𝑳𝒆𝒔 𝑬𝒏𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒖𝒔 - 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓, 3𝒓𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒅𝒆

𝑳𝒆𝒔 𝑬𝒏𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒖𝒔 - Chris is a US Air Force who served in the 321st Special Tactics Squadron out of RAF Mildenhall in England, the United Kingdom.

After his departure from his service he decided to go to Ukraine and put his skill set to use in a different capacity in March 2023. He was met with air raid sirens on his first day crossing the border as he appreciate the city of Lviv.

He was linking up with some contacts he had made in the 92nd Assault Brigade in the city of Kharkiv. His time there was short as he sought out different opportunities, leaving that unit after 2 weeks and instead joining the GUR International Legion.

He would later be accepted into the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade which was uncommon for an American or foreigner in general to join that unit.

“In my opinion, from what I’ve seen, 3rd Separate Assault Brigade is one of the best units, one of the most professional, they take their guys through training cycles, they’re truly about the fight.” He said.

“We got mobilized and rapidly sent into Avdiivka. It was a complete surprise. The situation was fucked. Our original position was in a house, we just kept getting shelled over and over by this tank that would pop around the corner. Eventually the fighting and shelling got so bad there was eventually one room left in the entire house.”

“We ended up having to egress and relocate , no longer able to hold that sector. We had little water, little food, we were cold, FPVs everywhere and didn’t know the situation on our flanks. We knew your right flank was fractured and didn’t have contact with the unit on our left but had heard firefights there throughout the night.”

The situation in Avdiivka was as grim. The lines were close to collapsing by Russian encirclement, in February 2024 the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade was sent to prevent complete encirclement in order to allow the withdrawal to take place.

 “I left one of the forward parts of the house where we had guys on watch, as I’m walking out an RPG came flying into the room from an exposed part of wall. It exploded right in the room. I checked myself real quick and then started checking the guys in there. Three of them were wounded.”


Chris and the other guys who weren’t wounded began carrying out the wounded from that section of the building. They carried the wounded through the rubble of the buildings, waiting for artillery to stop in order to continue the MEDEVAC.


Unfortunately one of them would not make it. Chris returned to the area to find one of the wounded soldiers had passed. “It’s always weird seeing someone dead after seeing them alive just a few minutes ago."


“I think the toughest part is that these guys are the best humanity has to offer and they die.”


Chris and his unit soon had to pull back from their line as Ukrainian units pulled back to defensive lines away from Avdiivka has the withdrawal was finalizing. For him, his unit was sent back to a town called Orlivka where we would go to be wounded.


“We were getting shelled, bounding between buildings. I remember the guy in front of me going, then beginning to run and then next thing you know I’m coming to with blood on my eyepro. The artillery was still coming down, guys are still on the road, both dead and wounded.”


“The M113 drivers had balls man. They were driving straight into the area that was still being shelled and getting us MEDEVACed. I gotta give it to them, those guys were hard, to continue going into those areas back to back under intense shelling.”


As Chris came to and his teammates began working he soon realized how wounded he was. Shrapnel damage to his legs and abdomen, his fellow soldiers working quickly on providing medical care before the MEDEVAC arrived. Chris continues healing today and is going through rehabilitation.


We asked him what he expected the recovery time to be before he is back with his team. “It’ll probably be a few months. I’ll do it, I’ll be fine, my teammates will be with me and I’m mentally preparing. It’s not only physical preparation but psychological preparation as well.”


He began recalling certain incidents or experiences that stuck out to him, for instance; “We were in a building being used as a fighting position where fighting was down the way but an FPV drone flew through the window and smacked into the wall but didn’t explode. It was absolutely terrifying at first, but we just started laughing afterwards.”


Despite his wounds he looks forward to being back with his unit and does not foresee himself leaving this war.


“I’ll told my guys, my friends, I told them I wouldn’t leave. Keep your word, that’s all you have. I’m here until the end. The world would be a better place with more honesty.”