Sep 18, 2026 · 27 min · 10 segments
On January 15, 2019, terrorists from al-Shabaab attacked the DusitD2 hotel and office complex in Nairobi, Kenya. As civilians ran from the gunfire, one off-duty British SAS soldier made a different…
And then there are moments when courage arrives as a telephone call on an otherwise ordinary afternoon.
His name, at least the name by which the world would come to know him, was Christian Craighead.
He had joined the British Army as a teenager, served in the Parachute Regiment, moved into the Pathfinder Platoon, and eventually earned a place in 22 Special Air Service, the SAS.
By 2019, he had accumulated decades of military experience, including operational service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and years devoted to counterterrorism, hostage rescue, reconnaissance, and direct action.
His publisher now describes a 28-year military career, with nearly 15 of those years associated with 22 SAS.
What interests me is what happened when there was no ceremony, no time to assemble the perfect team, and no guarantee that anyone was coming with him.
Because training matters, selection matters, equipment matters, experience matters.
But sooner or later, everything a person has learned comes down to a moment when the question is no longer, what do you know? The question becomes, what are you going to do? Christian Craighead joined the British Army at 16 years old.
He has spoken publicly about wanting the parachute regiment from the beginning.
After the Parachute Regiment came the Pathfinder Platoon, a reconnaissance element associated with Britain's Airborne Forces, eventually came United Kingdom Special Forces selection.
A later British High Court case confirms something particularly important about that journey.
And then there are moments when courage arrives as a telephone call on an otherwise ordinary afternoon.
His name, at least the name by which the world would come to know him, was Christian Craighead.
He had joined the British Army as a teenager, served in the Parachute Regiment, moved into the Pathfinder Platoon, and eventually earned a place in 22 Special Air Service, the SAS.
By 2019, he had accumulated decades of military experience, including operational service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and years devoted to counterterrorism, hostage rescue, reconnaissance, and direct action.
His publisher now describes a 28-year military career, with nearly 15 of those years associated with 22 SAS.
What interests me is what happened when there was no ceremony, no time to assemble the perfect team, and no guarantee that anyone was coming with him.
Because training matters, selection matters, equipment matters, experience matters.
But sooner or later, everything a person has learned comes down to a moment when the question is no longer, what do you know? The question becomes, what are you going to do? Christian Craighead joined the British Army at 16 years old.
He has spoken publicly about wanting the parachute regiment from the beginning.
After the Parachute Regiment came the Pathfinder Platoon, a reconnaissance element associated with Britain's Airborne Forces, eventually came United Kingdom Special Forces selection.
A later British High Court case confirms something particularly important about that journey.
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