Obi-Wan Nairobi
If that name doesn’t ring any bells, it should, but I’ll help.
Six years ago, terrorist organization Harakat Al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen attacked the DusitD2 Hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya. It started with a suicide bomber, followed by mass shootings. In the end, 21 civilians were killed along with one Kenyan soldier and five bad guys dead.
So, who is the “Obi-Wan Nairobi” you speak of?
When the attack kicked off with a suicide bomber, you can imagine it drew some attention. A man who goes by the name of Christian Craighead was in the area and decided to act. What is so special about him? Well, he was a special operator assigned to the very elite 22 Special Air Service from the United Kingdom. Think “Delta Force with a British accent”. He was in Nairobi for some training and had his kit with him. Yes, rifle and body armor.
The motto of 22 SAS is “Who Dares Wins”. People in these types of organizations take that stuff to heart. He could not sit idly by with so many lives at stake.
Craighead donned his gear and went into action. Joined by a member of the Slovenian DPS-TRU (like US Secret Service SWAT team), he grabbed a few other members of the Kenyan military and they began finding and killing the four remaining bad guys. Craighead himself killed two of the four and was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for his actions. It is estimated he saved 700 or more people with his actions.
When he donned his kit, Craighead also covered his face in a very 22 SAS move, wearing a fire-resistant balaclava. When no one knew who he was, he was dubbed “Obi-Wan Nairobi” for obvious reasons.
He also received a gag order and was told to keep his mouth shut by the British government.
Why? Was it Operational Security? Was the Brit government afraid he was giving away secrets? Was he not supposed to be there? Did he do something wrong? Why in the world would they give him the second highest military award for valor and NOT publicize his story?
Because he didn’t ask permission.
He didn’t stop and get on the phone and call back to the UK and get the right people on the line and say “can I do this?” Yeah. Not do what he was trained to do. Not follow the “Who Dares Wins” mindset he was bred into.
He should have waited. Hesitated. Asked “Please”. How many lives beyond the 21 would have been lost in those seconds, minutes, or even hours to get permission?
No. No way. Christian Craighead followed his gut, his training, and the “Who Dares Wins” mindset and SAVED 700 people. He was given an award for it and then was told to shut up. He tried to write a book about it but was denied.
This is what is wrong with governments today. It isn’t exclusive to the United States. This man risked his ass to save hundreds of people. He ACTED. He moved. He did what he was trained to do.
And then he was cut off and shoved in a corner by the very government he served, that trained him, that he was loyal to. What kind of bullshit is that?
That’s what the warrior class has been relegated to, or at least what our governments would like us to be. Do only what you are told to do, when told to do it, under our set of rules. And if you don’t, we will ruin you.
I admire men like Christian Craighead, not just for his skills and abilities, but for ACTING. We all should. Men of action should be held in the highest esteem, and we should want our children to emulate them. We tell them to stand up to bullies. We tell them to fight for what’s right. We want them to be honest and loyal and courageous.
Until we don’t. Until it could be embarrassing. Or they could put themselves in danger. Or get into trouble. Or get hurt. Or risk their future. Or it could impact US as their parent, or family, or (in this case) government. Then we don’t really want them to act.
You know what? Fuck that.
Six years on, I applaud Christian Craighead. You should, too.
Who Dares Wins.