Young Soldiers: Season 1 Episode 5

why is the first member you have a white echo soldier laughter a mountain pond uzum with my friends with BB guns with them Trey's Maher Davin and our bushes remember I used to run around on my build ends climb trees and hide and things like that and just pretend I was like a little snake going around and nobody can hear me or anything I remember doing stuff are we used to make bases in our bedroom and start shooting Chris is always making this stupid gun noise he always used to do that this film is the story of three young men who followed their childhood dream of becoming a soldier in the British Army has it fulfilled the hopes and expectations they had as young boys did they make it to the frontline and if so did they make it back in one piece 18 months ago this series started following a group of new army recruits from day one basic training to frontline combat in Afghanistan now as some prepared to come home the three of them look back on the journey they've made me realize and also to share my parents and my family my own also I've got my head was quite reliable to place then anyway these don't think it's gonna happen to you Catterick North Yorkshire the infantry training centre and day one of a grueling six-month basic training course but the new recruits and their families it was the beginning of a new life in the British Army as we're thought of it is clear where five weeks on harder sarvasya awesome riflemen Howard your heart drops evening [ __ ] we're here this is it I wasn't excited or wasn't nervous or anything I was just just keen to get started well if Kiki ties off don't need your ties now the three new recruits were part of a 23 man training could soon and if they graduated as professional soldiers they would be joining one of the Army's biggest regiments The Rifles telemedicine is ready before joining 19 year-old Ashley cavanna the stacking shelves in ASDA often aid what's your name right basically from today you will serve a minimum of four years I joined up me on back nobody told me to go nobody said are you sure Johnny army I joined the army because I looked into it so much and it was totally my decision Ashley is the oldest son of Michelle and David Cabana but they both share different views on his plan to become a soldier the incident Ashley mentioned army David would worry the incident I mentioned damage to me great gonna have a fantastic life Michelle's father was a soldier and she spent her childhood growing up on army bases around the world I used to remember going up to the M the barracks with her dad in Paris and Cyprus helping him with the the mail for the soldiers life was great used to start school early finish go down to the beach rather great life and me dad's was good as well as a soldier you could think to yourself well yeah you know it let's not go in there's Afghanistan I could get killed or he could get killed to me there's always going to be an Afghanistan before the new recruits could get stuck into the rough-and-tumble of soldiering with the basics exactly I mean unlike most of the new recruits at Catterick 22 year old Darrin Meade's had already done a tour of duty in Afghanistan when he was a part-time soldier with the territorial army during that said don't tell anybody don't tell anybody I've been in the tase he wanted to start at the bottom with the lads at the bottom and work his way up I didn't want any special treatment I wanted to be checked the same as everybody else there and because I didn't want to isolate myself with with with with that kind of experience but at the same time I wanted to tell him so I could help them like food training and things like that but no I think it was purely for the fact that I didn't want to be tried differently I wanted to be exactly the same as everybody else and start fresh when you're running around in little uniforms when you're about three he's always been so pretty he's gonna hate me for this Superman cape Batman cape he's always wanted a uniform he's always wanted to be a superhero we used to make him rather than gonna buy him we made him like Superman capes and things and mask of Zoro and cowboys and stuff I just loved it and what I always wanted to do it to cut it as an infantry soldier in Afghanistan the recruits had to work on the most important attribute they would need Fitness stop making noise and for former hairdresser Lee the new regime took some adjusting to you're gonna run there and then you're gonna run back last one back goes again and it was you sort of looking thinking you can't mean over there look this way about gentlemen don't [ __ ] stop you wouldn't stop on the field you go back they said draw that's that's just the beginning that's nothing compared to what you're going to be going through dear I'm playing so this one to be honest so I it says sounds stupid but when I was living my brother and Tom Ridge Road we always used to like mess about and I remember when I was little that we used to make bases in our bedroom and start shooting Chris was always making this stupid gun noise you know he always used to do there and noe before when we were only little but yeah that's probably back then was bit different nine months before leader in the army his older brother Chris also a serving soldier was blown up whilst on patrol in Afghanistan when oh when an explosion goes off you feel the the force of it first it's like a wave of shock wave there's like any explosion you have your field of shut wait before you you hear it and then photos shot waving in when I'll black in the background if you have something I just remember because obviously all the dust what kicks off you don't know what injuries you got it and I've seen my right hand I lost free finger to my friend of her fingers I still got my fun and I bit my palm nice after hand and I've got a fixed wrist now so I can bend it and that's it really some wineries quite lucky really compared to some of us Chris had his accident and then Lee said I want to join the army hmm we did tell Chris oh I do and Chris was like no way no way Chris I hit the roof first thing he said to me was do you know what you stupid look at your brother yeah at that time it was all going on so it was hard really after the first five weeks in the army the recruits faced a pivotal moment they had to pass an exacting inspection by their superior officer if they fail to pass muster they wouldn't receive their regimental berries or be granted the luxury of a weekend back home if you don't do it properly and you don't pass then you you don't wear your beret and everyone else does and now all once at the mick you worry and panic so you learning more you memorizing everything you making sure everything's perfect neatly ironed and clean and it's really good looking back now just really got out I like how they the mindfuck here do you want to guys I don't want you to scream and shout your name rank and um I just want you to clearly articulate who you are and which battalion you may wish to join when you finish your training here at an ITC Catterick right good morning Melissa I am free 0 1 2 3 7 6 1 riflemen Cabana sir I wish giant 2 or 3 focus on the rifle sir have you got anyone coming up for families day aha sir okay looking forward to it yes sir fantastic it's gonna be a good weekend I think all your plans for the weekend and spending it with my mates oh okay when you passed off Foursquare hopefully say yes are you comfy with your drill um as confident as I can be serious good my brothers in second officer is he yes sir how long's he been so free set every year sir good did he do the last tool with two offers yes sir he was injured sir okay you know I heard about him that's right okay well that was a good effort this morning a genuinely good effort to well done to all of you good thanks called on me thank you guys Jesse let the cars once he's gone you just like [ __ ] I was good I'm proud of that sir you don't just get given this it requires five weeks a really hard hard work and I know that you face a lot of challenges along the way very very richly deserved well done baseball congratulations doesn't come easy does it fantastic like a soldier already thank you sir all right congratulations hold on proud goes well excited you feel you feel like that's a beginning but you know you gotta had a long way to go but yes good feeling big Tom good food in here I was proud yeah I've achieved something I've achieved more than five weeks and I have in my whole life so yeah I was I was very proud yeah because I knew that when my mom would see me I can iron I can wash and cook and clean you know I'm not lazy I get up they sell them on you know I could go back and say you know you've come now I'll be proud of you son you know that's I'm not happy about yeah yeah yeah cuz I was at work sir okay listening then start baby move to your right I broke for me it was that it was the fact that he'd got through all that training it actually I can't believe it's tucked away I really saw but there's no way to be back in a week but no I stuck it out and for that I mean there's no way I could have done it I don't think David have been able to do it his age and so for that I deserved a medal did ya David to be normally way well like going in all that dirty well cheers into dev during his first weekend off for five weeks Ashley and his dad were making the most of their time together but it wasn't long until the conversation turned to Afghanistan I truthfully genuinely do enjoy it is great I really do I love it I can't believe I've got my barrier I didn't think I'm gonna last five weeks I didn't it's been so hard I was but new think it would bubble and I left five weeks you were crying there dear yeah what would you think is gonna feel that when I probably got the damn fog off and I say right I'm off to Afghan dog bye that could be last time you can see it like a can we see each other John I'm thinking about was it the whole thing it'd be really emotional from start to finish and and as I said before out constantly looking at on the website with Afghanistan the news were on 24/7 so the whole thing was really played on demand quite upsetting really because really kind of hate over at that particular net that's what I got a little bit emotional about it sorry because I don't want it to go there think of an a worse thing then you know being told that your son's been killed you know through you know enough for what after enjoying their first weekend off it was straight back to work for the new recruits as their training became even more intense welcome to bayonet lesson 1 throughout your time in the infantry it may occur when you know in Afghanistan you may need to close and engage with the enemy with bayonets fitted it's a psychological thing if the enemies see you running towards the river bayonet and they know you're going to flush that into their standing then they're going to be [ __ ] themselves aren't they ok fix bayonets scabbards it's time to switch on now it's just getting serious now as his home time to become a soldier doctor high position it's okay too talkative I've gotta sound kind of in a way I got so we so [ __ ] aggressive front rank just took me somehow I thought it was gonna be and the adrenaline was going on I didn't want to just kill that son back [ __ ] smash on our you've never been that sort of aggressive didn't don't really thinking about anything else but doing what you've been asked to do allows your knees dummies or the [ __ ] you tell about now that just can't so we are mates show me your face needs a [ __ ] warning guys show me walls and people have just snapped and just thought I'm not fair enough for this I'm not mentally strong enough for this and that's when people will start falling back and realized no I don't think I can do this of the 390 British soldiers that have been killed in Afghanistan over 300 of them were trained at Catterick so for all new recruits an essential part of the training was to understand exactly what they were signing up for we've got to be honest about what we do there is a chance that you or I could be killed on operations in Afghanistan who didn't realize that by now it's time to realize okay these people die now there and I think the more in-depth that you get in training the more you hear about it and the more you know it's not hidden you know you need to know about it or else if you go out there you know oblivious to what's gonna happen you know so I think it's it's best to know what's gonna happen and to prepare yourself no illusions we commit yourself soon today gentlemen but went on all day from the saloon eight weeks into basic training the pressure began to build for me I had already had someone very close to me and he's not he's come back not whole so I was the only one there that really knew was on about my head was quite real over the place then anyway but I doubt the time I didn't think it was until I was there doing it she didn't ask to be on number six for football I didn't realize how really I was still thinking about sort of my brother's accident he was ringing me in tees and yeah just desperate to come home so I was glad he was able to come home like I've I've failed myself know anyone else here they didn't have what's going on in your life they they didn't have all of that if you didn't have all of that they needed you to pass out they they didn't have all that right so no member of the public could possibly ever think about what we all went through with for Chrissie I mean it was absolutely horrendous so it's not like oh we just got blown up but we went through absolute hell absolutely how and for for Michelle stacker Ashlee the prospector fighting on the front line also proved too much I did not want to leave I didn't want to leave the army my mind was in the wrong place influenced in some respects of him possibly coming out because I just I would constantly talk about Afghanistan was that probably wrong way early but that's just how I felt at the time you know because of the Vaughn was him Neera dad I listened to him a lot and the influence is so great with what he says I do try and listen and I probably listened a bit too much I'm not blaming it on him that why I would the reason why I left but he did have a part to play a definite way I'm walking past Afghanistan I'd often my dad could and then it kind of brushed onto me and that's why I couldn't I knew as soon as they decided to come out and you'll need to regret it and he did the instant that day he just absolutely broke his heart crying the instant and I knew it I knew it had happened I didn't want my son to go off to war and die I didn't but I knew that the army was for him of the 23 recruits who started basic training only ten now remain all committed to serve Queen and country for the next four years and halfway through the course they were given the news they had all been nervously waiting for they were about to be told which one of the five rifle battalions they were to be assigned to and crucially when they would be deployed to the frontline so emotional these last two days going us if they were assigned to one rifles then they would be on a flight to Afghanistan in less than six months time the moment has arrived only one rating for this list will not change okay where you're going you will go basically and that's the end of the story okay because you all know one rifles are going on till first case they're the guys who need people right so here goes Ross two rifles Charlie two rifles needs one rifles Darren's first call was to his mum to tell her when he would be deployed March and you do three months deployment training before so basically as soon as I pass out of here I needed to pick him up I needed to get him back up I needed to get him back on a high says he can focus on what's in front rather than thinking about anything else just think I'm a ninja you just want to give him a hug and say Oh bless you just leave but he were it was signed up for four years and we couldn't do that and she puts it like that I'm a ninja I'm gonna be a ninja I don't know how she changed my mind but she did I think I think she knew like if I wasn't happy where I was going it could be dangerous for me going on top of them because I wonder have been I'm I'm not focused I'm not determined anymore my motivations gone and if you're going on tour like that you know world I paint after six months basic training his saw over half his fellow recruits quit Daren Meads was preparing to pass out as an infantry soldier but back on civvy Street four months after he left the army Lee Howard was adjusting to his new life yep spot we're doing him so many people when I was 8 I said don't leave for these reasons you're gonna regret it and at that time I didn't think I would regret the decision then but I'd really do four we got it big time coming out oh well I think now is probably one of the worst mistakes I made this is a very good feeling the way thumb is down and then you can see what you've achieved and standing there and you're number twos on parade you just feel like you just become one I was so proud Darrin was assigned to first Battalion the rifles faced in chepstow on the Welsh border it would be his home for the next four years the Catterick experience I think he was on a quite high it mean everybody looked up to him the minute he caught two chips so I think they thought oh I think the lobster oh no you don't sit cocky little girl no you don't having spent six months surrounded by other new recruits Daren was now lining up with veterans of recent combat campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan [ __ ] me [ __ ] text alone that's what offer you doing really with what a [ __ ] mess tin darren was assigned to a company under the command of major Carl Boswell also known as jugglers bank after that fixed he had less than five months to prepare and mentor his newly graduated soldiers to get them ready for their first taste of combat on day one it's rabbit in the headlights there is a massive training gap between him coming out of out of the the into training center and then being ready to deploy on operations there were a lot of things that needed to happen and it was trying to adapt the basic skills that we have for fighting any war and making them very specific for fighting their war that we weren't just about to embark on Darwin's training was focused on preparing for situations you may encounter in Afghanistan yeah we went on a lot of exercises my personal view looking back we were all [ __ ] I [ __ ] hate them all but I [ __ ] hate exercise in a cold day that's just me were battered and bruised his feet what a mess he'd got cuts and bruises he worried you were walking around like an old man and I'm thinking what the doing see if I can't send you to Afghanistan like this we nicknamed the whole [ __ ] thing Normandy cause he was he was that bad he was that bad VA was like I look back now and I just think [ __ ] that was good company commander chuckles has a wife and two young children and as their deployment April closer his wife Polly could see firsthand how the pressure of leading his young soldiers to war wore down heavily upon him I can feel his weight of responsibility that's what I get from him it's always about the boys always about looking after them you know how good they are how he puts so much faith in them 11 months after down joined the army the day his mom had been dreading finally arrived it's upsetting I feel really emotional I'm trying to be calm and for his sake what do you say he say to your mom and going to a war zone I mean there's nothing you can do is nothing you can say to family and loved ones that's gonna comfort more and I mean help him tour starts now technique it cheeki put your own net check you call you good stuff having dates so understand however thinking [ __ ] I hope I come back here I'll [ __ ] I'll back him back - one-click wisdom where's we were horrible it wearable to know when I took him to nursery he was the one that there's stuff to pull him away from me he wouldn't be left he wouldn't even go to a birthday party if I won't stop it he wouldn't it wouldn't go it refused to go to this party and now all of a sudden is is as far away as he can possibly be as the soldiers of one rifles headed off to war 20 year-old Ashley was working as a service advisor in a car showroom it's not the job that I don't like because you know the job is good but I just hate being home I just hate being here I just wishing I'd listened to compost you up to us all right said to me before Adele levy said I'm looking dude your character and I know that I promise you'll miss it say Kevin I promise you'll miss it and your ass all right and I want to be here every day if they're doing something out for it to do in my life I think Ashley realized is the what kind of life has have got not in the army you know it could be alive but what what else has he got really I've come out and I know that people think I'm a loser and I just went because I left because I'm scared because I've got hack it I've you know all the criticism that that's come but bollocks you know I left on a flame I was scared but I can go and see everybody else will have been but you know the men of a company were to operate in the district of nari Suraj one of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan stationed at patrol base for and it's three surrounding checkpoints for seven months twice a day the soldiers of a company went out on foot patrol to try and drive the Taliban away from the local communities and by far the biggest threat they faced out on the ground was the improvised explosive device or ie D it wasn't long into the tour until Darren started playing a vital role in every patrol he went on the point man point man is basically you are the lead man of the whole mobile so wherever you go they they're gonna go so you need to pick a route and a safe route need to find IEDs on the ground and hopefully bring your means stopping from going off catch him before you do stand on it Darrin had a natural ability to detect suspicious disturbances out on patrol ground signs that could potentially be IEDs I was originally at the back the very back last month and I remember when I on a few patrols and Gary khatma Creek like no I pointed out a few ground science to him and that term had been missed and he might realized you know I mean he's he can he's spying the background side so I'll put him at the front see what he's like and that's how I saw it come about just really I tell you what I bet you Evol until for that job I bet you any money you volunteered it won't trust anybody else to do that crackers my lad absolutely crazy see like oh-ho what's the problem see the rocks by the trailer so no longer this you just tell if some fits there or not I don't know what it is but you just you just know and you just think I think there's something there so you check it that you just become gentle you become the softest soldier ever and you just slowly clearing any it was slowly clearing it because anything could set it off okay I think every point man to me I I salute all of them because I think they're exceptionally brave more brave than I have an yes something said yeah god I've got eyes on me to know and it's amazing how many of them just grow into this role and they take it as their sole responsibility in life to keep their made safe on a daily basis yeah ruff the meat has done that role really really well this tour as well as patrolling the local areas the soldiers would also find themselves face to face with the Taliban and engaged in firefights fifty-one when you're in contact you're hit immediately by this sort of buzz of adrenaline this huge surge of adrenaline you are hit by fear there is very real fear especially when you hear that round coming past your head and you realize that that was aimed at me you need a stack load of physical courage out there 18 19 year-olds who are actually being shot at sometimes daily not knowing when when they lose a mate who's who's been sort of hit by an ID or they're in contact and they've been shot so there's a very real physical current and you don't know if you've got that until they're actually standing on that wall being shot at initially like and when the rounds are coming in yeah you got this head that straight laughs like a split second and straightaway you give in it straight on it all our blokes are it's a good experience definitely one that none none of wasn't figure fighting in such a dangerous part of Afghanistan meant that a company paid a heavy price they took over 30 casualties and two fatalities there were some tough moments absolutely and you look back in the tough moments are sort of small moments in time that you can box up and put in the back your head and they'll come out one day when you're ready for them to come out I bought little and I'd choose to ignore it and I choose get on with my job and partner brave face as they say that's how I deal with it back in the UK families would worry if they didn't regularly hear from their loved ones you don't sleep properly when they're over there you can't you can't sleep not properly I'm always carrying my phone around I've always got my phone in out and even at work if anybody sees I'm walking around the offices I've got my mobile phone in my hand if something happens over there it put the minimizer's on so there's no contact whatsoever from them to us so it's like if is that the PB and it's constantly on faith it's on Facebook and then all of a sudden you don't hear from him if it minimizes around oh my god what's happened that's scary because you know somebody somewheres getting some bad news very soldier from the engineer is killed and it's just such a tiny little strap at the bottom of when toss it's so important so you know that's I suppose anything isn't it well cut to the weather any minute it's up there with that important it became more worrying you know it just got more worrying and the more casualties and you know then we had some fatalities and and that's when you I think you do really start thinking but then you push it to back in your mind again and you plow on be always getting text from someone saying I haven't heard anything on any of the websites for 24 hours if they're up minimize you know and then suddenly it's all comes back to the front of you again and you're thinking okay mustn't think about this and so I think it's that kind of comes in waves to patrols a day seven days a week carrying over a hundred kilos of equipment in 50 degree heat the harsh conditions of living in a war zone was starting to take their toll if you had a camera you would only film a fire you'd only film bomb me because I stole you take photos of these helicopters bombs going off contacts and things like so that's all they're gonna see back home or like the casual is things like that's all I'll see they don't see how we're living and how what we go through from day to day and which is like cleaning your own clothes in just the basic living conditions in a compa in a small motel room cars yeah of the minute I've got a fire [ __ ] about a con here I'm just doing my job doing what I'm told and then just grow was it for the rest of the tour chuckles led his young soldiers from the front can he get eyes on the wagon east to west from 3/8 and Darrin acted as point man now after seven months and over 400 patrols the tour is finally over 18 months ago Darren was a new recruit now he returns home a veteran of the war in Afghanistan next please it's been non-stop from training to training to Afghan and then finally going home they're coming home to come in home you start picturing in your head how that moment is gonna go you play it out in your head constantly constantly constantly constantly Oh God oh my god to see simplee and seeing Hector Nancy is really emotional them very mission start getting emotional now okay such a good feeling far above any where for so long lost five five lads distal that's five families five months after completing the tour the battalion are given a hero's welcome through their local town of chip stone passive and Afghan you you don't think anybody back home lose a fire for Kamali it's nice to know what other people are thinking about you and supporting you rather than just children's whilst Aaron is pleased to be back alive Ashley and Lee who joined up with him but quit in training are still on civvy Street they're both planning to rejoin the army I've been spending a lot of time with my brother since and I feel like now I've accepted it I feel right about it now I've spoken to him about it and my mind is in the right place now where I just need to get back and do it do it properly this time I know I left but you know I do regret that but I really want to go suck on my son if I could go tomorrow God without with God with all my heart would go there and I would prove myself that I can do it and the fact that I was just it wasn't my time not that wasn't worried or scared it was just not my time so that's why I do want to go back I want to go before I am gonna go to Afghanistan if we Stover you do not go to do the Queen's duty without risk there have been eighty-one battle injuries during the tour and of these ten are what we describe as life-changing in the battle group ten of our people have been killed in action five of them are from one rifles they've gone we've lost good men you know I mean I think about a long time I think about the times out do I mean I had with him I call it training us before we was leaving infants lahar but that's that's all you can do just think about at times I had together the good times rather than about it just helps you get on with it and accept the fact I've gone why have none of our 5000 professional footballers come out as gay Britain's gay footballers tomorrow at 9 on Tuesday at 9 we find out how our new junior doctors are coping with their new jobs on the ward and on Wednesday at 9 its own sex and suspicious parents as two teenagers head família in Crete

Channel: Damien Blount

Views: 209,636

Rating: 4.8799648 out of 5

Keywords: free, tv, video, online, me, Project, Free, TV, Watch, 'Young, Soldiers, Season, 1, Episode, 5', on, Sockshare, for, free

Id: DHIq8GWP2Eo

Length: 57min 11sec (3431 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 25 2012