Laird Barnes was born in Dorset, England, the hometown of his parents. At the age of two Laird had his first encounter with the realities of terrorism, as his parent’s lives were taken from them in a local bombing. Laird was discovered by a lieutenant in the Paras, who rescued the child from the devastation left behind. The Lieutenant and his wife adopted the child and raised him as their own. Laird grew up in the shadow of his adoptive father and learned to soldier from a young age. When he was old enough, he was told what had happened to his biological parents, bringing childhood memories to the surface.
For Laird, serving the Crown was not an option, it was his only choice. He committed himself to serving Great Britain, and after completing the Combat Training Course at Catterick, Laird volunteered for the Paras, where he was assigned to the First Battalion. After deploying on rotation, Laird was sent to Officer training, and while there he volunteered for Selection. Within a year he found himself at Bradbury Lines as a troop leader in the 22 SAS. Laird would spend the next ten years of his career as a leader in 22 SAS, before being sent to the U.S. As a Liaison officer.
During his first six months stateside, Laird witnessed the dissolution of the Union, and found himself torn between following orders or doing what he felt was right.
