Former Welsh Guard Describes Traumatic Afghanistan Experience

A former member of the Welsh Guard has recounted experiencing a “catastrophic breakdown” following his exposure to immense suffering in Afghanistan. Steven Peters was stationed in Helmand Province during 2009, a time recognized as the British Army’s bloodiest summer in over 50 years. On a particular patrol, he observed an interpreter, with whom he shared a strong personal bond, detonate an improvised explosive device (IED). Sgt Peters, 42, from Anglesey, stated, “What I saw that morning – a human being is not designed to see.” He is among 10 former military personnel who have shared their experiences with the BBC for “Helmand: Tour of Duty,” a new documentary commemorating ten years since British combat forces departed Afghanistan. This article includes content that some readers might find upsetting. By September 2009, Sgt Peters’ platoon had under a month left of their deployment when they were selected to spearhead an attack on a compound controlled by the Taliban. Sgt Peters informed the BBC, “I had built a strong relationship with one of the interpreters, Ahmed Popal.” He recounted, “He was telling me that he was looking forward to the end of the week because it was time for him to go home to see his young children, his family.” The offensive commenced under the cover of night. He explained, “We were patrolling through a high populated Taliban area. Knowing it’s the most dangerous kilometre square area in the world, that was reported at the time, we called it IED central.” Abruptly, directly in front of Sgt Peters, Interpreter Popal triggered an IED. Sgt Peters recalled that his immediate recollections of the aftermath were “dust, pitch black, the smell of smoke, the smell of burnt flesh, and screaming.” He stated, “I was sat down with my legs in this massive crater.” “I could see a dark object at the bottom of that crater, so I got my torch out and started looking. “What I saw that morning – a human being is not designed to see. It was Popal,” he recounted. He continued, “I realised that his body was cut in half – there was nothing left from his belly button down. So I’m thinking, how can I… how can I save this person?” Sgt Peters administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Interpreter Popal, but Popal succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter. Sgt Peters remarked, “There was nothing left of that human, of Ahmed [Popal].” He added, “And all he wanted to do was to go home and see his family the next day.” “Because of the bond that I had with this interpreter and what we had been through, and the conversations that we had, it hit me really hard. And it’s affected me a lot,” he explained. He described, “I walked straight into my little compound where I was living, dropped to my knees and I just started crying and crying. And I was there for a good 45 minutes – I wanted to punch, I wanted to scream.” During the summer of 2009, ten individuals from the Welsh Guards battlegroup perished while on active duty. Sgt Peters indicated that his platoon was in a “very bad place” as their deployment concluded. He stated, “In the years following that tour, everything came to a head. “I had a catastrophic breakdown. The therapy lasted nine months, I’m glad it happened – because if it didn’t, that breakdown would still be chasing me to this day.” Throughout more than 20 years of operations in Afghanistan, 457 UK armed forces personnel fatalities were recorded. The highest numbers of deaths and injuries occurred in 2009 and 2010. By August 2021, seven years subsequent to the departure of British forces and two decades after the conflict commenced, the Taliban reasserted control over Afghanistan, encompassing Helmand Province. Sgt Peters, who departed the British Army last year, commented, “I remember the day Kabul fell. “What was it all for? All those lives that were lost. It was all taken away.” Sgt Peters expressed that, notwithstanding these events, he remained proud of his time serving in Afghanistan. “We went there following the mission, the political mission, and we did our part in 2009. “And I’m proud of what I did during my time in Afghanistan,” he affirmed. For those impacted by the subjects discussed in this report, assistance and information can be accessed through BBC Action Line. “Helmand: Tour of Duty” is scheduled to broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Two Wales at 21:00 BST on Wednesday 30 October. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.