in hand by the Commanding Officer of the US Airborne unit, Lieutenant Colonel Huff.

The divers began searching from the point where the soldiers were last seen and very quickly became aware that the river was deeper and the current was a lot faster than first thought.

The river reached depths of seven metres and the current moved at speeds of up to nine knots (16.6km/h). Visibility in the water was less than one foot (30cm) which, coupled with an uneven rock bed with countless snag hazards, made for a severe test of their diving skills.

One of the dive team, Lance Corporal Alex Bendle, said:

"I was apprehensive but glad to finally be involved in an operational dive task but it's unfortunate that the task was of such a gruesome nature.

"My day-to-day job is ensuring that our dive equipment is maintained properly so I made sure that everything was double checked before we went into the water."

After hours of searching on the first day, the first body was located, recovered from the water, and brought back to the US camp.

Capt Rob Duke admitted that the river posed a real challenge:

"The speed of the current and the depth of the water would have challenged even the most experienced diver. It was tough going but there was a job to be done so, of course, you just carry on.

"I eventually found one of the soldiers. Although it was a strange feeling, it was also rewarding to achieve the objective and to find the body. There is regret that he couldn't be recovered alive but at the same time relief that his body can be returned home."

Claims made by the Taliban that they had the bodies of the two soldiers were very quickly disproved.

One of the dive supervisors that led the task, Squadron Sergeant Major Stuart Pearson, said:

"The soldier was repatriated that night on the back of a Black Hawk helicopter. We attended the ceremony along with over 100 of the fallen soldier's friends and comrades who watched their mate begin his final journey out of Afghanistan.

"His coffin was draped in the stars and stripes of the US flag. It was really very moving and we felt privileged and humbled that we could assist in bringing closure for the family."

The team dived for a further six days but were unable to retrieve the second body. They called in the assistance of two sniffer dogs, both of whom set to work moving up and down the river banks around the area where the body was thought to be.

WO2 Lee is an Army Diving Supervisor with 15 years' diving experience. He said:

"We spent days searching sections of the river in case the body had been washed downstream. Between us all, we have been doing this for a number of years and our assessment was that the second body lay trapped in the rapids.

"We were reassured when the sniffer dog continued to pay particular attention to a spot near the fast-flowing rapids. The dog's presence was invaluable."

Once it was confirmed that the body was in the rapids, plans to recover it were set in motion.

Regimental Diving Supervisor, Sergeant Paddy Kearney, was involved in the planning and execution of the dive operation. He recognised the inherent dangers of recovering the fallen soldier from the rapids.

He said:

"The search up to this point thoroughly tested our skills. Even the most experienced amongst us found it extremely difficult diving in these conditions.

"However, it became clear that our team did everything we could have done. We wouldn't have been able to retrieve the body without specialist equipment so it was decided that a specialist team of US naval divers from the USS Nimitz would continue the search."

The US and British divers were visited by the Commander of International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, who expressed his gratitude to the British divers for assisting in the operation. The commander was briefed at the waterside by WO2 Lee and Capt Rob Duke.

General McChrystal later presented commendation coins to all the divers as a memento and a token of his gratitude.

Lance Corporal Greg Watson said:

"We worked very well with the Americans. It was a professional operation and it means a lot to me personally that the team effort was recognised by someone as high-up as General McChrystal."

Sapper Matthew Milner was similarly happy with the General's visit and spoke highly of the American soldiers involved in the operation. He said:

"I was deployed with the dive team as the radio operator and my job was to maintain communications with the operations room to make sure they knew what was going on.

"Although I wasn't in the water, as far as the divers were concerned I was part of the dive team. It was great working with them and the Americans and to have the recognition of someone as important as General McChrystal."

American Colonel Brian M Drinkwine, Commander of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, said:

"One of the driving factors of our warrior ethos is to never leave a fallen comrade behind.

"We can only hope that the families will receive some peace from knowing that their loved ones have been recovered."

The six divers have now returned to Helmand and continue with their day-to-day role, proud that they have played a large part in reuniting a fallen comrade, who paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country, with his family.

28 Engineer Regiment, usually based in Hameln, Germany, form the Joint Force Engineer Group of 11 Light Brigade and provide engineering support in the form of combat support through to construction tasks throughout Helmand province as part of a six-month deployment.

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