Afghanistan veteran Alex Harrison shared his story of being shot at close range during a Taliban ambush, surviving against the odds, and finding a new purpose after leaving the British Army.
Alex always dreamed of a military career. He walked into the recruiting office at fifteen and a half and said “‘I want to join the Grenadiers.”
“Luckily, there was a Grenadiers recruitment sergeant in there, and by the time I turned 16, I was off to Harrogate for training.”
Training was tough, but Alex relished the challenge. His first Afghan tour in 2007 quickly became what he described as “proper soldiering.”
“It was daily firefights with the enemy,” he said. “We took our first casualty three days into the tour. That was a big shock.”
It was only 3 years after his training that he was injured, bringing an abrupt end to the military career he had dreamed of since childhood.
On May 5, 2007, Alex and his platoon were sent on a “clear and deny” operation in Kajaki to search for Taliban tunnel systems.
“It was early, the sun was just coming up, and there wasn’t a sound,” he recalled. “That was our first combat indicator.”
“As our section moved to clear a compound, we discovered a tunnel. Something in my gut just told me, do not take your eyes or rifle off that hole. There’s someone in there.”
Moments later, a Taliban ambush was triggered. Alex ran across open ground under fire.
“The first round went through my helmet into my temple, bounced off my eye socket and came out,” he said.
Despite his devastating wound, Alex still managed to draw a map of enemy positions in the sand for his comrades, an act that earned him a Mention in Dispatches for gallantry.
Survival seemed unlikely. “Gunshot wound to the head, survival rate is less than 5%,” Alex said. “On the way back to the UK, I flatlined twice.”
Back in hospital, Alex clung to hope his sight, and his career, could be saved. But two months later, doctors removed his right eye. This ended his military service.
“I was only 19 years old. My military career was over,” he said. “It was very emotional.”
In 2017, he was diagnosed with severe complex PTSD.
“Dealing with PTSD daily is very tiring,” he said. “It’s like you’ve got one part of you that just wants to end it all, and the other part that is fighting to stay alive.”
Alex credits his recovery to his family and to military charities. Through the On Course Foundation, he began a new career in greenkeeping.
The charity has received grants from the Veterans’ Foundation to support its’ brilliant work, totalling £119,937.
“Military charities for me have been massively important. Those who play the Veterans’ Lottery, I just want to say a massive thank you. By spending £10 a month, you make a huge impact on people like me and thousands of others.”
Despite his scars, Alex says he feels lucky.
“I consider myself massively lucky,” he reflected. “Lucky I got shot, lucky I joined the Army. Because I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
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