When people hear my name these days, it's usually followed by "former British soldier captured in Mariupol." Or worse, "foreign fighter" as if I'd spent my weekends pledging allegiance to some jihad. The truth is simpler: I was a Ukrainian Marine. Why journalists find it so hard to say that without choking on their morning coffee, or realising they're parroting a Russian talking point is beyond me.
Derek Huffman relocated his family to Russia via a Kremlin-backed visa scheme, aiming for traditional values. Initially, he assumed a non-combat role but now finds himself near the Ukraine front.
"If [music] had anything but piano and organ, like if it had electric guitar or drums, it was considered Satanic or bad," he says, highlighting the extremism of his parents' beliefs. "We weren't allowed to go to movie theaters, we weren't allowed to watch movies, we didn't have TV. All the girls in our house had to wear skirts ... even to bed, I had to wear skirts."
Thinking of the long-term impact of a military career, I realized that 20-plus years as a SEAL could mean serious bodily injuries and strained personal relationships. I couldnât afford to go down that path.