By Peter McGlone
A ROYAL Marine who lost his right leg in an explosion has named his company after the Taliban device that nearly killed him.
Paul Barrett was left with appalling injuries during a tour in Afghanistan after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off. Similar devices have caused thousands of soldiers to be maimed or killed during the conflict.
As Mr Barrett fought for his life, colleague Ian Clark was by his side and the pair’s deep bond was strengthened further.
Their friendship has endured in civilian life and now the two men have formed IED Training, a company advising organisations on trauma stress management. The initials stand for the firm’s motto “Inspire Education Develop”.
Mr Barrett, 43, was one of the elite mountain leaders of the Royal Marines for 21 years. While serving with 45 Commando in 2008, the soldier was on foot patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province when he kneeled on the device.
The former colour sergeant said: “The two closest young lads to me were my mortar-man and another young marine.
“Luckily for me they were the ones that during training in Scotland had asked me for further tuition in first-aid.
“I sent them to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee a week about to serve in the trauma unit. They were able to stop some of the bleeding at the scene of the blast.”
Mr Barrett was left with life-changing injuries – he lost a leg below the knee, part of an arm, several fingers on both hands, and suffered crush and burn wounds.
He was carried from the battlefield on an improvised stretcher and then taken to a base with rudimentary care facilities, where medics fought to keep him alive before he was flown to Camp Bastion by helicopter.
While he was being evacuated close friend and comrade, Mr Clark, 46, was working in the operations hub.
The Royal Marines communications specialist recalled: “I was sitting when one of the team came up to me. His face was white. He told me Paul had been hit.
“I was then taken down by helicopter to Camp Bastion to see him. They always want someone close to the injured lad to be with them if possible. I stood outside the operating theatre with the padre when one of the surgeons came out covered in sweat and told us that Paul was still fighting.
“Later on that night the padre and I were called in. We never thought he was going to make it, there were tubes everywhere.
“We already had nine dead that tour and 11 amputees. The padre read him his last rites “It was a tough, tough time but it binds you together.”
Mr Barrett has since been told he died twice after the incident. The first was on the operating table in Camp Bastion and once on the plane taking him home Mr Barrett explained: “We wanted a name that would make a statement. We felt we had earned the T-shirt. IED used to stand for Improvised Explosive Device. Now it the ethos of our company – Inspire Education Develop.”
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