Kieran McCulloch has just returned from helping save lives in war-torn Ukraine.
The 30-year-old from Dumfries works for the HALO Trust, the Thornhill-based charity whose experts clear minefields and explosive ordnance in areas of conflict.
He said: “The nature of my job is a logistics and procurement officer which means I purchase serious items and then we get them to Ukraine and make sure they arrive.
“The items are bullet proof vests, visors and metal detectors. Basically, I am a middle man.”
The job entails visiting war zones and areas of conflict which has taken Kieran to places such as Armenia, Somalia, the West Bank and Georgia.
He said: “I am not really nervous going to these places but there is a bit of anxiety. However, you are well looked after there and I am in safe areas surrounded by people who are used to working in these places which does help with any nerves.
“It can be scary when you hear the air sirens going off and we have seen in the distance the smoke going up from missile strikes. I don’t personally clear the mines but when our people do clear mines they are dependent on the equipment such as the detectors.
“Basically, we receive a bit of funding and turn up to a country where there’s a mines issue and train a lot of the local nationals then deploy them in minefields where they will use the metal detectors.
“We have done trials with dogs (to sniff mines) but we don’t work with them. Although dogs have a great sense of smell, they don’t catch everything and miss a few. And we have found that the best success is with humans with metal detectors.”
Kieran, who is a goalkeeper with West of Scotland League side Threave Rovers when back at home, has been working with charity for seven years.
He added: “The latest place I was in Ukraine was Brovary north west of Kyiv. We have a big compound to stay in with various other HALO people and I have been trying to keep fit with running and press-ups.
“But I returned to football training this week and I now have to fight for my place in the first team after being away for so many weeks.
“One of the training videos brought out, which is part of the mine education, is to teach kids not to kick stray footballs as they could be booby trapped which is shocking.
“There are no football leagues going on out there just now because, basically, all the players are of an age to be fighting for their country.”
Kieran is set for a return to Ukraine when more areas are made safe and free from fighting.
He admitted his family worry as does his girlfriend, Emma McCulloch during his trips but Kieran added: “Emma actually works for HALO too in Thornhill and she gets full updates and she’s used to me being away and knows that I am in safe areas.”
Kieran and his colleagues came in for praise from Minister for Europe, Graham Stuart, who said: “Kieran McCulloch has swapped saving shots to play a crucial role saving lives in Ukraine and the UK Government is proud to be supporting The HALO Trust’s world-leading de-mining work.
“The UK stands in solidarity with Ukraine against Putin’s illegal and inhumane war by pooling expertise from across Britain to make a real difference through our £220million humanitarian aid response.
The HALO Trust is ridding areas around Kyiv of deadly explosive devices with support of £2million funding from the UK Government and has been working in Ukraine since 2016.
