A unit of all foreigners was formed from the ypg under a former US marine. Kurdish name is Servan. The unit was called the Bagok unit in memory of Ash Bagok. It became known as unit 223.

In one of their very first missions a Canadian named John Gallagher was killed. They deployed six western volunteers to help clear out an area. After approaching a house at night, they took up positions.

One westerner opened up with MG fire. Gallagher threw a grenade. The fire stopped and Gallagher simply shouldered his rifle and started talking to someone.

Finally the other members of unit 223 realized that Gallagher was talking to an Isis member wearing a suicide vest. The unit opened fired on the enemy. The Isis member pulled out a 9mm and shot Gallagher. Both fell.

The Isis member held a grenade close to himself and killed himself. Gallagher was shot in the abdomen and died of blood loss. To this day no one, including the members on the OP, know why Gallagher shouldered his rifle and approached the unknown individual.

It was weird to all of us. I was wondering if Jac, a founding member of unit 223 had some insight.

I mean zero disrespect to Gallagher or his family. He was braver than most westerners I have ever met and he was the type of individual that believed that he could make a difference in the world for the better. A true idealist and one of the nicest people I have ever met.

The question remains though, why would Servan assign Gallagher on the OP? Gallagher had never seen combat and had been out of the Canadian military for 10 years.

Servan had hand picked every member of unit 223. Many of them were somewhat famous as being absolute warriors. I have no doubt that Gallagher was a warrior and could handle himself, but it seems odd that he was one of the six chosen for one of their first operations with zero combat experience.