Graham Ragsdale
Graham Ragsdale (born 28 June 1969) is a former soldier of the Canadian Forces. He commanded the sniper team from the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry attached to the United States Army 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during Operation Anaconda in the Shah-i-kot Valley, Paktia Province, Afghanistan in March 2002. The sniper team recorded more than 20 priority target kills, including the long distance record combat kill of 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) set by Corporal Rob Furlong. Master Corporal Ragsdale, with selfless disregard for his own personal safety, operated his sniper team through extreme weather conditions at high altitude while under direct and indirect enemy fire aiding the success of the mission by identifying and neutralizing enemy targets and saving allied lives. He was awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal with "V" device for his actions in combat and was Mentioned in Despatches by the Canadian Forces for valiant conduct and meritorious service.
Graham Ragsdale | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 June 1969 Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service/ | Canadian Army |
| Years of service | 1988–2003 |
| Rank | Master Corporal |
| Unit | 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry |
| Battles/wars | NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Mentioned in Despatches Bronze Star Medal (United States) |
Military career
Graham Ragsdale was born on 28 June 1969 in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. He joined the Canadian Forces in 1988 after graduating from secondary school and, upon completion of selection and parachute training, he was posted as a paratrooper to 2 Commando of the now disbanded Canadian Airborne Regiment, Special Service Force (SSF), where he gained the reconnaissance, sniper, tracker, machine gunner, and mountain operations qualifications.
In 1991, after his initial three year service contract, he transferred from the regular force to the primary reserve unit Canadian Rangers Patrol Group to serve as an instructor while attending university and pursuing a promising amateur boxing career. He rejoined the regular force in 1996 and was posted to the newly formed 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, where he gained the mortarman, leadership, jumpmaster, freefall parachute instructor, unarmed combat instructor, British pathfinder and British sniper qualifications. In 2000 he completed a tour of duty in the Former Yugoslavia with NATO's Stabilization Force, and was then given the command role of battalion master sniper in charge of the sniper group that in 2002 was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the US Operation Enduring Freedom and Canadian Operation Apollo.
In contrast to the accolades of American soldiers that fought beside the Canadian snipers in the Shah-i-kot, a controversial decision made by the Canadian chain of command following Operation Anaconda unceremoniously relieved Master Corporal Ragsdale of command of the sniper group amidst misconduct allegations against Master Corporal Arron Perry. As a result, a despondent Ragsdale chose to release from the military shortly after the tour in favor of employment as a private security contractor in Afghanistan and Africa with Aegis Defence Services and Tundra Group.
Medals and Decorations
- Sacrifice Medal (replacing the previously awarded Wound Stripe) – Afghanistan
- South-West Asia Service Medal
- Special Service Medal – Rangers and Alert
- Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal
- NATO SFOR Medal – Former Yugoslavia
- Bronze Star Medal with "V" device (United States)
- Mentioned in Despatches
- Commander-in-Chief Unit Commendation
References
- Naylor, Sean. "Not a Good Day to Die" Penguin Group (New York), 2005
- Pegler, Martin. "Out of Nowhere – A History of Military Snipers" Osprey Publishing, 2006
- Friscolanti, Michael. "We Were Abandoned" Maclean's, Rogers Publishing, 2006-05-15
- Krott, Rob. "Canadian Snipers Take Out Taliban" Soldier of Fortune, 2002–08
- 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry