0:00:08 > 0:00:13We are almost knee-height now in depth
0:00:13 > 0:00:18and then we're going to get down to basically neck-height.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21HE SIGHS It's not going to last forever.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27'Keep working hard, boys!'
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Fucking stand by! I am seriously now frothing at the mouth
0:00:35 > 0:00:39and I'm going to fucking throttle some of YOU fuckers!
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Hey, what's going on over there? And you're still digging!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48You're meant to be the two fucking commanders!
0:00:48 > 0:00:54You don't sleep for so long, your dreams start intruding on your waking time,
0:00:54 > 0:01:00so you're trying not to sleep, but you're dreaming at the same time as being awake, so you hallucinate.
0:01:00 > 0:01:0356 hours with no sleep.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07So everything's taking that little bit longer.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11The only way you can be prepared
0:01:11 > 0:01:16from childhood for something like this is if you come from an army background, which I don't.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20The morale is going fucking down!
0:01:20 > 0:01:24It's amazing how you can still function with so little food, sleep, when you're cold, wet.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27They find out a lot about each other.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31I really wanted to find out before I came here that I was a good person,
0:01:31 > 0:01:36that I put others before myself, that I wouldn't Jack on anyone,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40that I would be a leader when I was under pressure and under fatigue.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44I don't know whether I'm finding out that that's so.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48We've all discussed what we're doing this weekend, who'll get furthest.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Anything other than this!
0:01:51 > 0:01:56I am going to some cocktail bar in London on Saturday night with the bird
0:01:56 > 0:02:00and then we'll probably all sleep until three in the afternoon.
0:02:00 > 0:02:07I think there's still definitely that perception that it's mainly upper class,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09mainly public school-educated,
0:02:09 > 0:02:15mainly young men that join and have a good life in the Officers Mess,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19don't really pay too much attention to the men.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22But it's not like that any more. We're an army at war.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28And soldiers, you know, they don't want a bloke who can wear good moleskins
0:02:28 > 0:02:35and can put the port down him. They want someone who is going to command them and lead them.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37SOLDIER WHISTLES
0:02:54 > 0:02:59'I've always been interested in politics and the democratic system in this country.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03'We don't have the romantic debates in the chamber,'
0:03:03 > 0:03:09in the House of Commons, that we used to have in the 19th century, but we still have officers
0:03:09 > 0:03:14'and we still have Sandhurst and if you want to serve your country in that way,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18'then this is the place to come, I think.'
0:03:20 > 0:03:24'I'm just going to kickstart the discussion and say that Sandhurst,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28'the British Army on the whole and particularly the officer corps,'
0:03:28 > 0:03:33it's not really an essential part of the Army and only is the embodiment
0:03:33 > 0:03:37of 18th-century British class structure. What do you think?
0:03:37 > 0:03:44I think it's probably a commonly held view. What people see officers in red trousers and tweed jackets
0:03:44 > 0:03:49- and stuff like that. - Do you have a tweed jacket?- No.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52You don't?! What's wrong with you?
0:03:52 > 0:03:58- Miss Eldridge?- I do think that there's a conflict between 18th-century values
0:03:58 > 0:04:04and that conception of the officer and what is required of an officer in modern conflict.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09In the anthology it says, "The regimental colours are not merely a cloth on a pole,
0:04:09 > 0:04:15"they are an object of religious veneration, a holy relic, and officers are in the same category,
0:04:15 > 0:04:22- "their intrinsic worthlessness having no bearing on their enormous symbolic value."- It says here
0:04:22 > 0:04:27that a gentleman should seek to serve society through leading it.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Maybe a gentleman's desire would be to join the army.
0:04:31 > 0:04:37The British Army is a very peculiar beast. You do things differently from any other western army.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41If it's archaic, it's a throwback to the education system.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45The Army is a product of the society it comes from.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Looking at some of the people, you can tell they went to public school.
0:04:49 > 0:04:55You get a couple, like you say, who turn up and you can tell where they've been to school.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00And I think a lot of them would be squaddies
0:05:00 > 0:05:06if they hadn't gone to the careers officer and he's like, "You've got a degree. Go to Sandhurst."
0:05:16 > 0:05:21'I always wanted to be in the Army in some capacity when I was a kid.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26'It was like some people have always known that they're going to end up here.'
0:05:30 > 0:05:34I'm not posh by any stretch of the imagination.
0:05:34 > 0:05:40I'm not upper class, you know, but some people here, you can tell.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44I think there's a Lloyd George in one of the other platoons
0:05:44 > 0:05:48and he's like the great-grandson of the Prime Minister.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52So I think it's nice that you're around these people.
0:05:52 > 0:05:58It gives you the ability to... You could go beagling if you wanted to.
0:05:58 > 0:06:04Where are you going to get the chance to do that? It opens your horizons. It opens up a different world.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07HORN BLOWS
0:06:07 > 0:06:09I kind of view it almost as like...
0:06:09 > 0:06:17as a sort of... I don't know how it sounds to say it's almost like a finishing off of an education.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20The Queen!
0:06:20 > 0:06:23NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS
0:06:23 > 0:06:30'I joined the Household Cavalry as a Confirmed Cadet and received my letter a month before I came.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35'It's not only myself.'
0:06:35 > 0:06:41In the intake, there is also one other Confirmed Cadet in the Household Cavalry.
0:06:41 > 0:06:49The Household Cavalry being the household division, there are more traditions and a bit more of the...
0:06:49 > 0:06:55of the sort of past taken into account and the fact that both our fathers were in the regiment
0:06:55 > 0:07:00I'm sure had some degree, you know...
0:07:00 > 0:07:06If we hadn't had that connection, maybe we wouldn't have stood out. At all.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11You get some of the great military families. My father joined the Lifeguards, his grandfather did,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14so I'll join the Lifeguards.
0:07:14 > 0:07:20Many of them are great because they're almost inculcated with the values and standards
0:07:20 > 0:07:26and they're part of a military family, so they understand so many of the dimensions of Sandhurst.
0:07:26 > 0:07:32A few of them, very few, think it's a pink ticket into the Army.
0:07:33 > 0:07:39I can't sit on my laurels and I've been told to make sure I have a strong performance.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43And, yeah, I feel like I've got a lot to prove.
0:07:43 > 0:07:49Every time now that I'm seen on a run to not be performing or if I ask a stupid question,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53I feel all that pressure. That's not what the regiment would expect.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Harbord's probably the weakest in the platoon,
0:08:01 > 0:08:08but he's the platoon commander so hopefully he'll get leader's legs and take them up. It's not big.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13They get psyched out by it because the cadets call it Backturn Hill.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18They're carrying a little bit more weight, but they're that much further down their training now
0:08:18 > 0:08:21so it's not difficult.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Harbord, why are you giving up?! Why are you giving up?
0:08:28 > 0:08:31You're platoon command. Keep going.
0:08:31 > 0:08:37Fucking get over there. Come on. You're the fucking Platoon Commander, Mr Harbord.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42There's a platoon of men following you. Think of the top. Keep going.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Come on, Harbord.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Come on.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47Come on.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Stay back. Stay back!
0:08:56 > 0:09:00He needs to dig in. Every time he stops, it affects everyone.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05His respect threshold every time he stops dips just a little bit more.
0:09:08 > 0:09:14He just needs to look within himself, work out if he really wants this and get to the top of the hill.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17It's no time to be quiching out.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Come on, Mr Harbord!
0:09:25 > 0:09:31Keep going, Mr Harbord, come on! You've got a platoon of men behind you. You're doing a good job.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37This is mind games now, Harbord. You can see the end.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Two, three hundred metres away from the RV.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Straighten your back! Stand up!
0:09:55 > 0:09:59You lead from the front, Harbord. You lead from the front. Come on.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02You lead from the front.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04There we go. Let's go.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13I want Two Section there and Three Section on this access here!
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I want access! Get you out of the wind.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Mr Harbord, stand up straight, act like a fucking officer!
0:10:22 > 0:10:25You look like a bag of shit.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30All right, one test and you've buckled.
0:10:31 > 0:10:37He's been put in a command environment to illustrate to him the issues of not being fit enough.
0:10:37 > 0:10:44If anything had happened at the top of that hill, he could do nothing, couldn't have influenced it at all.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48He was in his own little world of hurt and so, really,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52hopefully this illustrates to him the work he needs to put in.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57Hopefully he's learnt his lesson. He should have done. He nearly dropped.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01'The place thrives on masculinity'
0:11:01 > 0:11:06and being the big dog, really. That's what everything's about.
0:11:06 > 0:11:13If you look at the guys at the top of the platoon, they have the loudest voice. The masculine lads.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28It is definitely tribal. You get here and are put into a group of 30.
0:11:28 > 0:11:34We call it a platoon. Someone else somewhere in the world might call that a tribe.
0:11:34 > 0:11:40That just goes hand in hand with, as tribes work together, do everything together.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44So I suppose it's a bit Neolithic in that sense.
0:11:44 > 0:11:52You're not... However far away we are from our ancestors, we're not that far away at all.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56That tribal sense brings out that aggression.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01We're far from what we used to be a few thousand years ago,
0:12:01 > 0:12:07but a soldier's job, ultimately, is to go out and kill the enemy. That's a very tribal thing to do.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11I'm still on stag for an hour and a half now
0:12:12 > 0:12:15because nobody's come to relieve me.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19So I'm a bit pissed off at the minute.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Oi, Gray? Gray, shouldn't Harbord be on stag?
0:12:26 > 0:12:28What?
0:12:29 > 0:12:30Shit!
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- Riordan?- Yeah?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38- Harbord will be there in a second. - Brilliant.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Harbord.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48'If you were to say to someone, "You're fucking Jack,"'
0:12:48 > 0:12:52it means you look after number one and are not committed to the platoon.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57A Jack prick. That's not a good thing.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03- 'Jack is probably the opposite of what we're looking for.' - Ohh...
0:13:03 > 0:13:09But every cadet who comes through Sandhurst at times will find himself in Jack's place.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Oh, good Lord.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24We've got to work on your fitness, Mr Harbord. At the moment, on Saturday you are under review, OK?
0:13:24 > 0:13:29If you don't do well there, you have got to be on warning.
0:13:29 > 0:13:35- How many loaded marches have you taken yourself on? - Only the last four, sir.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40- Who did you go with for those four? - I didn't, sir. - You went by yourself?- Sir.
0:13:40 > 0:13:47You need to ramp it up, every night this week. With a weight on your back, just run. Even really slowly
0:13:47 > 0:13:51is still better than nothing and hopefully you can keep up.
0:13:51 > 0:13:57Fitness aside, I still think you're a good bloke, personable, good for morale,
0:13:57 > 0:14:03so there's loads of positives, but there's this one overarching negative aspect you need to crack.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05I'm sure, come Saturday, you will.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11I really hope, come Saturday, you will. I'm not sure, but I hope.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16- All right?- Yes, sir. - Good, Mr Harbord. Who's next?
0:14:18 > 0:14:20I'm not sure, sir.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Saturday lunchtime.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- You're over.- Way over! Yes!
0:14:30 > 0:14:35The helmet and rifle is six, so you've got 14 in your kit.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39'Sandhurst is a game, for sure.
0:14:39 > 0:14:46'There's one guy I've seen who says if you're not cheating you're not trying hard enough.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50'It's a mile and a half with full kit, webbing, rifle.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55'It had to weigh 17 kilos in your kit.'
0:14:55 > 0:14:58And I was over that.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01'So I just removed my body armour.
0:15:08 > 0:15:15'I came to Sandhurst not wanting to change, if I could help it. I'm perfectly happy with who I am.'
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Come on, Mr Harbord, keep grafting.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Well done.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25- Is that a skip or a run? - A comedy run!- Well done, Mr Harbord.
0:15:25 > 0:15:31'He did achieve greatness, then suddenly after the event, we weighed his kit and he was light.'
0:15:31 > 0:15:36- So it's not surprising he sprinted around the course.- Keep moving!
0:15:36 > 0:15:37Uh...
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Ungh...
0:15:41 > 0:15:47'After we'd done the assessment, which had gone well, I was underweight.'
0:15:47 > 0:15:49So not good.
0:15:49 > 0:15:55It was a bit of a crash and burn after the effort that was put in. Bit of a waste of time.
0:15:57 > 0:16:03He was expected to have 17 and he only packed 10. It was not up to the required amount.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07That's a hell of a lot - seven bags of sugar.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11So, yeah, it's a formal notification.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15We know what you've done there and you're going to get punished.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17It was definitely stupidity
0:16:17 > 0:16:21maybe with a little bit of something else touched in.
0:16:21 > 0:16:27People get very excited when you start mentioning the I word, integrity,
0:16:27 > 0:16:33so it's got to be reined in and used on...
0:16:33 > 0:16:35'specific circumstances.'
0:16:35 > 0:16:41Warrant Officer Cadet, sir. Office Cadet, 'shun! Quick march!
0:16:42 > 0:16:47Officer Cadet...halt. Officer Cadet, salute.
0:16:49 > 0:16:56OK, you are charged as follows. JHS Harbord contravened order number one to our main company,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00failing to complete the loaded march with 17 kilograms.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- Do you admit or deny the charge? - Admit the charge, sir.
0:17:04 > 0:17:12Having found the charge against you proved, I award you five days restriction of privileges.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Because I don't believe you to be deliberately dishonest,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19I think this is a slip-up, an aberration of sorts.
0:17:19 > 0:17:25However, you must understand as you progress through your military career
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- that these sorts of things cannot be allowed to occur.- Yes, sir.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Right turn!
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- March out! - 'We take the Mick out of them.'
0:17:35 > 0:17:40"Oh, Daddy bought that for me." It's complete, you know...
0:17:40 > 0:17:46He's following in his dad's footsteps in the same way as when I worked as an electrician.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48But it's all good-natured.
0:17:48 > 0:17:55There are all sorts of excuses, but fundamentally I've got to motivate myself to get out earlier
0:17:55 > 0:18:01and in the evenings to close the gap that exists between me and the rest of the team. As we've got fitter,
0:18:01 > 0:18:07the gap has been maintained. It's as noticeable as it was at the beginning.
0:18:07 > 0:18:13'As a Confirmed Cadet, Mr Harbord knows that he will gain a commission into the Household Cavalry
0:18:13 > 0:18:15'if he completes the course.
0:18:16 > 0:18:23'The rest will work hard at Sandhurst, hope that their reports gain them an interview
0:18:23 > 0:18:25'for these competitive regiments.
0:18:25 > 0:18:32'A lot of people will consider applying for the Parachute Regiment, Household Cavalry and others.
0:18:32 > 0:18:38'Spaces are limited for the infantry and the cavalry and you have to work very hard to get into them.'
0:18:51 > 0:18:55'In an ideal world, I'd like to go to the Parachute Regiment.
0:18:57 > 0:19:03'Their basic function is to kill the enemy. That's the infantry's mission statement.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12'When you look at it rationally, it doesn't seem like a nice, sensible thing to do.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15'It's an itch I've got to scratch.'
0:19:15 > 0:19:20It's selfish and it's not. It's selfish and the most unselfish thing you can do.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25Unselfish in so much as you're willing to risk life and limb...
0:19:26 > 0:19:30..for your country, but then...
0:19:31 > 0:19:38the people that are being selfish, too, are the ones that actually are the ones you care most about.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Of course I want to have kids and grow old and do all those things,
0:19:45 > 0:19:50but it's not me that would bear the brunt of it. That's the worst bit.
0:19:50 > 0:19:56It's the people that you leave behind. I feel bad for my mum and dad and my girlfriend.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00There's times when I think, "Is it worth it? Am I stringing her along?"
0:20:04 > 0:20:09Last couple of weeks, they're dropping like flies.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13Everyone, getting the chop. That's what this place does.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17And we were told this from the beginning. I was like, "No!"
0:20:17 > 0:20:22Even solid relationships have gone down the...down the tube.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24It rips me up that I've...
0:20:24 > 0:20:28There's no... It's a decision that I made.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36- Enjoy it(!)- At least my girlfriend didn't shag another guy.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38DRUM BEATS OUT A RHYTHM
0:20:55 > 0:20:59"He has impressive, applied intelligence and is convincing.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03"He leads from the front and is liked and respected in equal measure.
0:21:03 > 0:21:09"I sense that he has another gear and will make an excellent, if colourful, officer.
0:21:09 > 0:21:15"Very strongly recommended." It's all there. You're a good, fit bloke.
0:21:15 > 0:21:21Well liked by his peers and the staff. So I don't know about the Parachute Regiment.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25It will come down to you. It's only down to you.
0:21:25 > 0:21:31It's got to be a strong performance from you at the interview or they might well not offer.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35- I know your heart is set on the Paras.- Sir.- That's it.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37- Permission to go, sir.- Please do.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48'All of the hard work you've put in to being at Sandhurst up to now
0:21:48 > 0:21:52'is what they're going to get tested on.'
0:21:52 > 0:21:57Each regimental corps only has a set number of places to fill each year.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02They've a quality line. If you don't hit it, they won't offer a place.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Certainly the most important job interview I've ever done.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10I remember being eight years old and getting a book on the Paras
0:22:10 > 0:22:14and reading it and thinking, "That'll be a good job."
0:22:15 > 0:22:22Yesterday I was reading from that same book, getting some regimental history and to think I'm, you know,
0:22:22 > 0:22:28an hour away from fulfilling an ambition I had as a little kid, it's quite fulfilling.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Well, it would be if I get it! So...it's good.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36'When you're a kid playing soldiers,
0:22:36 > 0:22:43'that's what you're pretending to do, isn't it? Leading infantrymen in combat is the biggest challenge.'
0:22:43 > 0:22:46It's your turn. Good to see you.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51'That idea of being highly motivated and a small team,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54'that's the idea that appeals to me.'
0:22:56 > 0:23:00That's how the guys feel. They want to do as best as they can.
0:23:00 > 0:23:07They want to serve with quality soldiers and that's what the regiment offers, the quality of soldier.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11If you're going to be a bear, why not be a grizzly bear?
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- Elizabeth Eldridge.- Hello, Elizabeth.- Good afternoon, sir.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19- How are you enjoying Sandhurst? - Very much.- Yeah?
0:23:19 > 0:23:23'I think that there are a lot of characters at Sandhurst,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'a lot of different personalities.'
0:23:26 > 0:23:31- It's the right mix to keep me here. - Good. Let me introduce you.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35'I have been described by my Platoon Commander as quirky
0:23:35 > 0:23:39'and by my Company Commander as unconventional,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41'but I don't feel alone.'
0:23:41 > 0:23:48You have quite an interesting CV, actually, quite a lot of it with a political interest.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Tell me about that. How did you get into that?
0:23:52 > 0:23:58Well, from a very young age I've always been interested in service to your country,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02- so politics is just a function of that.- Mm-hm.
0:24:02 > 0:24:08By representing people and involving yourself in democracy, you may change things for the better.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12It's the same stuff that motivates me to be here.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16- Mr Harbord.- 'As a friend of mine who was commissioned last year said,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19'he was confirmed for another regiment,
0:24:19 > 0:24:26'when everyone else is being asked, "What have you got to give us? Why should we take you?"'
0:24:26 > 0:24:33the hardest question he was asked was, "Tea or coffee?" If it's going to be as cushti as that, I'm happy!
0:24:33 > 0:24:38I find this moment quite an enigma and quite a challenge for me.
0:24:38 > 0:24:44You're a Confirmed Cadet and therefore we have set quite a lot of confidence
0:24:45 > 0:24:52and support in your stock that you'll come through and do very well.
0:24:52 > 0:24:58And you're sitting in the middle third, there are parts of you which are dropping you down
0:24:58 > 0:25:00into the lower third.
0:25:00 > 0:25:07And that is not really where we would expect someone who is seeking a commission in the Household Cavalry.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08Sir.
0:25:08 > 0:25:16When you first get exposed to soldiers, they will be quick to work out where the weaknesses are.
0:25:16 > 0:25:23If the weaknesses give them concern for your future, that would be a big error. You have to sort that out.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Thank you, Sir.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29You're described in one of your reports as slightly unconventional.
0:25:29 > 0:25:35- Do you think Sandhurst supports the unconventional? - Of course. Dare to be different.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40OK, so if you're going to be different, I'll send you back in time
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and you have an opportunity to influence the course of history.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50I wonder if you can conceive of a moment in history where you might wish to bring influence to bear
0:25:50 > 0:25:54and how you might change the course of history.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Russia, 1917.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I'd go and make friends with Lenin
0:25:59 > 0:26:03and make him stick more to Marxist ideology than going off on purges
0:26:03 > 0:26:08and destroying the idea of Communism as it was first conceived.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Oh, brilliant.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- Well done, sir.- Thank you.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Good effort. Take a seat.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Yeah, I mean the board were thoroughly impressed
0:26:22 > 0:26:28and just thought you were a genuine bloke. They like how you grafted through your electrician's course
0:26:28 > 0:26:34and tried to find your feet and came here for the right reasons so, yeah, you did well.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Thank you, sir.
0:26:36 > 0:26:43I think she would be surprised with those she would have under her command and what they get up to
0:26:43 > 0:26:47and what she'd be faced with, but I think they would...
0:26:47 > 0:26:51like what they saw in their young officer.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- She's my kind of different.- I agree.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58She's not conventional, but I think that's positive.
0:26:58 > 0:27:05I think the soldiers will find her very different, but my experience of her extra-curricular activities
0:27:05 > 0:27:08is that she's incredibly dynamic.
0:27:08 > 0:27:15And, funnily enough, she will work tirelessly for her charges. That's not a bad starting point.
0:27:15 > 0:27:21- I think she'll evolve. She's evolving massively at Sandhurst. - I just think a very risky bet.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25It could go either way - hugely successful or a complete disaster.
0:27:25 > 0:27:31And for us I just think a little on the risky side. Perhaps not this time.
0:27:31 > 0:27:32No.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Fair enough.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40- How did you get on?- Yeah, well. - Did you get it?- Yeah.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- Did you?- Yeah.- Ha ha!
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- Smudge got it as well.- Did he?
0:27:46 > 0:27:48- You crack on.- I will do. Cool.
0:27:48 > 0:27:54- Who are you going to phone? - My ex-girlfriend. I owe a lot to her, the support she gave.
0:27:54 > 0:28:01And she gave me the kick up the arse to get here, so while it might not work out, might not be working out,
0:28:01 > 0:28:07I think, you know, still... she played a massive part in me getting here and success.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- So yeah.- All right, go on.- Cheers.
0:28:19 > 0:28:26The troops are doing the log race, which is one of the endurance competitions they do whilst here.
0:28:26 > 0:28:31It makes them more competitive. 30 blokes against eight platoons,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34trying to get the best time around a 3.5-kilometre route.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37It's a good chance to show how well they work together.
0:28:38 > 0:28:44It's a clove hitch in the front and then nailed to stop the rest of it coming off...
0:28:44 > 0:28:49'The physical worry is still Mr Harbord. If he does well today,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52'he'll probably come off his warning.'
0:28:52 > 0:28:58But he had trouble even keeping up with the log. He had trouble running to keep up with it the other day,
0:28:58 > 0:29:03so I don't think too much will have changed. We'll see.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06A bit of Sandhurst folklore, really.
0:29:07 > 0:29:12And we've got a perfect day for it. It's absolutely ideal.
0:29:12 > 0:29:18I remember mine. I was talking to some guys and they remember theirs very clearly. It's a rite of passage.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20I expect the boys to do well.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23SHOUTING
0:29:28 > 0:29:31It is sheer will and determination and guts.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It hurts from about the first 50 metres
0:29:34 > 0:29:38and it will hurt until you cross the line.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44SHOUTING CONTINUES
0:29:47 > 0:29:50It has no great correlation to any military activity,
0:29:50 > 0:29:55other than just working out how determined and robust they are.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03SHOUTING
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Mr Harbord.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28- Free to enter, please?- Please do.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Great stuff. Let's keep it going.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39One of the first things that happens at your regiment is Commanding Officer's PT.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43They look out for young officers. That's the nature of the business.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47It's a very quick win you can achieve. You're physically fit,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51your blokes will see that and it's an instant respect threshold.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55Good effort. Keep ploughing away, but you're off your warning.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58- Slip back quietly into the ranks. - Thank you very much, sir.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02- Thanks, Mr Harbord. Have a good leave.- Thank you, sir.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07His respect in his platoon is back which is always important.
0:31:07 > 0:31:13His self-respect is there, but when he gets to regimental duty, he needs to plough away at it
0:31:13 > 0:31:17because the blokes like their platoon commanders to be fit.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21We often talk about bad apples.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24What about if it's a bad barrel?
0:31:24 > 0:31:29And what about if it's a bad barrel maker that infects the apple?
0:31:29 > 0:31:34In no time at all, you are all going to be barrel makers.
0:31:34 > 0:31:41You'll all have your own barrel, a platoon, and you're going to have 30 men and women under your command.
0:31:41 > 0:31:47And your actions and your influences are part of that system
0:31:47 > 0:31:49and are part of that situation.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54And if you get it wrong, it can be toxic.
0:32:00 > 0:32:06These guys join the army because they think they're going to go to war and kill the Taliban.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10They think they like the idea of going to war.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16OK, we've got a dodgy-looking character coming round the corner.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Simon has spotted him.
0:32:18 > 0:32:23You can hear him radio in. He's told the Ops Room he's got his eyes on a suspicious guy.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Stop!
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Stand still!
0:32:27 > 0:32:30- Stand still! - MAN SHOUTS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
0:32:30 > 0:32:32GUNFIRE
0:32:32 > 0:32:35So there's the scenario. You've got a guy coming towards you.
0:32:35 > 0:32:41You need to stop them far enough away, so you can search them and make sure they're no threat.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44In this situation, they failed to stop.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48It doesn't automatically mean they are a threat and we can engage them.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53'Broadsword by its nature throws up a number of surprises.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56'There are people who you think are doing very well,
0:32:56 > 0:33:02'but it's their reaction to stress that lets them down. Suddenly, it spirals down very quickly.'
0:33:02 > 0:33:08Clearly, your head will be on the big deliberate ops and you have one tonight - Op Armadillo.
0:33:08 > 0:33:14'We'll teach them and they'll get better, but some guys, their reaction to stress is still poor.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18'At this stage of the course, that's a massive cause for concern.'
0:33:18 > 0:33:25I mean, just looking at 3 Platoon, I can tell you that a good 30, 40% are really nice, charming people
0:33:25 > 0:33:28who have probably never been in a fight,
0:33:28 > 0:33:33- let alone had to turn aggression on outside of a sports pitch. - Hello, Guard Room...
0:33:33 > 0:33:39For some, it is like pulling teeth. Some really don't like having to get physical and get aggressive.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Yeah, one second. I'll do that now. Out.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46But needs must. It's what goes on out there.
0:33:46 > 0:33:51Not just with regards to the Taliban or whatever insurgency we're facing.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55Sometimes the local population need some gentle persuasion as well.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59At uni, there were a couple of brawls and things that broke out
0:33:59 > 0:34:04because I said some silly things after drinking some drinks.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08But I was never...
0:34:08 > 0:34:13I didn't get carted off to the rozzers or anything for such a terrible performance.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20So, no, I've always been quite careful. I've never been in a sort of life-or-death situation.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24HQ, be advised there's a large crowd gathering outside Gate 3
0:34:24 > 0:34:27who appear to be stopping people getting in Gate 3. Over.
0:34:29 > 0:34:34In a counter-insurgency environment, there's civilian population,
0:34:34 > 0:34:40there's insurgents, there's detainees, there's all kinds of other factors to think about.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44They must make a quick decision as to whether they're allowed,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48under the law of armed conflict, to pull the trigger or not.
0:34:48 > 0:34:54Tonight and tomorrow morning, you will embark on your Sandhurst Public Order Training package,
0:34:54 > 0:34:58which for many of you will be the first time you've been in a fight
0:34:58 > 0:35:01and may be the first time you've experienced true fear
0:35:01 > 0:35:06and for the majority of you will be the first time you've experienced burning.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Sir!
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- No, no!- Get away, get away!
0:35:16 > 0:35:18CHANTING
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Start moving back now!
0:35:22 > 0:35:25DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING, SOLDIERS SHOUTING
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Fucking pricks.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Right, come on.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Get down!
0:35:56 > 0:35:58WHISTLES ARE BLOWN, SHOUTING
0:36:02 > 0:36:08Right, listen. We're going to have to negotiate the corner. At the corner, we're taking over.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10SHOUTING OF ORDERS
0:36:13 > 0:36:15- Harbord!- Mr Harbord!
0:36:15 > 0:36:19You're not interlinking. You're just getting shoulder to shoulder.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21SHOUTING
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Move forward!
0:36:28 > 0:36:31We're fuckin' losing! You're losing it!
0:36:31 > 0:36:34Get out, get out! We're out!
0:36:50 > 0:36:54I'm telling you, gentlemen. That was fucking shocking!
0:36:54 > 0:36:59Some people there didn't even want to fucking get out and start having a fucking scrap.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03You've got to understand the orchestrations of what we're doing.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08You are better than this, every one of you. We're just not working as a fucking team.
0:37:08 > 0:37:14Six-foot shields, not getting the shields straight, not clipping the shields back in together.
0:37:14 > 0:37:20We need to get it fucking right. You're letting them kick you and you're going back.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24You're losing the ground you've gained. We've got to keep that fucking ground!
0:37:24 > 0:37:30It's about you controlling your aggression. He's coming, you're staring him out.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35He's coming in with a kick. "Get back!" Straight away, he goes down to the floor.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38If you don't strike him well, as he comes in and you move,
0:37:38 > 0:37:44he over-fucking-compensates, hopefully ripping his testicles apart, and you're all over him.
0:37:44 > 0:37:49'I hadn't quite realised how shaken up people were going to be
0:37:49 > 0:37:52'by facing a mob.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56'The number of times you look around and you see someone breaking
0:37:56 > 0:37:59'and you see them surge forward from the line or drop back
0:37:59 > 0:38:03'or being slightly reticent about using force...'
0:38:03 > 0:38:07I think all of you will feel it keenly
0:38:07 > 0:38:11that we've just completely capitulated outside.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Mission failure, OK? That's what it feels like.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Whatever activity you're involved in,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19gain the momentum,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22hold it and maintain it.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26And if you have to fight for it, you damn well fight for it.
0:38:26 > 0:38:32We lost it and we never even attempted to try and gain it back.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36And as a result, we're in here licking our wounds.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46We need to have a stronger, tougher stance when we're out there.
0:38:46 > 0:38:52But it's difficult because all the preparation has been with rules of engagement,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54law of armed conflict,
0:38:54 > 0:39:00how to operate in an environment where there are civilians and insurgents there,
0:39:00 > 0:39:05and you want to gain popular support, win the hearts and minds campaign.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07SHOUTING
0:39:07 > 0:39:10And then you've got a mob rushing you.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15I think that the natural reaction is to retreat from the situation
0:39:15 > 0:39:18because you think aggression will inflame it.
0:39:18 > 0:39:24We try in the training environment to replicate many of the stresses and strains of operations.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28That's what makes operations so challenging.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Go, go, go!
0:39:31 > 0:39:33GUNFIRE
0:39:36 > 0:39:42They've got to understand just how brutal it is, be it various body parts strewn around.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46Don't silhouette yourself against the window...
0:39:46 > 0:39:50War is the biggest fucking test, isn't it? That's what I think.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53And it sounds mental, you know, but it's just...
0:39:55 > 0:39:57It's the biggest test, isn't it?
0:39:57 > 0:39:59We've got a casualty there.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03'I want to fight and I want to experience combat.'
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Yeah, he's in a bad way.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07One, two, three.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11In saying that, at the back of your mind, it's like...
0:40:11 > 0:40:15Yeah, you might experience it and get your legs blown off.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19You might end up in a wheelchair, you might end up dead.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23That could happen and, you know, I could be like, "What a dickhead!"
0:40:23 > 0:40:30I don't want to be one of those people that regrets...not doing something.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33BARKING
0:40:38 > 0:40:41- Free to enter, please? - Yeah, please do, Mr Harbord.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51- OK, where do you think you sit in the platoon?- Hopefully, up to the middle third, sir.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53- Really?- Sir.- Honestly?- Sir.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56No, you're still in the bottom third.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Seven weeks we've got before you join the Household Cavalry.
0:41:00 > 0:41:06- They'll have high standards of what they expect from you, as will the soldiers.- Yes, sir.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11- So we need to think about a few things. What sport are you doing this term?- Polo.
0:41:11 > 0:41:17- Is that a good sport to do for someone who needs to work on their fitness?- Possibly not, sir.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- Shall we change your sport? - We can do, sir.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23What did you do for sport last term?
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Uh... Shooting.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29And in first term, it was beagling.
0:41:29 > 0:41:35- OK, what sport do you think would be better for your general fitness? - Triathlon, sir.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39Triathlon or cross-country I would say, yes.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Let's drive... Keep going.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51SHOUTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- Fellas, wait for Harbord! - Wait for Harbord!
0:41:54 > 0:41:56Nearly there!
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Come on, Harbord!
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Come on, come on, keep up!
0:42:02 > 0:42:05- Keep up, guys.- Come on, Harbord!
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Let's go! Let's go!
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- Harbord, keep up! - Keep your head up!
0:42:23 > 0:42:26It's Mr Harbord going in a jack wagon, really.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28He just couldn't handle the pace.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31There's no injury. He's just not fit enough.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35The platoon went out really fast and caught him out.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38He was going to drop. He had about another 50 metres
0:42:38 > 0:42:41before he hit the tarmac, so better to pull him off there.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45But he's licking his wounds in the wagon, as you'd expect.
0:42:45 > 0:42:51There'll be a post-mortem and let's hope he survives that. There's not much else wrong with him.
0:42:53 > 0:42:59That was a fucking good effort. We can hold our heads high. We lost Harbord.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Harbord was about to pass out. He was fucking dead.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05I had to hold him up to stop him falling over.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09He gave it his all, probably started a bit too fast,
0:43:09 > 0:43:12but it saved us time to lose him, so that's why we lost him.
0:43:13 > 0:43:20I think they gave him permission to quit or be physically weaker than he should have been.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25And his close mates, those going to the regiment with him,
0:43:25 > 0:43:29should have taken him to task and said, "You're embarrassing yourself
0:43:29 > 0:43:34"and potentially us in the future because we'll all be in the same regiment
0:43:34 > 0:43:37"and the platoon as a whole doesn't need to carry you."
0:43:37 > 0:43:41He just never applied himself and his platoon never held him to task.
0:43:55 > 0:44:00- Your foot that way, is that a bit uncomfortable?- A little bit if you really go for it.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02- If I press in there...- Yeah.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04OK, what about that way?
0:44:04 > 0:44:07He can't do the exercise for seven days.
0:44:07 > 0:44:13- The meat of the exercise is the first six days for us, isn't it?- Yeah.- No firing.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17He can run round the ranges. I know it's not the same, but...
0:44:17 > 0:44:22I think we'll take him up there. If it stays as it is at the moment, seven days,
0:44:22 > 0:44:27I don't think that counts as successful completion of Dynamic Victory,
0:44:27 > 0:44:29so he must go back and do it again.
0:44:29 > 0:44:35A week ago, I felt pretty good. You're one day closer every time you tick one off.
0:44:35 > 0:44:42That's when we started. You get pretty close to the end and now it feels like a bit of a false hope.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46He's just sort of saying, "Prepare to be back-termed,"
0:44:46 > 0:44:51which obviously, no-one wants, especially when you're this close to the end.
0:44:51 > 0:44:58The morning before the deployment for the final exercise, it's the last thing you want to hear.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01And it definitely feels a lot better now.
0:45:03 > 0:45:04Let's go.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12Dynamic Victory represents the final hurdle for them.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14GUNFIRE
0:45:17 > 0:45:24Are you prepared to take the pain and do what it takes to become an officer in the British Army?
0:45:25 > 0:45:27Get down there.
0:45:27 > 0:45:33Up to now, they've been using blanks on all of the exercises that they've done
0:45:33 > 0:45:37with their yellow BFAs on the ends of the barrels and the blank magazines.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42Now they've got live rounds, hence why the direction staff are in helmets.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45- What about that? Did you enjoy it? - Very much so.- Good.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48Accuracy of fire was quite spot-on there.
0:45:48 > 0:45:54Every three rounds, the target was going down. It took three rounds before the target would move.
0:45:54 > 0:46:00But you've got to be more aggressive. Get up there towards those guys. Let's go. Quickly!
0:46:00 > 0:46:02Get down!
0:46:02 > 0:46:04All move back!
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Get down!
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Start moving!
0:46:10 > 0:46:16How can you command if you're not at the front? You should be pushing your way through there!
0:46:16 > 0:46:23Oi, you! You start showing some aggression for the first time in your lazy life! Get a move on!
0:46:23 > 0:46:25You are lazy!
0:46:25 > 0:46:31By the time they've finished, they will be stripped out, completely nothing left!
0:46:31 > 0:46:34It's a question of how hard they push themselves.
0:46:34 > 0:46:40They'll think it'll be hard graft, but they'll be halfway through and think they have nothing more to give.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44Yet they can find it somewhere. It's a question of where they find it.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48They'll learn vast amounts about themselves and other blokes as well.
0:46:48 > 0:46:54They'll see each other at certain stages, so it's a good opportunity to win the respect of your mates again.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58Fucking no smiling! It's aggression! You're going for it!
0:46:58 > 0:47:04To kill the enemy! And fucking push the bayonet into his heart and watch the life die out of him!
0:47:04 > 0:47:08- What are you going to do? - Kill!- Kill the enemy! Come on!
0:47:08 > 0:47:13- Prove it to yourself! - Stand up there. Stand up! - Stand up! Stand shagging up!
0:47:13 > 0:47:19- You are mincing!- I'm not, sir.- You are mincing! Back to the beginning and start again. Get a move on!
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Get a shagging move on!
0:47:22 > 0:47:26- Let's go, Mr Harbord.- Move it. - Let's go!- I can't hear you!
0:47:26 > 0:47:30- Do you understand?- Yes, sir. - Listen to me, gentlemen.
0:47:30 > 0:47:35The only thing that will get you through this range today is pure, raw aggression.
0:47:35 > 0:47:41Your legs, body and mind are going to go. However, aggression will keep you ticking over.
0:47:41 > 0:47:47I'm not expecting them to be great company commanders. That comes to people 12, 14 years down the line.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50But it gives you an idea of their capacity at this age.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52Pain is fucking gone!
0:47:52 > 0:47:57Push through that pain barrier and fucking push it to the end!
0:47:57 > 0:47:59Start moving! Move it!
0:47:59 > 0:48:02Stop fucking fannying and get through it!
0:48:02 > 0:48:05Get over them! That's the way!
0:48:05 > 0:48:07Kill the fucking...
0:48:07 > 0:48:09SHOUTING CONTINUES
0:48:12 > 0:48:14Mr Harbord, stop making silly sounds.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17Your weapon's there.
0:48:17 > 0:48:18OK?
0:48:18 > 0:48:21CONVERSATION CONTINUES INDISTINCT
0:48:21 > 0:48:25It'll start swelling up even more if he takes it off now.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27Get moving!
0:48:29 > 0:48:35If you were to ask me at the beginning who won't make it, he would have been the number one choice.
0:48:35 > 0:48:42- That's what the future of the army's got to look forward to! Is it? Inspirational leadership(!)- Come on!
0:48:42 > 0:48:46There he is, come on! Do him! Fucking kill him! Kill him!
0:48:46 > 0:48:51And again! And again! His eyes! He's still alive! Kill him!
0:48:51 > 0:48:53It was so fucking close!
0:48:54 > 0:48:58Harbord, stop making silly noises. It annoys me.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03Fucking wimp.
0:49:04 > 0:49:09Harbord, you're not going to fucking get out of this. I'm telling you now.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Get your bayonet out!
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Get going! Get on there!
0:49:13 > 0:49:17There's an enemy on the other side of that tunnel!
0:49:17 > 0:49:21He's killed your soldiers, Mr Martin. He's killed your soldiers!
0:49:21 > 0:49:22Arrrgh!
0:49:22 > 0:49:26Now! Come on! You've got it in there! Get fucking...
0:49:26 > 0:49:30Are you quitting, Mr Harbord, are you? Are you quitting?
0:49:30 > 0:49:35Pretty handy how the foot comes back into play when things are getting a bit tough?
0:49:35 > 0:49:41We've done live ranges. All easy. Things get tough, the foot comes into play again, does it?
0:49:41 > 0:49:47That's what I think. That's what the company commander and the company sergeant major think.
0:49:47 > 0:49:48Pathetic!
0:49:48 > 0:49:51You're pathetic, Mr Harbord!
0:49:51 > 0:49:53And you're going to lead troops?
0:49:56 > 0:49:59- Get down now! - Get down! Bayonet!
0:49:59 > 0:50:03Miss Eldridge, there's an enemy out here and he's laughing at you!
0:50:03 > 0:50:08- Come on!- Jump on him! Kill, kill, kill! Miss Eldridge...
0:50:08 > 0:50:12- SHRIEKING: - Kill, kill, ki-i-i-ill!
0:50:12 > 0:50:18- In the face, in the face! - Keep going! He's not dead yet. He's laughing, Miss Eldridge.
0:50:18 > 0:50:22OK, stand up! Stand up! Fix your bayonet and carry on.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26- Go on, Eldridge, put it on. Put it on!- Aagh!
0:50:27 > 0:50:30I want to carry on, but I can't twist it like that,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33so it would be fucking stupid to carry on.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36But it's fucking ridiculous that...
0:50:37 > 0:50:42It's right now. We're halfway fucking through. I want to carry on and do it.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45All of them have got bayonets.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51- Have you got it on there? - Have you got a bayonet?
0:50:53 > 0:50:56Eldridge! Eldridge!
0:50:56 > 0:51:00Miss Eldridge, Miss Eldridge! Miss Eldridge, get your bayonet on!
0:51:04 > 0:51:10If I was a betting man, I would say I think you might get your commission, OK?
0:51:10 > 0:51:16Bizarrely enough, because the commandant has a context that I don't have necessarily.
0:51:16 > 0:51:22So I... Despite my recommendation, don't regard it as a done deal at all.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26But I'm afraid you can anticipate a nervous two hours as a result.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28- Thank you, sir.- Thanks, Mr Harbord.
0:51:28 > 0:51:33Would he have been Household Cavalry if he hadn't been a confirmed cadet?
0:51:33 > 0:51:36Not a cat in hell's chance. He is bottom third rating.
0:51:36 > 0:51:42- His old man's at HCR?- Yeah. - Has he met the Sandhurst standard, wherever he's going?
0:51:42 > 0:51:46- I think he's a quitter, to be honest, sir.- Yeah.- He lacks determination.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49You think it's a character thing?
0:51:49 > 0:51:54Yeah. I would love him to say, "If I commission, I'll go to Brecon for three weeks.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58"I'll work hard to make sure I turn up at my regiment ready to rock."
0:51:58 > 0:52:02I suspect he'll go to Saint-Tropez or wherever it is.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04- We'll see.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15Right, tell me about Mr Harbord.
0:52:15 > 0:52:20Mr Harbord, sir, he has had a number of significant failures.
0:52:20 > 0:52:25On the endurance competition, he dropped out. On the log race,
0:52:25 > 0:52:28he didn't attach himself to the log at any stage.
0:52:28 > 0:52:32He missed the march and shoot. He came off the bayonet range yesterday
0:52:32 > 0:52:38with an injury, but rejoined training today, so probably not a substantial injury, given the nature of that.
0:52:38 > 0:52:43So one could argue that he has a history not only of a possible physical frailty,
0:52:43 > 0:52:47but also possibly mental robustness.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49Is he motivated?
0:52:49 > 0:52:51I don't think he is, sir,
0:52:51 > 0:52:57because his physical shortcomings were clearly identifiable in the first term,
0:52:57 > 0:53:03yet it wasn't until RB5 when he instigated his own training regime, despite our encouragement,
0:53:03 > 0:53:09and he has consistently elected to choose sports which don't require any physical endeavour.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12I just think that's poor judgment.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17If you're coming up short, you do what you can to rectify it. I don't think he has.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22The issue seems to be he's got the breaking strain of a soggy Kit Kat
0:53:22 > 0:53:26when it comes to physical and arduous conditions.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30I think it's more a character flaw. I think it overwhelms him.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35HE BARKS ORDERS
0:53:35 > 0:53:37March! Left, right!
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Officer Cadet, halt!
0:53:41 > 0:53:46Mr Harbord, you know why you're in here. You have passed all the mandatory tests,
0:53:46 > 0:53:50so in theory, on purely physical fitness terms, we should let you go,
0:53:50 > 0:53:55but we're not going to because this is not a back term for physical fitness.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57It's a back term for determination.
0:53:57 > 0:54:03You're a confirmed cadet going into the Household Cavalry Regiment, so we want to hold on to you.
0:54:03 > 0:54:09It's determination in adversity that I want to see. It's in there, so we're giving you a second chance.
0:54:09 > 0:54:14- Look at it positively. Is there anything you want to say?- No, sir.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18- Is that fair?- It is, sir.- All right, well done, Mr Harbord. March out.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23'In order to learn, you need to confront failure.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26'Failure is a great teacher all by himself
0:54:26 > 0:54:30'and so we do make cadets fail, quite deliberately so.'
0:54:30 > 0:54:37We put them under pressure and make them fail and we do that even to the very best, then bring them on again.
0:54:37 > 0:54:43Suddenly, they surpass where they failed the last time and they say, "I can do it. I know what it takes."
0:54:43 > 0:54:46So failure is an important part of Sandhurst.
0:54:47 > 0:54:53Since it's my determination that's called into question, I'll have to come back fighting hard.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57It might be strong and it might be tough
0:54:57 > 0:55:01to be able to endure physical degradation,
0:55:01 > 0:55:04feeling humiliated, physically exhausted,
0:55:04 > 0:55:06physically in pain...
0:55:07 > 0:55:12It also sort of makes you a little bit less...I don't know, less human?
0:55:13 > 0:55:18We all got our berets handed out earlier and then his was left. It was pretty...
0:55:18 > 0:55:21- In Jack's pocket. - His beret and his cigars.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25Celebratory Cuban cigars.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Have a look at that.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32Do you think he'll mind?
0:55:32 > 0:55:35I think he'd be upset if we didn't.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38WHISTLES TUNE
0:55:47 > 0:55:49Good morning, sir.
0:55:52 > 0:55:58You have to be so focused on stuff that you reject the wider picture
0:55:58 > 0:56:04to focus on the here and now and getting through Sandhurst.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06I don't have a girlfriend any more,
0:56:06 > 0:56:11but I think what I've lost, I've gained massively elsewhere.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14I get to wear a maroon beret.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16OFFICER SHOUTS COMMAND
0:56:18 > 0:56:20It is your day.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23Enjoy it. Take the atmosphere in.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Live the great Sandhurst dream.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30By the left, quick...MARCH!
0:56:31 > 0:56:35And please look after and treat our men and women well!
0:56:35 > 0:56:37BRASS BAND STARTS PLAYING
0:56:50 > 0:56:53Present...
0:56:54 > 0:56:56..arms!
0:56:58 > 0:57:00BAND PLAYS SLOW MARCH
0:57:00 > 0:57:02I think I'm harder and harsher,
0:57:02 > 0:57:06but I would rather be the person who's getting a commission
0:57:06 > 0:57:10than the person who walked up the steps in junior term.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17I'm often asked, "Is there one golden rule for leadership?"
0:57:17 > 0:57:21As officers, you are serving your soldiers.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25Some day, you may have to lead men into battle.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29It is an extraordinary thing to do.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32You are their servants.
0:57:32 > 0:57:37And you do that through leading them. That's how it works.
0:57:37 > 0:57:42If you don't understand that, you ain't got it. That's "serve to lead".
0:57:42 > 0:57:44Go out and love your soldiers.
0:58:10 > 0:58:16'A British soldier killed by an explosion in Afghanistan on Friday has been named.
0:58:16 > 0:58:20'Lieutenant Daniel Clack, who was 24 and from 1st Battalion The Rifles,
0:58:20 > 0:58:24'was on foot patrol when a roadside bomb exploded.'
0:58:47 > 0:58:51Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2011
0:58:51 > 0:58:54Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk