A REDDITCH sergeant major serving with the Royal Engineers was recently called into action when two US soldiers drowned in a fast flowing river in Afghanistan.

Warrant Officer Class Two Stuart Lee was one of six divers from the Joint Force Engineers Group selected to carry out the search.

Warrant Officer Lee, 37, is an army diving supervisor with 15 years diving experience and admits the river posed a real challenge.

“The speed of the current and the depth of water meant this would test even the most experienced diver.”

Following a detailed briefing, the UK divers started searching and successfully located and recovered the body of one of the US soldiers on the first day.

Warrant Officer Lee said: “The soldier was repatriated that night, draped in the stars and stripes of the US flag following a very moving ceremony in front of more than 100 of the fallen soldier’s friends and colleagues. It was a very moving ceremony and we felt privileged and humbled that we could assist in bringing closure for the family.

“We spent days searching sections of the river downstream, aided by a sniffer dog, in case the body had been washed down, however we all believed that the second body lay trapped in the rapids. The sniffer dog was invaluable and continued to pay particular attention to a spot near the fast flowing rapids.”

The location of the second body was identified deep in the rapids, which was not accessible to the dive team, so they called in a specialist team of US Naval Divers.

Commando trained Sgt Maj Lee has since returned to Camp Bastion in Helmand Province where he is based for the duration of his six month deployment.

“My normal day to day job is to visit the troops within the squadron and ensure the standards of construction are maintained to the highest possible levels. It is really enjoyable and satisfying, getting out and about and being able to have a down to earth chat with the guys.”

Warrant Officer Lee who was educated at Lodge Farm Middle and Leys High schools, admits that time spent away from home is difficult.

“The hardest part is being away from my family and not being able to speak to my wife Nicola and son Callum for long periods of time. I really miss having a kick about with Callum in the park.”

Having served in the Royal Engineers for 20 years and travelled extensively including exercises in Belize, Cyprus, Canada and Kenya in addition to deployments to Northern Ireland and previous tours in Afghanistan, Stuart is looking forward to a skiing holiday in Colorado with his family on his return.

“I am looking forward to Callum, Nicola and me being a family again, and enjoy the spoils of an active lifestyle without the Taliban shooting at me.”

And Sgt Maj Lee is optimistic for the future of Afghanistan.

“This is my second tour of Afghanistan and I honestly feel the ISAF efforts are improving the lives of the local population. The key to this country is the youngsters and if we are here for the long haul, we need to invest in their futures. All the children I have interacted with have been very inquisitive and positive towards the presence of the forces.”