Blood Clot: In Combat with the Patrols Platoon, 3 Para, Afghanistan 2006

Description

"The story of 3 Para's 2006 Afghan operations has already, and rightly, passed into British military legend. Rendered in the raw language of a true fighting man... this is a tale of true British grit, and epic endurance, and it is most definitely the real thing." - Damien Lewis, bestselling author of Apache Dawn "For anybody wishing to get inside the head of an airborne soldier in order to better understand what motivates him, excites him, frightens him and keeps him going when others have given up, Blood Clot is an important book."- Lloyd Clark, RMA Sandhurst and author of Arnhem: Jumping the Rhine 1944 and 1945 REVISED AND UPDATED WITH AN ADDITIONAL NEW CHAPTER When the 3 Para battle group departed for Helmand Province, south Afghanistan, little was known of what awaited them on the battlefields of the Afghan desert. The reaction of British government and media was one of shock but for the men on the ground, the reality was far more grave. Within a month of landing on foreign soil, the first of many skirmishes between the Taliban and British forces began. As weeks went on, the fighting increased. Resources were low and man power insufficient; for the Paras, it was back to basics, living in holes in the ground in 60 degree temperatures. It looked as if it was going to be a rough and gritty six-month deployment... The 3 Para battle group stand as testament to the bravery, determination and sense of duty upheld in British soldiers worldwide. This is their story- the very beginning of the Afghan troubles in the south, the build up and lack of support and equipment in the initial stages, the close and dangerous fighting, the boredom of the open desert and the uncontrollable sadness of friends killed and injured around them.

Jake Scott was born in Sunderland in 1981. After dodging most of his school days his interests - apart from running into trouble - were minimal. He became a member of the Air Cadets, which showed him different way of life and he soon became a crack shot and strong hillwalker. Jake wanted something challenging in his life, a challenge he wasn't finding in Sunderland. Aged 17, he left the local brewery and packed his bags to join the army. Challenge was what Jake got when he enlisted in the elite Parachute Regiment - the Paras. After passing the most intense physical and mentally demanding course in the British army, Jake became part of the official 'blood clot' and served in operations around the world including the 2003 Iraqi invasion. Jake progressed through the years, attending many courses, mostly with distinction. Always trying to better himself he finally moved into a reconnaissance role, operating in small teams behind enemy lines known as 'the Patrols'. Jake got his chance to prove his abilities in some the most ferocious fighting since the Korean War when he found himself commanding a team of six men and two fighting vehicles deep in Taliban territory, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, during the summer of 2006. After a series of eye-opening experiences, recounted in this book, the Patrols platoon eventually ended their tour of duty in Afghanistan. Jake has now moved on from the military but not from danger - he finds himself in the Middle East yet again, this time as a Close Protection Officer. His job is now to protect his clients and his friends rather than taking the fight to the enemy, as he did in Afghanistan in 2006.