First Encounter Sandhurst

This programme contains strong language

INDISTINCT SHOUTED COMMANDS

Squad! To the left in threes, left...turn!

One, two, three, one!

Shoulder...arms!

If we leave Afghanistan now, Al-Qaeda will again use Afghanistan

as a base from which to attack the West.

I say, we cannot let that happen.

But it is what you did that will actually prevent it.

-NEWSREADER:

-'Tributes have been paid to a North Yorkshire soldier

'who has died after being wounded in Afghanistan.

'25-year-old Captain Andrew Griffiths served with

'Second Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment. He died on Sunday in hospital.

'His father, Brigadier Mike Griffiths,

'is the head of the regiment in which his son served.'

-RADIO:

-The tributes being paid to Andrew Griffiths today

are quite exemplary.

His commanding officer said,

"The respect he commanded from his men

"was genuinely the most impressive I have seen in a young officer in all my 24 years in the infantry."

On you go, sir, you will get briefed by one of the colour sergeants.

Good afternoon, sir. You're allowed to smile, honest! It's a lovely day to join the Army.

-It is indeed, the sunshine.

-Registration to the left.

-There's a newsletter here for parents and guardians.

-Thank you.

-Hi there.

-Stuart Darrock.

-OK, you are in One Platoon Alamein Company.

What I'd like you to do is to go into the main hall,

turn right down the corridor.

Everyone is, "Ooh, the first five weeks are going to be hard."

Just can't wait to get stuck in. Get my overalls on.

I think it's blissful ignorance at the moment. Don't know what to worry about.

-What colour do you wear under?

-Dark, he said.

-Not white.

-That's not really dark!

It's got to be more serious, really, hasn't it?

You've got to rein yourself in, I think.

For the first five weeks, you can't have a...

You can have a personality, but you don't want to stand out

because to stand out would be to be noticed and I think you don't want to be noticed.

Six people missing still. We might have some people not turn up.

At the moment, I'm missing six.

Unless they are down there at the moment.

I'd like to give you all a huge welcome, really, to Sandhurst.

269 British cadets on course 103. 238 male

and 31 female.

So let's start with what Sandhurst does.

The basic aim is to develop leadership.

And, using Field Marshal Montgomery's great definition,

what is that leadership?

It's the capacity and the will

to rally men and women to a common purpose

and the character, which will inspire confidence.

That leadership must be based on a moral authority

and it must be based on the truth.

SERGEANT CALLS OUT NAMES

-Chapman.

-Yes.

-Darrock.

-Yes.

-Gillan.

-Yes.

-Stewart.

-Yes.

-Stotts.

-Yes.

Do we have Axford?

Love you.

Oh, and we've put October 31st in our diary.

Is that when the first one is?

Approximately 30 seconds, quickly, say goodbye to mums and dads

then get but fell back in here.

-Take care, take care.

-Have fun.

You have a fantastic time.

You look fantastic.

By the left, quick march!

Left, right, left, right, left, right!

No make-up to be worn at all.

Do not let me catch you out putting little bits of mascara on.

No jewellery and, in no way, nail polish.

Are we all clear on that?

-Yes, Staff Sergeant.

-Are we all clear on that?

-Yes, Staff Sergeant!

-Right.

This is me and Baroness Thatcher.

After Sandhurst, and after a few years in the military,

I would like to be made of the stuff that, you know, a good politician would be.

I'd like to represent people.

Some of them think I'm quite brave and some of them think

it'll be fine and I'll be fine.

But, yeah, and other people have literally no idea.

They think I'm going too to some sort of cushty boarding school. It's not quite that friendly!

Your ablutions and toilets are at the far end of this corridor.

They are your toilets and your toilets only.

At no stage should any females be coming in here

without supervision from their staff sergeant. That's vice versa. You do not start going into their lines.

I'd been with my girlfriend for a long time

and we recently split up about a year ago.

Effectively, kicking me into touch gave me the impetus to think

I've got to do something for me now, and I've always wanted to do it.

I thought I might as well give it a crack, I'm not getting any younger.

One, two, three...one.

One, two, three...one.

One, two, three...one.

I've done uni and I still get homesick.

One, two, three...one.

# Send her victorious

# Happy and glorious

# Long to reign over us

# God save our Queen. #

Right, gentleman, listen to me now, and listen good.

First morning, you're getting up, not everybody here on time.

You need to start thinking and you have to be on parade five minutes before.

If you're not on parade five minutes before that means you are late.

If you were five minutes late for the Queen's parade, do you think she'd be too pleased?

-Do we think she'd be too pleased, gentlemen?

-No, Sergeant!

Right, gentlemen, we start the morning to a bad start.

That is your first and final warning. Everyone understand me?

-Yes, Sergeant.

-OK. Tops on lids, open up your water bottles.

Gentlemen, drink your water bottles. Once you've drunk it,

place your water bottle up in the air over your head, to ensure it's empty. All of it.

It is not a race, however, it needs to all go.

Gentlemen, we sing the national anthem, we sing it with pride.

Right, upside down on top of your head so I can see it's all empty.

Are you going to be sick? Let me know if you're sick.

Keep going.

I can't stress the importance that you need water in the morning,

for you to keep fluids on board.

It is important that you do and throughout the day continue.

Everywhere we go...

HE VOMITS

-Are you going to be sick again?

-No.

-OK.

It's important we continue to take the...

HE VOMITS AGAIN

Right, gentlemen, you're not having mobile phones.

It's all right, it's only water, calm down.

Are you going to be sick again? If you're going to be sick again, go to the toilet.

Right, gentlemen, that's it, water bottles down.

Next parade you are on 0600 hours, outside, ready to rock and roll,

to go and do areas.

Are there any questions?

Correctly dressed, ie coveralls with your boots on.

The only person...

HE VOMITS AGAIN

Are you making a trail of it all the way down my corridor?

Right, in you come, please

Permission to come in, sir.

Yes.

Just a quick one because I know you're quite busy.

I spoke to the padre today and he explained about your friend.

We're very sorry to hear that. When did it happen?

He died not the Sunday just gone, but the Sunday before

and was injured nine days prior to that in Afghanistan.

-Was he in Selly Oak?

-He died in Selly Oak, of his injuries, sir.

Who was he?

-Captain Andrew Griffiths from the Duke of Lancaster.

-Lancs, yeah.

I didn't know him, but I saw that.

Because he's a close friend it is quite important

to try and get you the chance to go up there.

Would you want to go?

I would love to go if I could, if it was possible.

I think it is quite important that you pay your last respects, if possible.

INDISTINCT SHOUTED COMMANDS

-Hello.

-Hello, how are you?

-This is a set haircut.

-OK, no problem.

-Did you go to university?

-I did, yes.

I went to Loughborough Uni. A few years ago now. 2007 I finished.

-Did you study anything interesting?

-Geography.

-Geography - map colouring!

-A little bit!

-Did you enjoy it?

-I did, yes.

-That's the main thing.

Been travelling since, so.

I've had a good last six years.

Right, tell me about your family.

I live with my mother and my stepfather.

My father died when I was 14.

-Sorry about that.

-It's fine.

And he... I kind of decided to join the Army at the age of 15

so I don't know whether that was a turning point.

I kind of thought maybe I should, find out what I'm going to do with my life.

After that.

I've had it short before. I've had so many different haircuts.

-The experimenter.

-Yeah. It was really bad, like.

By the right, quick march!

Left, right! Left, right!

Turn!

-One, two!

-Quick march.

Left, right! Left, right! Turn.

Turn!

Make sure the arm is shoulder-high all the time.

Let's try it again. Halt! Check.

-Mr Darrock.

-Yes, Staff Sergeant.

Walk as if you're walking naturally. You're like moon walking.

Halt, there we go. Check, one, two.

Better, better.

Squad, halt!

-Hello.

-Hello, sir.

-What's your name?

-David Stewart, sir.

-Mr Stewart.

-Come and sit down over here, please.

-Thank you, sir.

How old are you?

-I'm 22 years old, sir.

-Where are you from?

-Edinburgh.

Currently residing in the Isle of Skye.

-Currently residing in A Block, A Company.

-Sorry, sir.

-What did you do at uni?

-I did history and English.

-Anything interesting about yourself?

-No, I'd probably say no, not really.

I was going to go to King's College to do War Studies

but I needed BBC and I got BCD.

What did you do?

I started doing a job labouring and got offered a job as an electrician's mate.

And done my apprenticeship and become an electrician.

OK. Electrician...

What about any issues you might have, which you think

I should know about before we sort of...

Other than me not being able to march, not really, sir.

The marching issue will come, I assure you.

Thank you. Good to meet you. Thank you very much.

-Uh-uh-uh.

-Am I...

-Am I supposed to...?

-Yes.

-Oh, sorry!

I didn't realise, cos... Right.

(Leave to carry on, sir, please.)

Leave to carry on, please... Sir, please.

-Leave to carry on, sir, please.

-Leave to carry on, sir, please.

-Yes, please do. Thank you very much.

Well done, good effort.

Kind of.

He's quite old. 25. 25 and a non-grad.

He's got to be the oldest non-grad I've had,

but we find he seems pretty dedicated,

anyone who comes to Sandhurst aged 25.

It's good.

Here we go, then. Number ones, out you come.

Too slow, change! Too slow, change! Too slow, change!

Too slow, change!

From day one, everything's hitting you at 50mph.

It's a military regime. They've got to have a regime like that.

If we don't, when we go on operational tours and things like that,

how can we expect people to perform and fight for their country?

One minute, you're sitting there,

and you can go to the pub, and you can just turn on the telly,

or you can just do whatever you want.

And you come here, and it's just like...

Look at me, you're writing down your number and name

on the back of shirts that you were wearing when you were about five years old.

And you've got all this kit and it's just...

-It's pretty mental, to be honest.

-What time is it?

-It's only ten.

So...still got a few more hours yet.

This fork needs to be next to the spoon.

The knife needs to be like this. The shaving kit. It's all very precise.

It's a work in progress at the moment.

I think I've been neat before but I don't think this is very efficient, to be honest,

but I suppose there's a purpose to it because look at all this space that isn't used.

This drawer could take a lot of things.

Right now, it takes two sets of gloves, one belt,

and about 11 pairs of socks.

I was just thinking to myself, I had a couple of cigarettes outside

and I had a bit of time to myself, which was...nice.

And it's...yeah, I think it's just first day, isn't it?

It's just the change of pace.

Now I know what's to come, I'll be all right.

I hope.

-So, your wife just had a baby?

-Yes.

She's currently three weeks and one day old now. So...

I'll deal with all these children and go home and deal with some more children.

You can't take it too hard.

Well, I say you can't take it too hard on them straightaway

because they're still stunned at the moment.

We gradually get them into it and there's a bit of a difference today, you know.

A bit of a settling in time, getting on with the job at hand until it starts.

There was a little moment yesterday when I thought, "No, this is...

"I want to jack." But I think everyone I've spoke to

said they had that little...that little feeling.

But then...you've come this far, you've gone through it all,

to jack in the first week would just be...lunacy.

Maybe if I'd actually come here when I was 16, I'd be all right

but now after I've seen what I can have without the Army, I want to do that.

-It's only day two. It does get easier.

-It's not that, sir.

-It's the fact that I don't want to be an army officer.

-That's fine. OK.

He was 16 years old when he said he wanted to join the Army.

It took him five years to get here and now he's here, he's seen this side of life and he doesn't like it.

What he doesn't realise is it isn't always going to be like this

and it does get easier when you get into the routine.

I think it's just a culture shock.

At university, I mean, I changed quite a lot.

We had this freedom and this freedom I really enjoyed.

And I enjoyed that a lot more than being in this regimented style that the Army offers.

And I don't think I function in it.

Strictly speaking, you can't DAR,

-which stands for "discharge as of right", until week four.

-Right.

OK?

Because I don't want to force you to be here,

if you give me a verbal agreement now that you give it until next weekend,

and if you're still not keen and up for it by next weekend,

then we can start actioning your discharge, then I'll go with that.

-You owe me 20 press-ups, push them out.

-One, two. One, two.

You owe me 20.

Down, push out. You've got two pouches open.

20 press-ups and you've got kit hanging out of it.

I don't want to stay another... until a week Saturday.

I just don't want to be here.

-OFFICER:

-Mr Batty!

Some people there have got press-ups for no reason.

Quickly, before you come out, buddy-buddy system,

check each other over, all pouches squared.

If then you're picked up, your mate's jacked on you.

Don't actually know whether he's worth keeping.

He seems quite wet. A little bit weak.

Unsure.

I could just be wasting everyone's time.

But he needs to make an informed decision.

So two weeks today.

By the right, quick march. Left, right, left, right, left...

Straight on the heel, gentlemen. Arm-shoulder right.

Close fist, push down the thumb, lock-out the elbow, necks to the back of the collar.

Heel. That'll keep you in step.

Left, right, left, right...

As Squadron Commander of my Lynx Squadron out in Afghanistan.

We effectively provide support to ground manoeuvre in Helmand province.

When you come back from Afghanistan, and come straight away to Sandhurst,

they know you've just been applying it all out in one of the harshest possible environments.

It's tough. There are 95 guys here, men and women, and...

and I've no doubt that some cadets who are here now will die in the line of duty.

But that's the business we're in, that's the nature of the job we do,

and most of them probably realise that already.

With the full military funerals, OK, there's a lot of people there

and there's a lot of ceremony to it.

It's a lot for you to learn and it's going to be difficult.

When you come back, if you need a bit of time, we'll give you a bit of time.

There's people here, there's myself, the platoon commander.

You can get in touch with the padre,

if you want someone to speak to when you come back. OK?

Chin up. Unfortunately, it happens to a lot of us and we have to go do these things,

so...crack on as best you can today and hopefully tomorrow better day.

-All right?

-Leave to fall out, can I start, please?

-Yes, please do.

-One, two, three. One, two, three. Left, right.

-Keep those hands pinned to the side.

-Thank you, sir.

I tried to explain to him

what a military funeral is going to be like, slightly.

I was at four, five military funerals myself last year....

It's a very emotional time,

and although he's got friends here he's made for the last three days, he's still quite alone.

A lot of the ones I've been to have been very close friends of mine.

And...it's obviously emotional because you know these people so well

and you've lived in and out with them for many, many years.

It has affected me but it hasn't affected me negatively.

It's opened my eyes a little bit more, I think,

to what the possibilities are.

And, yes, all the cadets that have come in now,

it's something that they need...

need to consider.

You know, are they prepared to put themselves in that sort of danger

because it's going to come to that.

It's a bit daunting that one of us could be really good friends here,

part our ways, go to different regiments

and then I could find out Gillen was blown up by an IED.

But you don't want to think about that here.

You've got far too much to think about at the moment.

It's a long way off yet.

This is painful. I give up on this, I think.

I've flipped it over three times and put a crease in it every single time.

Yes, where's Mum when you need her?

Considering how much you're struggling with the old marching side of things,

you still haven't got any press-ups for it at all.

He puts on his south London accent. "Listen, mate. Let me do you a deal."

HE LAUGHS

"I do not need them push-ups. What you need is..."

He's just got rhythm.

Unfortunately, speak to his girlfriend, he ain't got any.

I'm not very good at ironing either, so...

You've got 30 blokes here in the platoon that are all supposed to be marked out for leadership.

Surely, some of us have got to be followers

and others have got to be...

got to be leaders, and I think that's going to create a bit of friction in the coming weeks

because, I mean, I can feel it.

It might just be me being tired and wired on sugar, but I'm just...

over-thinking about stuff.

Turn!

-Turn!

-One!

Turn to the left.

Turn!

-Turn!

-One, two, three! One!

Thank you, Corporal.

I've never even been to a funeral so this is...

this is all new for me.

The SA80 A2 rifle.

Fitted with a bayonet and a scabbard.

The bayonet itself, used for close-quarter battle,

can be thrusted into the enemy, OK, first of all without embedding itself into the bone.

Because it doesn't embed itself into the bone, it's accurate.

Also situated...here,

you'll see the recess, which is the blood channel.

When you thrust that into the enemy, there will be no suction, OK?

You will be able to pull it out straight away.

If that recess wasn't there,

all the air would not be able to escape and it would make it harder to pull it out of the enemy.

Close-quarter battle with a bayonet.

Afghanistan, for example, you open the door,

you're just about to go into a compound,

you do not know if that enemy is going to be behind the door, the Taliban, etc.

So you have the bayonet there, ready just in case the rifle does not operate.

-Does everyone understand that?

-Yes, sir.

-OK.

They do want to talk about our experiences in Afghanistan.

I was flying in here, in two minutes,

I had three radio calls.

The first one says they've picked up a triple amputee.

About 40 seconds later, they say they're administering CPR,

and about two and a half minutes later they say the individual is now an angel.

That's the term we use for people who die on operations.

It's a difficult thing just to get your head around.

Clearly, whatever happened before they get on the helicopter,

you're not privy to, mainly being involved in an IED.

But within three minutes, you hear someone lose their life.

And it's pretty humbling.

Captain Griffiths was destined to be a leader.

Steeped in the Army tradition, born to an Army family,

Captain Griffiths' father

once served as Commanding Officer of the King's Own Royal Border Regiment.

And he is now the honorary colonel of his own son's regiment,

the Duke of Lancaster's.

BUGLER PLAYS LAST POST

It was mentioned he'd been on two tours to Afghanistan.

And that was as far as the war in Afghanistan was mentioned.

It was talked about how well he led his...his soldiers,

he was a bit of an inspiration to all his soldiers, by all accounts.

I only ever knew him as Randy Andy from university. But...

there's a lot of people that would do very well to live up to what he achieved.

Dying for your country is...

is fairly honourable.

There are a lot worse ways to go, I think.

So it's a risk that I'm prepared to take.

Right, gentlemen, first thing, who has not painted their red tag?

-Integrity now. Why not, Mr Barnes?

-I forgot.

You forgot? Right, that's not acceptable.

So that end, OK, get down, press-up position down.

Five, four, three,

two, on my timing,

you should all be in the down position now.

Up, down, up, down,

up, down, up, down,

up, down. Down.

If I give you tasks to do during the evening,

it's not for my benefit, it's for your benefit.

I don't need a red tag on my bergen, you are the individuals that do.

If you can't take a simple order as paint a red tag,

how can I expect you to start giving orders to soldiers

that are going to be under your command if you commission out of here?

Does anybody think they can disagree with what I'm saying?

-ALL:

-No, Sergeant.

Up, down, up, down,

up, down, up, down.

What are you doing? Permission to fall out, Colour Sergeant...

Permission to fall out, Colour Sergeant, please.

And then you'll turn to the right.

One, two, three, two, three.

Right, Frank Spencer! Where's he gone?

Where's Frank Spencer gone? Come here.

-Right, I'm going to do part of the drill with you because you need one. What number is that?

-One.

-What did I ask you to stay still on?

-One, two, three.

Right, so when you move, you go one, two, three, moving like that.

From there, ONE, TWO, THREE, ONE!

And you're away, yes? Right, let's try it.

-One, two, three, one, two, three...

-Come here, come here, come here.

I'm going to tie your hands when you start moving

and put a belt round you so they stay like that, yeah?

Keep them there, boots together.

Better. Now try doing it looking up. Go.

Better. That's how I wanted it, yes? Disappear.

I was one of the kids running through the woods

playing pretend guns.

Then I went on to do target rifle shooting,

which was with the cadets, so that was a military thing as well.

And I was actually...

I was actually asked to leave school when I was 17,

and I was caught smoking marijuana.

Which was, yeah, a regrettable experience.

To be honest, though, it's sort of put me back on the straight and narrow.

It's a slippery slope, and, yeah, it certainly bucked my ideas up.

Mr Chapman. Turn your head slightly towards me. That's better.

OK, chin up slightly. Not too much. Good.

OK, belt, way too loose, yeah?

What is that going to hold up?

We're not back in the ghetto, wearing your pants around your arse.

That is around your waist, tight.

March! Left, right, left, right, left, right!

-Right turn!

-One, two, three, one!

Switch on, gentlemen. Switch on, attention to detail.

It doesn't matter how fast you're going,

the drill movements need to be carried out correctly. Do you understand?

-Yes, sir!

-Do you understand?

-Yes, sir!

Stand still! By the left, quick march!

-Halt!

-One, two!

-About turn!

-One, two, three, one!

I think certain people, like if people have gone to boarding school,

they'd be more comfortable with the whole situation,

because it's a lot...

I have heard it described as Hogwarts with guns, Sandhurst.

And I think that's quite a good, apt choice of words,

because, you know, all the pomp and ceremony.

Two, three, up. Two, three, down.

Two, three, up. Two, three, in.

Stand still! Stand still!

Gentleman, why aren't we calling the time out?

You should be screaming the shagging time out!

One more try, one more try, and you have pushed me,

and then we'll increase the pace, warm you up again, do I make myself clear?

-Yes, sir!

-Start switching on, gentlemen.

It's conformity, it's conformity to the max,

and I think that's quite a shock.

-Do you never call him by his first name?

-I don't know his first name!

-I honestly don't know his first name.

-We've been here for five days!

-What's your first name?

-Sam.

-Sam? My name's Ian.

-Nice to meet you!

SAM LAUGHS

I honestly didn't know his first name.

I'm just learning everyone's second names.

Sam. OK, that's stored in the memory bank now.

-You are now a family as 3 Platoon, aren't you?

-Yes, sir!

You're all brothers. Work together, look after each other.

-All right, gentlemen?

-Yes, sir!

I can imagine that some of my more liberal or Marxist friends in...

..in the civilian world might call it brainwashing,

but in the Army you call it training!

I don't know, maybe I am brainwashed!

But it's a good sort of brainwashing.

I don't like that, because if you think of it in terms of brainwashing,

you're thinking of it in terms of something kind of untoward

that's done to you, that changes you,

whereas training is something you embrace,

you want to become part of the Army, you want to be an officer,

so you train, so your brain is totally receptive to everything that they're...

..sending flying at it.

Obviously tomorrow we're going to go on Exercise Virgin Soldier.

For some of you, you will have been on exercise before,

but for, I think there's a good ten of you,

so a third of the platoon, it'll be the first time out under the stars

in a military environment, so I just want to lay a few ground rules now.

I've noticed some of you retain information incredibly badly.

No sooner have I said it than your hands are in the air

and you're asking for the same information to be given again.

Tomorrow's a day of lessons, that's the only day you're going to get.

From then on, we're going to expect you not to be the elite,

but we expect you to get better and better,

so certainly by the beginning of, by the second night of self-reliance,

you can administrate, you can conduct decent routine in the field, OK?

I am putting a bit of rope to a spoon,

because Mr Gray, who's going to be our second 2IC,

said that it would be handy if we all had spoons

attached into our jackets, to our smocks,

then we'll never lose them.

HE LAUGHS

So that's what I'm currently working on.

A spoon in a pocket!

There, then you have it here, and you eat,

then you clean it off, put it back in. Bingo.

I've shot a pigeon with an air rifle before.

The only time I've slept...

I've been camping, fishing, night fished,

and I've been drunk and slept in the back garden,

but that's about the limit of my experience.

Tomorrow is where I come into my element, when we're in the field.

That is how I roll as an infantry soldier, and that's how we roll,

so don't be afraid if I start shouting and screaming at you cos you're not doing stuff right.

I don't expect you to know straight away, I will teach you first,

then once I've taught you, I expect you to then put it into practice, yeah?

Anyone planning on going sick tomorrow?

No?

Judging by our platoon, anyone can come.

There's a lot of people, even in the other companies,

who I'd look at on civvy street and think, "Are you kidding me?

"You can't go to Sandhurst! You couldn't fight your way out of a wet paper bag."

I'm feeling a little bit deficient,

and because I'm making mistakes and being the funny guy,

I'm being tarred with the brush of a clown and a joker,

and that's probably what I'm struggling with, I suppose.

We'll sort out the men from the boys when we're on exercise

and they're pissed, wet through, at three o'clock in the morning, struggling to stay awake. Yeah.

'Some of them just infuriate me.'

Who's that third person that's just emerged?

-Mr Darrock, sir.

-Mr Darrock, what are you doing?

You fucking start lighting that and walking round,

-it's going to burn your bastard fingers, isn't it?

-Yes, sir.

And what effect are you going to have then?

Our biggest asset is our people.

-If you can't look after yourself, we're fucked, aren't we?

-Yes, sir.

Get over there and fucking sort yourself out.

-Mr Darrock, get on your belt buckle now. Where's your rifle?

-Where's your shagging weapon?

-Where's your weapon?!

-Where is your rifle?!

Your weapon should be no more than half distance. Start shagging crawling now!

Start crawling!

You are being idle and lazy!

When you get back there, your place is going to be done up.

Am I clear, Mr Darrock? Get moving, then.

Having been told everything now once, we won't be told again,

so it's going to be no mistakes accepted, just do what you've been told.

Quite cheesy for a tikka masala.

All I'm missing is a lager, that would be really great.

I think you'd be hard pushed to find anyone here

who hasn't at some point thought, "Why am I doing this, why am I here?

"Simply, why am I here?"

-You shaved?

-Not yet, no.

There's tears occasionally,

but we got told yesterday we weren't allowed to cry anymore.

We have to man up a bit.

Which is fair enough,

cos we're not allowed to cry in front of our soldiers.

'Anyone can get cold and wet.

'The key is to try and keep warm and comfortable.'

A good effective solder is the one that can look after himself in the field.

Right, I'm going to have to report this.

Guys, guys?

I've cut myself pretty good, and I can't apply a dressing.

Can someone just come over?

You've cut your finger.

It's not really bad, I just...

Where have you cut it?

I think it's on this side of my finger.

-It's there.

-Are you taking the piss?

You big girl.

It's not big, I just can't stop the bleeding.

It's Chapman.

He needs to get some testosterone down his Gregory Peck, I think.

'I'm not your typical Army bod, or whatever,'

and they won't find me funny.

I'm not as sporty as them or whatever,

but I'm not going to change who I am to fit in, you know?

I think they'll come round, hopefully, sooner or later.

But, yeah, I'm not overly confident.

I know who I am, and I will just get on with being me

and get through the course, and, you know, enjoy it as much as possible.

GUNSHOTS

We are now in the enemy's killing area.

We need to be momentum, speed and aggression.

We're not all moving at the same time!

You're engaging those safety catches. Pouches, pouches, pouches!

Don't go through the motions of checking 'em

if you're not going to physically check 'em!

You lose a magazine on the battlefield, that's 30 rounds.

That's 30 dead enemy if I was engaging that enemy!

It's something we talked about at night in parades

and came to the conclusion we're working probably about 130, 140 hours a week,

which is, obviously, we worked out it's a normal person's working week

in two days, cos it's absolutely so fast-paced at the minute.

At the moment, I'm walking around, all cammed up,

listening to the staggered walk that everyone makes along the paths

and tracks, and I kind of feel like I'm in Apocalypse Now,

so I am doing a bit of movie re-enactment in my head,

but I'm trying not to, because I think it's probably inappropriate.

Should be very serious. I'm resolved to be very serious.

Do you think that's fucking acceptable now?

-Do you think that's acceptable?

-No, Colour Sergeant.

Who thinks that's acceptable? So why the fuck is it in that state?!

This is kit equipment, gentlemen, that you're going to use on the battlefield, yeah?

This is an aid to you seeing at night.

If it's not kept in a good fucking state,

how's it's expected to work correctly?

Basically, had a bit of a long-running problem,

I say long-running, I mean two weeks,

first it was my shins, then I think counterbalancing that

I then developed a problem in my knee, in my left knee.

'The physio's explained to me that it's my infrapatella.'

And it's just causing me a bit of gyp -

going up and down hills is where it's really getting bad.

But I don't like quitting, I've never really quit anything before, so I'm going to see it through.

All right, every single one of you here want to fight for your commission and want to be here.

To that end, you should have the personal discipline to stay awake.

Next two, come on.

'We have been an exercise for three days now.'

We've got to concentrate on staying awake, because it is hard,

they've only had five or six hours sleep since they've been out here.

But they're still expected to stay awake, especially as these guys are all hoping to be second lieutenants,

platoon commanders, within the next 11, 12 months.

I only gave you a fucking warning this morning.

I only told the five people in front of the platoon this morning,

that should have been enough to motivate yourselves to stay awake!

20 minutes of stand to, that's it!

It's not mission impossible, is it?

Right, gentleman, do you know why you're here?

-Yes, sir.

-Why?

THEY MUMBLE REPLY

You slept while you were supposed to be on duty, didn't you?

-Yes, sir.

-Right. Do you think that is acceptable?

No, sir.

Do you know what would happen to a private soldier if he sleeps on stag?

No, sir.

I tell you what happens to him, he goes to jail for 28 days!

As a result of this, you are now going on platoon commander's warnings.

-Have you been told that?

-Yes, sir.

I'm telling you now, gentlemen, that's the last fucking chance you get with me,

-do you understand?

-Yes, sir!

Cross me again and I will absolutely fucking snap.

That is totally, totally unacceptable.

Disappear. Disappear.

One, two, three, one, two, three, left, right, left.

'Not completing an exercise,

'or getting on to what's called a jack wagon, getting on to the ambulance,

'sometimes, fine, you have an injury.'

But some of them, it's simply fatigue,

and they will quit before their body gives out.

'And yeah, you have to ask some pretty serious questions,

'because it's early in the course for them to do that.'

-Right, Miss Eldridge, do you know why you're here?

-Yes.

-Why?

It's for falling asleep on radio stag.

-You fell asleep as well, did you?

-Yes, sir.

-When did this come out?

When did this come out that you fell asleep on radio stag?

I... Well, now, I assumed that was what this was about.

Who knows that you fell asleep on radio stag?

-Is that an admittance to me that you fell asleep?

-Yes, it is, sir.

You can speak to Staff Hardy about this once you've finished, and then the platoon commander,

but that is totally UNACCEPTABLE to fall asleep on stag!

-Yes, sir.

-Totally unacceptable! Do you know why I asked to see you?

-No, sir.

-I've asked to see you because you, at the moment, are just a civvy in uniform.

There's no spark there whatsoever. And the potential you've got is there.

-Yes, sir.

-Fall out.

Thank you, sir.

One, two, three, one, two, three, left, right, left.

Think about a really, really big, sweaty man in an iron forge,

taking a piece of metal and hammering it repetitively,

whilst it's red hot.

I am that metal rod and I'm being hammered into a leader.

An officer.

Why's people moving in that corridor?

The bed needs pulling a lot tighter.

That's not acceptable.

That requires to be done to a higher standard.

Attention to detail, gentlemen, attention to detail.

-New pictures, Mr Stewart.

-Yes, Colour Sergeant.

Are they your sisters?

-Yes, Colour Sergeant.

-Are they going to come to the pass-off weekend?

-Yes, Colour Sergeant.

-Good.

Who's laughing out there?

MAN COUGHS

Stop coughing. Die in silence.

Colour sergeant took me in last week, and we were just having a chat,

and I was doing some jobs for him, and he said, "I really like that you've got a bouncy character,

"and you're quite open."

But he said, "Just be careful that you don't take it too far.

"Because people won't take you seriously when you're in command." I completely understand that.

But I'm here now, and I can't change myself too much.

'I don't think I'm capable of it.

'I'll always just be me, and that is quite loud and in-your-face.'

-Please to fall in, sir.

-Yes.

Left, right, left, right.

'I pulled you in here',

to place you on a warning, because I'm not content with your performance since you arrived here,

back in September.

At times, I think you're very immature,

which isn't required at Sandhurst.

I think your respect for the system at Sandhurst is below what's expected, as well.

-Yes, sir.

-What happened the other day when he was giving his room inspection?

Er... My shirt was undone, my flies were undone,

and I removed, erm, my appendage, part of my appendage, from my pants.

-Why?

-I don't know, sir, just...not thinking.

It makes me angry that you were in the corridor,

whilst the colour sergeant's trying to do a room inspection,

showing that you've got no respect for him whatsoever,

trying to make other people laugh whilst he's trying to do a room inspection.

-Yes, sir.

-It's fucking immature, it's pathetic.

-Yes, sir.

-If this was a battalion, you'd be out straight away.

-Yes, sir.

As in, the platoon sergeant would probably knock you out straight away.

Yes, sir.

You need to question yourself, if you really want to commit to this course.

If you don't, then decide it, and get out.

Because at the moment, you're not showing it to me or the platoon commander.

You're by far the worst example of an officer cadet I've seen go through this place.

You need to up your game otherwise we'll get rid of you.

MEN CHATTER

Stewart. What a prick.

-Mr Stewart?

-Yeah.

I'll have a chat with the commander in the morning. I was not aware it was his testicles he pulled out.

I was on the back foot. That's a soldier's thing to do, really, not an officer's.

That is what you would expect off a private soldier.

Colour sergeant tells me on Sunday morning,

he said, "I was trying to do an inspection, he was trying to get them giggling in the corridor."

He had a ball in his flies, and that.

I thought, "Right, OK." But what he meant was his actual balls.

Hopefully, that will be the end of it.

I was a bit angry, actually, well, not angry...

I keep getting told it's just a big game.

And I'm beginning to believe it, because am I the bottom of the platoon?

I don't think so. If he tries to pull that again...

I kind of wanted to laugh, but obviously, I couldn't.

But...bottom of the platoon, my arse.

I can't as a company commander look at 95 cadets the whole time,

and observe them with the same level of detail.

But in the short term, you're looking for people

who are not at the standard required,

and Long Reach is about as good a tool to find those people early on,

to see whether they have the commitment.

It's 180 square kilometres of real estate in the Black Mountains,

about 70 kilometres, they'll be expected to walk in 36 hours.

And if they can't do it here, they're simply not going to be able to do it on operations,

so we design exercises purely with that in mind.

It's hard. Really hard.

It's just the thought that you could have another 24 hours of this.

Already done about 14 hours now.

Give or take.

You have your moments, one minute you're really down and hanging out,

then the next, you're pulling someone else along, so yeah...

All good fun, though(!)

Over there, that mountain, down the hill, two more checkpoints,

back up to that massive thing over there.

And then down to two more checkpoints before the end.

Hands up for contour around it. Everyone? Right, let's go round it then.

I'm struggling to keep the pace,

and my knee's much worse going downhill,

and they basically took it off me, I'm just feeling guilty as shit about it.

I was feeling a bit fresher, just help out on the knees.

It's quite a balance, and if I fall over, I've got a bit of padding!

It's going down hills that's really causing me grief, fucking grief.

Whereabouts?

It's the outside of my knee, round here.

We're only as strong as the weakest, aren't we?

'If your mind goes on a task, there's normally a reason why.

'and if you don't feel part of the team, that's a contributory influence.'

'And being no longer part of the group,

'be it a separation of 200 metres, that's probably the factor at play.'

Quick, march.

Officer cadet...

Cut.

Right. Turn.

Sir, this officer cadet is here for your...

-Thank you very much. Mr Chapman, do you know why you're here?

-Yes, sir.

What I'm going to do is read you this company commander's warning certificate.

"Officer Cadet Chapman is not meeting the standard at this stage of the course.

"His performance, when on exercise, is of particular concern.

"This is to certify that you've been warned by your company commander, me, of the following shortcomings.

"Refusing to soldier whilst on exercise Long Reach, while citing a lower limb injury

"is unacceptable in the light of your eventual completion of the exercise

"and subsequent categorisation by the MRS.

"This was compounded by a decision not to report sick

"on return to Sandhurst, showing lack of judgment.

"Leadership - Officer Cadet Chapman has a weak and ineffectual approach, which fails to inspire

"and carry other members of his team with him."

My dad used to go on pheasant shoots,

he used to...watches all the war films, we used to go to war museums,

and things like that together.

You know, that seed then grows in your mind,

and culminates in me deciding at some point in the past

that I wanted to consider going into the military.

I think I've always known that I've been a bit...

the word they use is a bit wet, bit sensitive, bit of a pansy.

And I think before, I was almost embarrassed in that

and not comfortable with it.

And I wanted... I had something to prove.

But if anything, I've come here and learnt to accept that, I think.

Because it's who I am now. I'm not saying it's too late to change,

but I don't think I can, and I don't think I want to.

I'm quite happy just being myself.

It's like boarding school, you get that sense of who's stronger,

who's weaker, and then it's prey on the weak.

Someone has to be at the bottom, and I think Chapman

took the pressure off other people.

But now he's gone, someone else could feel the heat, if you know what I mean.

'When you get home, you've got to face up to your family and friends,'

but if you stay, you have to face yourself,

so really, I think the fact that he had the balls to say, "This isn't for me"

and that he left, was admirable, really.

Thank you very much.

Your initial wobble when you started about wanting to leave on day one,

that was just a bad couple of days for you,

but you're back in now, so a line's been drawn under that.

We won't mention that again. Not great performance this evening,

I've said here you were too busy trying to take short cuts

and look for the easy option, and that has got to go immediately.

Nothing easy about being a leader, you've got to be rigid in your approach to everything.

The Army doesn't appreciate losers.

This is not the civilian world, this is not a place where,

"Thank you for trying, we're going to give everyone a medal" occurs.

Left, right, left.

Well done.

You were a bunch of individuals at the beginning of this term,

we managed to turn you into this extraordinary team of drillers,

so well done, and many congratulations to your colour sergeant,

who's got you to this point so far.

Without him, it wouldn't have been achieved.

So, big pat on the back for him.

Miss Eldridge.

Your performance or conduct is currently below the standard required of an officer cadet.

I don't believe this is due to lack of effort at all, I believe

you are putting in everything you can, however,

your military bearing is not at the standard currently required.

And I'm giving you till week four of intermediate term,

by which time we need to see an improvement.

Permission to fall out, ma'am, please.

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