Fighting On The Front Line In Afghanistan | Commando: On The Front Line | Wonder

the Royal Marine recruits of nine to four troop are enduring the most grueling military training in the world and is becoming ever more realistic in three months time they'll be deployed to a real war on the frontline in Afghanistan but Terry Jones world fell apart when he failed a crucial speed March and had to leave nine to four troop and his friends now under medical scrutiny Terry must face up to a shocking truth and second leftenant Bertie car is already on his way to Afghanistan just three days after finishing his own training when the rounds start coming in and gotta take that little contour moment and and I make the direct decision I'm ready for that doesn't mean it's not no right [Music] [Applause] the only way into Kajaki is by helicopter this remote and beleaguered British outpost in southern Afghanistan is surrounded on all sides by the Taliban and it's to here that second left n over T car has been posted we're getting stood to because there's a bit of gunfire and it sounds like a couple more trance going off don't know what's happening but this is you know the daily thing virtually all civilians have fled the area only the Taliban remain hiding in and firing from a honeycomb of deserted compounds the first thing I ever did with my Jeep we went out on a date patrol and got shot at four times they were real bullets you know sort of going you hear that the whiz is it was just over your head and you know it's aimed at you and it was it was quite a buzz to be honest it sounds a bit sick but you get quite a rush from it if you go out I would say yeah nine times out of ten something would kick off which is great because we're on for tomorrow 9:00 to 4:00 recruit troop back in Devon is already earmarked to join Bertie cars unit in Afghanistan as soon as they're through training today they're about to attempt the grueling bottom field pass out a series of extreme physical tests that have remained unchanged since 1946 come see yourselves own quite privileged what you're about to do today okay the Bottenfield assault course is unique you've all had enough physical training to get you around that okay you all fit enough to get around there now everyone feeling good these tests must be passed to stay in training and the recruits face them with varying degrees of confidence very confident yeah are you an idiot that's my dad just give it everything you've got another recruit worried yesterday after fall in practice is James Williams the first tests are sort of warmup is a 30-foot rope climb carrying 32 pounds of ammunition with weapon climbing like this puts enormous stress on the arms legs and stomach and indeed already one recruiters in trouble he has to get both hands onto the silver tape is just an INT from doing so but it's a stretch too far he's called to come down before he falls and breaks his legs but that's the thing about training at this level the prospect of injury is a very real one Terry John is the case in point he was forced to leave nine to four troop because of a mysterious problem with his legs that locked in agony when speed marching starts he's still smiling noses a good thing Terry's been put into hunter company where they try to mend broken recruits well I'll go sweet Martin and I get to that point these muscles don't give me no movement it's just my just here lift there now and they're just sliding it on the ground but that's all I'd do it now after a while I'll be a gets tired as well like my whole leg is just not moving let's just sit it doesn't run familiar okay she's a Titan up there yeah yeah look at the mechanics we can perhaps do some orthotics for his feet to change these mechanics of running perhaps there's some mobility work we can do with him and look at his back you know he spine and pelvis there's a lot that we as physios would want to look at for this it's like a jigsaw we got to try and piece the jigsaw together difficult 94 to launch themselves on the second of today's four tests a bone-crunching assault course that has to be completed in under five minutes but every obstacle is a challenge in itself this sort of training is preparing recruits for the rigors of the battlefield and it's battle Fitness they're striving for a robust form of fitness that demands an extra mental strength to withstand pain [Music] [Music] the 12-foot wall is the end of the assault course anyone coming in even a second over five minutes will have failed immediately after this gutwrench Aleve it or not worse is to come as soon as they've caught their breath for these recruits of course training is relentless but even when they get to the frontline training will not stop Bertie and his men preparing for a big patrol into enemy territory hones some of the skills they might have to call on one of their most important tasks will be to check and clear enemy compounds but to do that they have to get into them now sometimes the only way is to blast their way in with a bomb okay so - you - stand by well go for Bertie who will be leading tomorrow's patrol into very dangerous territory this is all a very steep learning curve and a far cry from his chosen subjects at the University I did philosophy in economics at Bristol but it doesn't really matter where you come from what you've done we have grads non grads call commissioned guys joined up as Marines now going commissions make soldiers teachers we've got Oxford classics guys they come from all over the place Bertie do you ever have problems squaring your morality that's what you have to do I've thought it over quite a lot yeah I'm quite happy in my own mind that I can use you to reconcile my morality and fighting the people we're fighting Oh Arthur Buster's they don't give a damn about their own they don't do it down by anyone in Kajaki that were torturing the locals they do all sorts of horrors some civilians evil no okay that's when you need to keep your mouth open yeah and your fingers in the ears if you haven't got ear defenders are mine practice over tomorrow it could be for real [Music] the recruits of 94 troops start the third of four tests they must pass to be able to carry on training this one the fireman's carry is a 200-meter sprint across muddy ground with each recruit carrying not only his own equipment it's another fully equipped man on his back the time limit just 90 seconds of all the tests this is perhaps the most critical because it's preparing recruits for the evacuation of wounded comrades from the battlefield [Music] [Music] [Applause] even those that come in overtime are encouraged to finish the course but the tests are taking their toll on mind and body nine-two-four troop already down from its original 50 members to just 18 can ill afford to lose any more so Orlando Rogers the troop commander is not happy today they've got reruns today this week hoping someone will put on the rerun but for those who failed there will be reruns later in the week unless of course they're just too badly injured nice ladies but those who remain must face the final and most technical of the tests the dreaded full regain the challenge here is to first lose your position on the rope and then regain it using a strange swivel technique designed to overcome gravity as well as the prospect of a good soaking quality technique now you know what's going on see relax those recruits who pass today will eventually graduate to the tars an assault course an aerial course on 40 feet off the ground without safety nets in which the ability to achieve a full regain could literally save their lives Drakkar pass Pomeroy 422 paths ho good he failed the farmers curry makan felled the rope and you failed the fireman's carry heads up everyone think about what you hear those who have got reruns tomorrow but and come back down a clean slate different attitude attack everything that you do while you down it everyone understand after today there will be more of 94 troop joining hunter company always full to capacity with over a hundred injured recruits my ribs my muscle and the spine really crack on cracked on for a few weeks cut off about five weeks and after I did it I was wont getting nowhere Barfield to just basically see the PMO and he said although the basic Royal Marine training is 32 weeks that is to pass out as an original member of the troop statistically the average length of training works out to about fifty four weeks and just how long Terri John will be in hunter company is right now anyone's guess I was to give you a scale of one to ten the tell you beam if I hold your hand out like this got a nice pic and stuck it through your hands well that's a ten say about a five or six five or six person it slows module down injured and you know it's really hard training is the hard thing you training is does he start our and everyone wants to finish as an original was only look that takes you to as an original you know you're destined to be an original you will be whether a marine passes out as an original or not he is just as likely to end up on the front line and that's where Burt in his troop are now sharpening their firing skills for tomorrow's patrol into enemy territory they'll be covered throughout by gun positions built on top of - nearby mountain peaks one called Athens and the other Normandy I hike up to have a look threading my way through minefields laid down by the Russians during their invasion twenty-five years ago these minds have already cost one British soldier his life and two others their legs yellow dabs of paint mark what I hope is a safe path but it's tough going in the thin mountain atmosphere that's moving now to Normandy following a very well path which I must not fear from because all around this mines being laid by the Russians so you just don't come off the path the we do that sometimes it will risk it's got a yump every morning lads have to follow this stuff carrying supplies for their comrades up here and then compositions and Normandy here quite a few as well astonishing here observation point place where you're supposed to stay protected ideally stay hidden where you can see them and they can't see you and you dominate in the ground we're here just to give covering fire protect the dam and the Ark's would go up here with our weapon systems you know are far better than Taliban and this is your your ideal Opie any military person would you know fantasize about arcs and the views like this yeah limb Stan would love it up here the guys any guys going on the ground you've got top cover so the guys do get to get the warm and fuzzy from being on the ground because they know all these guys off on the ground here with our weapon systems have gotten covered in day and I have a phone down [Music] apart from the all-important top cover this Opie or observation post also allows the Marines to build up a knowledge of the enemy their movements and even their way of life select the opposite you've got palawan Callaway is the biggest stronghold at the moment as far as we're concerned with Taliban project we're seeing on average 14 2014 10 and 20 packs sort of living and moving around that area there's no females there's no kids there's no nothing they quite bold and confident they're moving out doing fighting patrols in a command strengthened players patrols as well coming down into southern part Kalibak you go directly up from the bend in the river you've got a hill if you like they up on the right side you can see a lone bushy top to treat you you go slightly up to the right and you've got this Wacom pen on the top where we got contacted from there by something either like a wombat or possibly RPG we think it's one by one landed short basically landed down near tangy and then the other one impacted just below us here right so we found the firing point basically hit it and stop that attack happening anyway since you've been here we sort of start to build up a partner like when we found that Taliban training camp person but obviously being the main thing yeah yep that compound is a Taliban training camp really they've been doing training for about the last four weeks now for about three or four days at a time doing all sorts of training our information and ambush drills actual ambush drills in watching them build up built up a very good picture of what they're up to also if you go do sort of east of their location you've got possibly a Taliban sort of commander again vehicles pulling up and from having chats passing information passing equipment over and stuff like that I mean it's just like being an organ on it and I respect just building up a partner like oh it's perfect for for an Opie it's awesome up here the priority is the enemy and their movements [Music] back in Lim Stern however the priority is 19 portrait and right now one specific recruit is in deep trouble on his recent summer holiday he wore a Royal Marine vest even though he is still only the recruit for yourself shot salute while stirring the ball in space doing that and sticking them up in your bed space so the training team can see them what do you think we're going to be mega impress teens based on you know even a robbery and could give it massive I baked you some chicken a skin and a nightclub what that badge was maybe they give it must I do all this did all this when I was in training with you so why when your holiday ashore are you walking around posing with your friends and family why okay I understand you can be proud of what you do bragging in a foreign country with us possibly a higher security risk it's not ideal is it a crew hunt it's not the thing we do is boot next where boo Nick t-shirts and wander around towns and cities going off about how we vote next it's kind of thing honking dropping people in the army do when they joined some cake and asked regimen we profession that hunt we're happy with what we do we keep it quiet we're quietly confident that's why we do well at what we do hunt when people ask you what you say make something up we don't tell them you're [ __ ] wrong Marines come on don't brag about what we do huh you suit me embarrass the crew honey so good right where you go is anyone looser mode alright [ __ ] should be one will go nice Jackson recruit hunt survives the grilling and lives to fight another day this time along with everyone else on basic ambush drills when you get you units those that successful and pass our training you'll get retaught exactly how they want to do it and that's part of unit life when you go into for troop is now being introduced to exactly the sort of frontline soldiering they'll need to know when they get out to Afghanistan themselves Delta team holding fast putting down covering fire Charlie team into the assault if need be [Applause] 23 max required no place release over Roger I sign now there is no doubt the training is now taking on a whole new direction Fitness is now a given tactics is the new order of the day how to kill and not be killed just 10 miles away from the training fields Terri John has been referred to a civilian specialists in Exeter to help try and establish what the mystery problem is with his legs Terri remains optimistic but he still misses his old troop especially as his friends are now well stuck into tactical training for the frontline so being there that's why you get trained for the time to be a soldier in it not being there with them lads it'll be real fun to look at some of their faces doing that attack honestly grenades going off the machine comes as if you like getting in Afghanistan or somewhere already that's the feeling that's the feeling I longed for like action 494 truth already diminished in numbers the training now getting tougher and tougher is likely to claim yet more casualties before the successful recruits pass out as Royal Marine Commandos in another 16 weeks only the toughest and the luckiest remain as troupe originals like James Williams who so far passed every test he's taken it's like yeah I'd like being original just to say you know I'm an original it was a cool finger dope now I'd like to be an original because I'd like to give this I've been done with as quickly as possible because I can't when we've done this [ __ ] and knowing but Terry if he carries on and gets fur it's called things I used to come whereas we could be through and done get it done with [Applause] another day another mission in Afghanistan on the summit of Normandy Gunners and snipers stand ready to provide cover for Bertie Carr who is about to lead his men known as 11 troop deep into enemy territory deaf history is up there they've got optics we've got a sniper up there with him I'm checking out the objectives before we get there lads I put it at 60/40 odds on contact so this is still Tutera awful it's cool sign crossing the bridge now once 11 troop crossed this bridge there'll be an enemy territory I need to Kent from where those shots came from already the firing has started right now it's indirect and distant but there's no telling when it might become direct and deadly birth is leading a reconnaissance patrols who deserted villages and compounds who gather intelligence on enemy positions they just lie in position all day all night and just wait till we pop out and they can engage us Bertie make sure that we're all spaced out a good 20 to 30 feet between us this is in case one of the steps on a mine or as hit by machine-gun fire or rocket-propelled grenade this way only one person dies are not a cluster 3,000 miles away 94 troupe have just crossed the channel to start their battlefield tour of the d-day beaches in Normandy and to get their first taste of core history the early hours of the 6th June as we know it's great Armada of ships at left UK at 5:30 in the morning the gunships opened up and bombarded this coastline with a mass array of weaponry not accurate but enough to shake the enemy and hopefully hit the positions and they will have to fight the way across the 400 meters of open Beach they paid a heavy price and we see these people to pay the price in the cemetery this afternoon so [ __ ] motivation determination bravery the world succeed and that's what we look for in the core get contact from the right now in Kajaki 11 troop have come under direct fire the Royal Marine Gunnery positions on the high ground who can see the enemy from their vantage point immediately tried to suppress them with heavy machine guns and sniper fire Burtie just three weeks out of training must now decide whether to withdraw or push on I'm happy to crack on cuz that sir nobody's gonna be engaging over our head so we're gonna crack on to caligo let's get going now some of those cool sites spread out that trench two to bunched up there to reach the compounds they want to search eleven troop now has to cross 500 yards of open ground move across okay if you don't your front you see the campaign that we're heading for we're heading straight for that in single file the threat as we move across there is obviously to the left so be aware of that and as always just keep looking for your next bit cover with covering fire from the high ground Bertie leads his troops forward they haven't even reached their objective yet and already they're coming under fire from an unseen enemy later s here miss German cemetery 20 1222 Germans now in some departments of France including this up to 25 percent of the German troops were non-german they were captured prisoners of war mainly from the Russian states Lithuania Poland Czechoslovakia Russia and it was either fight for Germany or die so they said we'll pass me the uniform yeah so we can't always class all of them as Nazis Hitler and all the rest of it yeah the fighting for the same reasons that we were let go is the main dominating point in the cemetery is obviously the statue in the cross in the center and this is 20 foot high column and it's the Tomb of the Unknown its parts bits of bodies that could not be identified placing into a grave so there into the mass sort of gray there yeah Michael you Reagan is from Salford in Manchester but his Hungarian roots means he has a much more personal reason for visiting this cemetery okay McGregor a little follow beer somewhere it was like a colonel I love general for the SS fight for the enemy it's funny how things work out come over to England self family here so you never know what'll happen in the next 60 years I think the highlights or view losses on both sides we can't forget all the only American and British crazy it hollows and it mass losses on both sides German I'm British so the first time I've been here it's quite interesting I think also especially this one a lot the plaques just say one German soldier two German soldiers lie here and never identified never never let his home to anyone back home I laughs it kind of the scale that the whole operation was on I know so it's quite an important part sort of core history sort of a role Marines history in traditions of the amphibious raids on d-day muskers and pride in their past part definitely volunteer Securi I shouldn't yeah yeah he's secure I'm just hoping I'm left of guys on our position is wrong Royal Marines officer Bertie Carr and his troop have arrived at the enemy compounds that need to be searched now it's a matter of getting in [Applause] almost immediately the Marines find evidence of enemy activity the next position which was definitely hidden it's got arcs on to our location Charlie so that as you can see we're now stood in the allied war grave at Bayer more importantly for us there are a hundred and fifty to Royal Marines buried in this place okay now people will make a lot of the Royal Marines being elite being elite isn't just about the training you receive it's all about tradition as well one of the biggest traditions we have is the tradition of family you are part of something special right and we pride ourselves in looking after our own and our family now these guys that lay here today they are dead but there are most definitely not forgotten and they will never be forgotten I would like you to place your cross on the headstone of a Royal Marine he's 19 he's 19 they saw this on the recruiting video what if there same name same age yeah my ears do not dark and nor shadow didn't leave you to form memories we have with him just makes you proud so whatever happens you know you'll never be forgotten that's important I put one on a sergeant it was my age 24000 and he was specific German but he died I mean I thought I he died but the 6th of June was for landings wasn't it then said you know just come straight off and that's it I think I sprayed it's pretty bad you know the casualties in Afghanistan not just doors them as well I mean they're fighting the war too aren't they I mean gotta give anyone respect the fire for their own contract I do anyway I mean some people might not what I do in Kajaki Bertie Carr and his troop continue to investigate a map suspect enemy positions knowing they could be targeted at any time any one of these dwellings could contain Taliban fighters no chances are taken [Applause] we're coming down through town called categor which we know it's been used as a as far as a firing positions enemy firing positions with small arms and mortars and co-chair and so we just come to to push down and check if we can find these farm positions and just to dominate the ground show that we can you know come up and walk around freely and yes we're just checking suspicious places one of the patrol notices some disturbed earth and thinks it discovered an enemy firing point 81 millimeter M if you look at the stone wall the closest to us directly behind you there's a small green hill top of that every so often there's somebody that pokes his head out quite clearly in black essentially the left-hand side of the peak of that hill keep it on it ya see [Applause] we're getting picked from the north and we're just checking out [Applause] Terry John so desperate to be part of the Royal Marine family has been told to report to the principal medical officer about his legs this is the lower leg all of the different muscles are encased in a special sheath or bag unfortunately what happens in some people is the muscle swells up and there's nowhere for it to go and it becomes very tight and very painful and that's what that's why you're getting paid and numbness in their life is that we call it compartment syndrome it is possible that along with some physiotherapy we can make this better okay but it's it's a pretty tall order I better tell you that right from the beginning it's actually a difficult condition to treat it's not something that you can just say I'll put a pair of inserts into my feet and magically I'll be better it's it takes work okay thank you very much John if you get compartment syndrome no matter what we do quite the large majority end up out of training unless he's very lucky it's not good it's not a good outlook I'm afraid it's a shame but there we go but lofty you know go home get married and all that no now the Green Beret knowing that you know why kids wonder you know come get born and find out their dad is like wrong ring doing good sure it's a tough game play do it [Music] suddenly the Taliban I never get my homework [Applause] [Music] the petrolheads back at first across dead ground that is ground protected from direct fire by surrounding hills [Applause] once 11 troop reaches the exposed ground they will have no alternative but to speed across it yards under enemy fire [Applause] merci gives the order to speed March the very thing that led Thierry John down in training I now realize could be for us right now the difference between life and death the Taliban after a six-hour patrol Bert he leads his troops over the bridge to the safety of the Marine base mission accomplished and no casualties to finish of not like giving up or giving in on things easily honestly I see it while out there we're very proves that they have that mentality also to like keep on going keep on going proves a lot that Greenberg does separate you from all of them in Nome and this is not normal no everything nine it's a clear and nice day today isn't it and now if you look over to the west see the smoke that's the enemy position that was being suppressed at the moment fixed enemy and on that position they're gonna put an air strike in I think two 500-pound bombs and then hopefully kill him it's quite fun sauce patrolling around mother going overhead the lads laugh at it but I suppose it's only funny as long as you know everyone walks away okay [Music] Surrey never did get his green berry he was eventually medically discharged and left the world Marines I wanted to be Royal Marines come on I wanted to be out on the battlefield you know experiencing the whole feeling adrenaline rush la being out there and you know it's your mates time you miss every one of them that's the heart it's fun alone my brothers actually is like almost about the furthest everything [ __ ] died you know trying to live a normal I tried to but 10 months later Terry passed out as a sapper with the Royal Engineers next time on command Oh Bertie is told to defend the northern flank against an imminent Taliban attack and back in 94 troop this trouble when Adam Collins shocks everyone with accusations of bullying there's only so long you can be you know give it the attitude well I'll show them because he grind you down [Music]

Channel: Wonder

Views: 363,350

Rating: 4.6465864 out of 5

Keywords: wonder, wonder channel, weird and wonderful, survival, human interest, toughest military training, british army, military training, military training documentary, military training exercises, military training videos, military training fails, military training motivation, emotional military videos, emotional military speech, toughest military training in the world, commando on the front line, comando on the front line s1 ep4

Id: 0TtP12-Urwo

Length: 46min 58sec (2818 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 27 2019