Countdown to Afghanistan Young Soldiers

This programme contains strong language.

It's a dangerous time to be a soldier in the British Army...

..as almost 380 British troops have been killed in Afghanistan

and nearly 1,700 seriously injured.

-Show me your war face!

-THEY ALL SHOUT

Stop being weak!

And yet thousands of young men from all across the UK

want to join the army and get their chance to fight for their country.

When you go in, you will go. EXPLOSION

This series tells the story of four young men

on their journey from civvies to soldiers.

It's got 30-bastard-odd pence in!

Beginning on their very first day as new recruits...

Left turn!

-You got it wrong!

-..through to front-line combat in Helmand.

Jump up!

Jesus Christ!

Stand to! Stand to!

With the demands of army life proving too much for some,

two of the original four recruits

have now made it through infantry training.

-Congratulations to you.

-Darren Meads was living with his mum and signing on the dole

-before he signed up.

-I was so proud of you!

-Did I look good?

-Yeah, you did.

I wouldn't really be doing anything. Just being a bum, really.

-Hello!

-And Andrew Forti was a struggling tiler

trying to support his three-year-old son.

Daddy's missed you! He doesn't understand what war is.

How do you explain a thing like that to a three-year-old?

If they thought basic training was tough, then they're in for a shock...

EXPLOSION

GUNFIRE

..as the reality of being a professional soldier

starts to sink in...

-Make sure you're not coming down with any foot rot.

-Broken, really. Shattered. Proper snapped.

-Helmet cover large.

-Yeah.

..and the countdown to Afghanistan begins.

Just makes you want to leave the army.

Two weeks ago, Darren Meads completed his infantry training

and is now a qualified British soldier.

He passed out with flying colours

and is getting ready to join his new battalion.

I've always wanted to join the army since I were at school.

That's the only thing I've ever done well at, is being in the army.

When I get to battalion

and we start playing with the big boys, then you're going to start thinking twice.

Am I ready for that?

-Here it is.

-Darren's fellow recruit, Andrew Forti,

has also just graduated as an infantry soldier.

It's just starting all over again.

Obviously we're new, we haven't been on tour.

The NCOs tell you to keep your head down,

and just keep your mouth shut and listen in, things like that.

They're both heading to Chepstow on the Welsh border,

home to First Battalion The Rifles.

-How do you spell your name?

-F-O-R-T-I.

-What's your number, buddy?

-Er, it's 2522.

For the next four years, when they're not away fighting wars,

they'll both be calling these ten-by-ten cubicles home.

You only sleep in here, don't you?

Darren and Andrew have both been assigned to A Company,

and will be under the command of Major Carl Boswell,

also known as Chuckles.

This is the best job in the world. I'm here with 110 warriors

all ready to go to Afghanistan, all seeking the same goal,

all wanting to do the same thing,

and we will get there, and we will get there as a trained force.

Chuckles has 110 men under his command

and has just five months to whip them into shape

and make sure they're fighting fit and ready for combat.

Tell me a little bit about you.

Um, I'm from Northampton, 26, married but separated.

Got a little boy, he's three, um...

What did you do before the army?

A self employed tiler. Done that for eight years.

-So you're qualified?

-Yeah, yeah.

And go back to the family. So parents?

Dad died when I was younger, so I didn't really get to know him, but I lived with my mum.

-Essentially you're on a fairly fast learning curve from here, compared to previously.

-Yeah.

So tomorrow's going to be a baptism under fire, essentially.

-You'll start picking it up right from the word go.

-Brilliant.

-I'll catch up with you more in there.

There can be no...no short cut.

You must do everything you possibly can before we get out to theatre.

You do not want to be learning significant amounts in theatre.

Scrub weapons. You won't be able to fire your weapon when it's dirty,

so you've got to be able to clean it.

Having spent the last six months surrounded by other new recruits,

Darren and Andrew are now lining up with veterans

of recent combat campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And, as newly qualified soldiers, they've got some catching up to do.

It's going to be five miles this time and we've got added on kit.

They'll have to get their fitness up to scratch...

..as they'll be fighting in conditions of over 50 degrees

and carrying kit of up to 30 kilos.

Go! Stop using your fucking feet!

Target!

And out in the relentless dust of the Afghan desert

they'll have to learn how to maintain their most important piece of kit.

Something Darren is having a spot of bother with.

You're wasting time, look, get some fucking...

Get some fucking swash pot on it, and some oil.

That's what you need, all boils down to oil.

Fuck me!

Fucking tickling them, that's what half of you are doing!

Go in there, get some fucking oil, yeah, and flannelette.

I'll fucking say it for the millionth time.

Go and get some oil and flannelette. I've told you how to clean it, do it.

So we'll just pour oil on it?

Fucking awesome. Take it with you. Oi! Take it with you, actually.

One week into their new battalion life,

Darren and Andrew, both top recruits in basic training,

are finding it tough being the new boys on base.

I think you've got to do a year before you're not known as a new lad - once you go up a pay band.

Once we get back from this tour, mate, easy as fuck.

Nobody will bother us or nothing.

-Yeah.

-Just smash them if they call you a new boy.

-Shit, isn't it?

-Yep.

Right, we'd better go, mate.

Darren and Andrew have to get to grips with the biggest threat

to an infantry soldier in Afghanistan -

the improvised explosive device, or IED.

Right, gents. Keep the noise down. Get your pens out.

OK? What we're going to cover today is the IED threats, types of IED you're going to face.

OK, types of IEDs.

What types of IEDs have we got? Who can give me one? Don't shout out.

'Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs,

'have accounted for at least three quarters of the deaths this year.'

One from the Second Battalion the Rifles was caught in a blast

on a foot patrol in Helmand Province this afternoon.

As the Rifles is an infantry regiment within the British Army,

their solders fight on foot, engaging the enemy face to face...

GUNFIRE

..leaving them far more exposed to the deadly threat of IEDs.

'Six more servicemen killed in Afghanistan in less than a week.'

And since 2006 over 100 British soldiers have been killed

by these devices, with hundreds more seriously injured.

For every British soldier killed on the battlefield,

four have been wounded.

The loss of life is intense.

Ones they're bringing out now that you have to think about,

they're bringing out ones that are initiated by light.

So if you go into Para strike op, go into a compound, go into a room,

you shine your torch on it, and then this device will go off.

Check fire!

Company commander Major Boswell

will be leading his men on foot patrol in Afghanistan,

making their presence felt with the local communities

and trying to engage the Taliban and drive them out of the country.

But operating on foot patrol in areas littered with IEDs

is a dangerous game.

METAL DETECTOR BEEPS

This is all about getting it right from the start,

so any lapse in concentration, any lapse in their basic skills and standards

on the execution element of the patrol must be stamped on here,

else it will just cascade and become a big problem when it comes to the point.

There are strict rules in place on how the soldiers are to patrol,

and Major Boswell, or Chuckles,

isn't entirely happy with the way some of his men are conducting their drills.

-Who covers tail-end Charlie?

-Um...

Tail-end, sir?

-You.

-Oh, yeah, me, sir, yeah.

Now that's all around from where you are, five metres.

-Sir.

-Don't be idle on the field.

Sir.

-You should be doing left and right, then move on.

-Left and right, yes, sir.

-Roger. And you're not doing that?

-Well, we've been taught to put one there and one there.

-Oh, no, bollocks.

-So, we actually change it, sir?

-Can it, yeah, absolutely.

-Yes, sir.

It's all about doing the basics well. The gradual understanding of where people are within the patrol,

where they sit within a patrol.

This is all just getting us to where we need to be.

When Chuckles heads off for Afghanistan in four months' time...

Guys, tea's ready. Come on, Hector.

..he'll be leaving behind his wife, Polly, and two young children, Hector and Nancy.

They're also preparing for what lies ahead.

Chuckles is a bit of a fitness guru,

he rather likes his walking and running,

and for, I think, our first date, he took me up the Mourns,

which was like a four-hour step aerobics class.

And it was some sort of test!

But, yes, so that's where we met, in Northern Ireland.

Polly never knew Chuckles before he was in the army

and, having been married now for seven years,

she always knew the kind of life she was signing up for.

The bottom line is they're all looking forward to going,

and there's no getting... I think that probably could become quite irritating,

in a way, in the fact that there's a lot of talk about them going,

but not so much talk about us staying.

You know, what if something was to happen?

I don't want to talk too loudly cos he's here.

-Are you all right?

-Mummy, can I have a chocolate?

Yes, go on, then, get it out the soldier.

This will be the second time Chuckles has gone to war.

This here, that's Chuckles when he was in Iraq, on his last tour.

And this is a great friend of ours, Mark Hale,

who was tragically killed in Afghanistan last August, so a year ago.

When friends of yours start dying,

that's when you think, that's pretty close to home.

You know, no-one's untouchable.

If worrying 24/7 was going to help, I would do it,

but it's not, anybody, so I don't.

I just get on, and get on day-to-day,

and hopefully they'll be in one piece when they get back.

Cos that's all he wants, and that's all I want, so...

..there we go.

The battalion are on a live firing exercise.

Darren and Andrew have been patrolling for the last four days,

a role they'll both be doing once on the ground in Afghanistan.

They've been deprived of sleep and restricted to rations

to prepare them for what lies ahead.

Everything we're doing here is...

is what we're going to be doing when we're out on tour.

Obviously, it won't look like this,

but it gives you an idea and it's preparing you for it,

so you know what to expect when you're out there.

So yeah, it's good exercise. I enjoy it, you know?

Obviously I don't like having no sleep, but that's just part of your job.

But Darren, a long way from the excitement of firing live ammo, is less impressed.

We've been here, like, three days

and we haven't actually found anybody or had any dramas.

So it's just been the same routine for three days.

Come on here, stand here for four hours,

and then we go back in there and go to sleep for four hours,

back out here for four hours.

We've not fired one round since we've been here.

It's a fucking shite time.

Cold, hungry and exhausted,

it's a far cry from his hopes and dreams of day one basic training.

I've always had a passion for the Army,

being in the Army has been my major passion.

Go on, start doubling!

I think it's just the adrenaline that every soldier likes.

I'm doing something good with my life,

rather than sitting at home, being on the dole, or whatever.

It's a good life.

For Darren, the stark reality of soldiering

is not living up to his expectations.

That's what we're looking for, making sure things like that don't get infected.

So get those Brillo pads the old ladies get in the bath, start filing it down.

It sounds a bit gay, but you don't want a fucking... your feet taking a different shape.

I'm making sure they're administrating their feet

cos, if they've been wet for the last few days,

make sure they're not coming down with foot rot,

make sure they're changing their socks,

if there's any blisters that have got infected, so the fucking...

Our feet are our life.

Fucking hard work, mate, I'll tell you that.

The battalion have been given some well-earned leave

and, back home in Doncaster, Darren is taking a break from his soldiering duties.

GUNSHOTS RING

COMPUTER GAME BLARES

Darren's already been to Afghanistan

when he was a reserve soldier with the Territorial Army.

But his mum Angela still finds it hard to accept his choice of career.

What the fuck?

He's not bothered about it, is he? He doesn't seem fazed by it at all.

As far as he's concerned, this is what he's been trained for,

this is what he knew he was going to do, this is what he wanted to do.

Crazy, isn't he? Crazy lad. Crazy, crazy lad.

When he went last time, he actually was in a fairly safe area.

This time he's going right into harm,

and he's going right into the nasty area, I keep calling it,

so, no, I think it's going to be worse.

Shall we go to the park?

Andrew Forti is back home in Daventry.

Oi! He never listens.

Kian, wait for me please.

He lost his own dad when he was a young boy.

There's loads of ducks, Kian.

Go on, chuck some in, then.

When I was about five or six, something like that,

so I didn't really get to know him that well,

I didn't have much memory.

But I don't want, obviously, Kian going through the same,

cos he's four at the minute.

And if I haven't got much memory from when I was six,

then obviously he ain't going to when he's older

from, you know, his age now.

But, yeah, I don't want him to go through the same thing I did, definitely. Yeah.

Say, "Bye, swan, see you next time!"

Bye, swan!

I think he has more to lose, doesn't he,

really, at the end of the day?

I know everybody has family,

but I think when you have a child,

you know, you're going to feel different,

and you're going to want to do things different.

Right, that's it. You can't go no further.

Hopefully he'll always think twice about whatever he does.

You know, before he does it.

And, comes back safe, really.

Not just for me, but for his son, you know?

SHE SNIFFS

It's just so horrible to lose somebody, you know, in your life.

It's just something I don't ever want to go through again.

For now, though, thoughts of impending deployment are on hold,

as Darren's preparing for best-man duties for his oldest school friend.

We had to move the wedding forward cos I'm having no-one else as my best man.

Daz is my best man, he's going to Afghan in March,

and then I'm going to Afghan in September,

so we had to, like, arrange it around people,

make sure Dave was on leave, Daz was on leave, Marty was back from Afghan.

-Oh, God, you look handsome, all of you.

-We know!

Right, right, let's do it, then, let's go.

As well as Darren, Sherry's two ushers

are also old school friends from Doncaster,

and serving British soldiers.

You'll be fine, mate.

MUSIC: "Bridal Chorus" by Wagner

I, Stephen Andrew,

-take you, Sarah Michelle...

-To be my wife.

..to be my wife.

APPLAUSE

Now, ladies and gentlemen, the best man, Darren.

Well, I'm not going to get all soppy,

but I've been mates with Sherry for, what is it now, 20...?

-20 years.

-20 years.

And we spent probably every day together when we was growing up.

I couldn't ask for a better friend, I really can't.

This is probably going to be the last time all the lads are together

in the same room for a long time, like a year,

cos I deploy to Afghanistan in March,

as soon as I get back Stephen goes out for six months,

so it's probably going to be the last time we'll see each other, like together, in the same room.

I wish him luck when he goes to Afghan, obviously the same with me.

I'm just going to miss, you know, being with the lads a lot,

so here's a toast to the best friend anybody in this world could ever ask for.

To Stephen and Sarah, as well.

-GUESTS:

-Steven and Sarah.

Cheers!

It's getting emotional in here!

Jesus!

Well done, son.

APPLAUSE

There was a lot more I was going to say. But I just,

I don't know, I just stopped before I started crying.

Before my emotions got the better of me.

For Angela, seeing Darren and Sherry together for the last time

is a stark reminder that his deployment is drawing ever closer.

I've known this has been coming all over Christmas.

Do you know what I mean?

It is...

Oh!

It's ace when they're all together. I mean, they'll get on with it,

they'll shrug it off, they'll get on with it,

but the family's the thing that keeps them together,

the family's the one that's going to keep them focused.

Getting back to their family, back to their lives,

getting back to the...the people that they're leaving behind, so it's...

We've not spoke about March at all, coming up,

and I do know he's got a bit of leave before he goes.

We keep saying...

He'll say things like, "When I come back," do you know what I mean?

"We'll do this when I come back," and I just think,

OK, he's confident that he's coming back, and I'm thinking, yeah, as long as he does.

I keep saying to him, "Keep your head down," like I did last time,

"Just keep your head down, and come back to me in one piece.

"With every bit. With all your arms, with all your legs, with all your fingers, with everything,

"and your mind still intact."

That's all you want. That's all you want.

Back at Beachley Barracks,

company commander Chuckles is ramping up the training.

You're required to search your compound.

Ladder men up!

Remember to check for trip wires.

Room clear!

They've just gone through primary education.

They're now moving on to secondary education,

and when we get out there they're at the university of hard knocks.

They've got the basic skill set.

They can absolutely read and write, or in this case

carry a weapon and carry their kit, and get from A to B.

The next stage of this is making sure that they can understand

the reasons we are out there, how we are able to conduct our business

and understand...the people, the Afghan population.

The battalion are moving to a multi-million-pound training area in Norfolk,

where a small part of Afghanistan has been brought to the English countryside.

This mocked-up village has been populated by Afghan nationals,

in an effort to create the most realistic training conditions.

This isn't all about the hard and heavy stuff, this is about trying to engage with people.

But always, in the back of your mind, you've got

your drills ready, and you're ready to go ahead if you're surprised.

-Good to see you again.

-As-Salamu Alaykum.

Chuckles is taking part in a simulated Shura, a meeting with

the village elders, which will be part of his day job in Afghanistan.

Yeah, my name is Major Carl.

HE TRANSLATES

I come from a beautiful country called England.

So I hope very much that we can assist with the development

to make sure that the security stays stable.

He says 90% of the villagers have contact with us, the farmers

and the shopkeepers, and the local people who are living here,

they have good communication with us.

But, as well as learning how to interact with the local villagers,

the soldiers have to be trained for when things go wrong.

BOMB BLAST SOUNDS

The suicide bomb is a simulation, using a real-life amputee.

He's got gunshot...gunshot wounds to his chest.

He needs to be put into there.

If this had been on the battlefield then the battalion would now be dealing with four casualties.

OK, OK. Get him down that alleyway. Get him down that alleyway.

In less than ten weeks, simulations like this will be over.

He's not breathing! He's not breathing!

And Darren will be facing the enemy for real.

Get him in, guys.

Where's his helmet?

At times you just think, "Why am I here?" But other times

you think, "Yeah, this is not bad training."

So it's good.

But no, I don't think it's...

I don't know, it'll be a lot different out there,

compared to training.

These get filthy after exercise.

But you have to leave them a couple of days just to dry out.

Back in Chepstow, and with just over a month before he leaves for war,

Andrew still hasn't told his son.

Yeah, I suppose I need to have a chat with him about it, but he's not going

to understand, cos he doesn't understand how long six months is.

And I don't know sometimes if that's a good thing or not.

When Andrew first joined the army, time away from home was a sacrifice worth making.

I wasn't getting anywhere on Civvy Street anyway.

Work dried up, and it just, you know, it's a good career, and it'll help him out in the long run.

Get him into private school and get him a good start in life.

Hopefully!

He thinks I've just abandoned him.

But because he's three he doesn't really understand it.

He says, "Why, why does my daddy want to be a soldier and not my daddy?"

But now, with Afghanistan just a few weeks away,

he doesn't know how to tell his son he's going away for six months.

He doesn't understand what war is, and people...

He understands, he's like, my dad is a soldier,

because he's going to shoot people, but that's just because of games, like, computer games and TV

and things like that, but he doesn't, he doesn't believe...

Obviously he doesn't think any of it's really.

How do you explain things like that to a three-year-old?

To try and make his absence easier, Andrew's going to record himself

reading a bedtime story for his son Kian to listen to whilst he's away.

Gruffalo is easy, we'll go...

He's got this, he's got a book of this at home, and he does like it

because it has, like, little bits that you touch at the side.

I would probably go with that one.

-Maybe go with The Gruffalo because he also knows what it is.

-Yeah. Yeah, go for that then.

-Yeah?

Hello, Kian. It's Daddy here. I hope you are going to enjoy this story.

It's called The Gruffalo.

So here we go.

'A mouse took a stroll through the deep, dark wood.

'A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.

'"Where are you going to, little brown mouse?

'"Come and have lunch in my underground house."

'All was quiet in the deep, dark wood,

'the mouse found a nut and the nut was good.'

And that's the end. Um, looking forward to seeing you again soon, Kian. Love you lots, Daddy.

When First Battalion the Rifles first deployed

to Afghanistan three years ago, eight soldiers were killed in action.

So the battalion need to make sure the troops are prepared for the worst.

Guys, if you do listen in, this is very important to you.

This is...these are the building blocks that are going to help us to help you and your families,

if, for example, three o'clock in the morning,

when we get notified that something has happened to you, we are going to get straight onto the truth machine,

and then we are going to put in place what you told us to do.

Who am I going to tell first?

Because it might be that your next of kin is an old and frail mum or dad, or a very heavily

pregnant spouse, and somebody whom it would not be a good idea if we knocked on their door first.

Properly think about who you should put on there as your next of kin.

Right, fellas, guys who've just tipped up, right?

The whole essence of this, if there's a hoo-ha in theatre, right, and we need to get a picture

of you for any reason whatsoever, right,

and there's a clerk on duty who doesn't know who you are, it means

we can go through the photograph files, look for A Company, and we can get the nice one next to it.

All right? Everybody happy with that?

I can't pass without talking about this subject. And where we do have a fatality in theatre,

we must be formally identified.

It might be that when a colleague has been recovered from the battlefield

he is easily able to be recognised.

However, if, due to the nature of those injuries, he cannot do that,

then we have to do it by some other means.

That's why we ask him to voluntarily give a DNA sample before you go away anywhere.

Because, whilst we are clear enough to go and knock on your mum's door,

and say that it's you who's been affected, that is nowhere near good enough for the coroner.

Mum is already enduring the worst possible day of her life,

and myself, or a representative from the coroner's office, is going to have to take Mum aside and say,

"We know that that's Jimmy there,

"however we're going to have to prove that, and he didn't give us a DNA sample.

"So please would you mind giving us a DNA sample?"

But the chances are it won't happen to you, but just if it does, give the sample.

Save your mums from all of that hassle.

OK.

But it's not just the soldiers who need to be briefed.

All across the country, the regiment has invited

the families of all the troops about to deploy to a briefing.

Welcome to the 1 Rifles family brief.

At the moment we're due to hand over, or rather take over, from 2 Para,

Second Battalion the Parachute Regiment, on the 1st May.

Why are we there? Over the last few years, this question has led

to a lot of debate, within the armed forces and the government.

The answer is...is two words - national security.

The UK is part of a 48-nation coalition force

which is there to stop the spread of international terrorism, Al Qaeda, whoever else it might be,

using Afghanistan as a safe haven and being able to mount attacks on the UK.

Unfortunately, on occasion, we will be forced by the insurgent to fight.

I think it's important here for you to rest assured that that is our core business.

When it comes to casualties, there is one thing that you must always remember.

If you hear about an operational death in the media

and you haven't been told by a notification officer,

then it will not be your son or daughter that is involved.

The family are always told first.

My stomach did drop, actually, at one time.

You know, I did feel quite sick,

um, but then it...the more he talked and went through it,

yeah, I did feel a little bit better.

Yeah, definitely worth coming. Yeah.

The battalion are about to go on leave.

Helmet cover large?

-Yeah.

-Underwear? Yeah.

-One, two, three, four, yeah.

But, before they do, they'll need to be issued with all the kit they'll need to fight in the desert.

It's not every day you get to walk into a shop and get all these clothes for free.

Everything's too big at the minute, I've looked up.

-You'll grow into it.

-Pfff! Yeah, they're too big.

I think I asked for a seven, I did.

Cos we haven't got that size.

Jesus sandals. When you're in the shower, or something like that, and you're cutting about in them,

but if you have contact or something you can still run with them on.

-With the kit all issued...

-I'm ready, Sergeant Major.

..the last thing for Chuckles to do is to inspect his men before he allows them home.

Yes, it's quite nice to see them before they go, otherwise you don't get them together.

I'll get them on parade before they fall out, but this is sort of one-to-one time.

Even if it's ten seconds, it's nice just to be able to see them before they go.

-How come you haven't shaved this morning?

-I have, sir.

-Really?

-Yeah, it's just...

-With what? A fucking mess tin?

-You fucking haven't.

Right, so when do you reckon you're going to be fit to fight again?

Rifleman Royal, this isn't workable.

How old are the kids?

I've only got one kid, sir. He's three in April.

Three in April.

-When in April?

-Err, 19th.

Same as mine.

It's a good day. Listen, have a good leave, all right?

-Thank you very much, sir.

-Where are you going for leave?

-Thailand.

-Thailand?

-Yes, sir.

-Who are you going with?

-My girlfriend.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

-How boring! You're not getting engaged before you go away?

-No.

But she better not see this though!

-Fiancee now?

-Yes, sir.

-Outstanding.

-Thank you, sir.

-How's your fitness?

-It's improving.

-Improving.

-Yes, sir.

-Work on it over leave, all right?

-I will do.

-Come back and hit it running.

-Rifleman Mills, are you all right?

-Not bad, sir.

-Where are you going for leave?

-Just going paintballing.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

-What the hell do you want to go paintballing for?

My family wanted to see if I can dodge bullets.

-How are you?

-Not too bad, thank you, sir.

-Where are you going for leave?

Back to Doncaster, sir.

-Doncaster.

-Yes, sir.

-What's up in Doncaster?

-That's where all my family is, sir.

-Anything good planned?

Um, not really, sir, just chilling out.

-Girlfriend?

-Yes, sir.

-Doncaster?

-Yes, sir.

-Strong. Enjoy.

Rifleman Forti, how the devil?

-Very good, sir, yourself?

-Yeah, good, good.

Where are you going for leave?

-To see my son, sir. Northampton.

-Outstanding.

Right-ho. Hey, listen, have a good leave.

Thank you, sir.

Happy days!

Right then, men. Well done on everything you've done so far.

We're 85% there, just a little bit left to go.

So we're going to hone those skills when we get back.

Now, you'll notice, hopefully, that the pace of life reduces a little bit,

but that doesn't mean we take our minds off what stands ahead of us in April, all right?

And a final thing, I say it every time, but discipline.

Keep your fists in your pockets.

If they start challenging you out there in Civvy Street,

keep your nose out of the shit and come back without any dramas for me.

So, well done. Go on leave. See you later.

-ALL:

-Sir.

Well, I'm, yeah...at the minute I'm practically skint now anyway.

But I'm paying a lot of things off.

Andrew's trying to get his financial affairs in order before he leaves.

Yeah.

Like all serving soldiers, he needs to ensure himself and his kit,

and even though he will receive tax benefits on his salary whilst he's away, it's still a stretch.

Oh, yeah, I've just got my life insurance, that costs £36 a month.

And then obviously packs insurance as well.

Well, it's just gone up, because obviously going onto tour, which is obviously...say if you got shot

you get, you can claim, um... and that's gone up, and that's £80 a month, but that's because of tour.

Oh, that's what I forgot to say, I put £40 a month into my son's bank as well.

That's definite, goes through every month.

I literally got paid three days ago, and I've got, like, £150 left.

I don't think the money's good enough for...to go into Afghan, I don't think it's nowhere near good enough.

Especially like the stress it causes, the things that you put up with and the things that you see.

And then you get footballers out there earning hundreds of thousands to play a football game,

and then you get people in the army, risking their lives, losing their family,

you know, and getting paid nothing for it.

Up in Doncaster, Darren's also preparing for his departure.

The...well, we call them death letters.

Um, basically if, like, I died,

I've given to certain people, to only give them when I die,

so it's just basically things that I want to say to them.

It took me, like, two and a half weeks just to write one letter, and I've written two.

You just don't know what to say, do you?

Even though I've, like, been out there and done it,

I know for a fact when I get there every fucker's going to kill me.

Everything's an IED. You just do. That's weird.

That's fucking scary though, that is scary, and like on the day of your first patrol, it's fucking scary.

Darren's commanding officer, Chuckles, will be leaving behind his young family.

His wife Polly has learnt from previous tours how best to keep in touch.

Chuckles will phone me up, and he'll say, "So what have you been up to?"

And I'm like, "Err, err, I went to Tesco's this morning!"

I just can't think. Your mind goes blank.

And someone might have had a baby, someone's got married, you went to a, you know, wedding,

and you can't think of any of that, it just goes completely out of your head,

so now I have a pad by the phone with kind of key events,

just so we don't waste 30 minutes talking about

Hector losing his tie at school, and really mundane, really mundane stuff.

With the dangers Chuckles will face, they're planning for all eventualities.

Executors, where's the executors' piece?

When you do sit down and think a little bit about it, it does,

you know, you do start realising that, you know, there's a lot of people affected by

one person being lost, let alone, you know, your own husband, so it...

You know, it is real, and it may well happen,

and there's no getting away from that.

Here I am, sitting here, doing my will,

doing all sorts of bits and bobs for the tour,

but I've got to make sure the riflemen are doing that as well.

Because there are riflemen who are concerned about not coming back, and they'd be lying

if they said otherwise, and, er... those ones you've got to sort of capture every now and again,

and get into your office for a private chat.

If you get your head round it,

and realise that you're the one who's not affected by not coming home, that it's everyone else,

then I think you're on a starter for ten at least.

Having spent two weeks away from the army, and with only days to go until he leaves,

Andrew has found new love with a girl he met on Facebook.

You know, we've spent, like, the last couple of weeks together, haven't we? To get to know each other and that.

-Yeah, we were just, like, we were just texting to begin with, weren't we?

-Yeah.

We were just texting and just asking each other what our interests was and stuff, and then we found out

-we had loads in common, if not everything in common.

-Yeah.

And then we'd speak on the phone for, like, a hour or two hours, text each other until, like, midnight

-or one o'clock in the morning.

-Yeah.

-And then we've only recently met a couple of times.

-And yeah, we like each other, so...

-Yeah.

-I'll wait for him.

Just feels weird, cos obviously it's only four days until I go.

But it's just bad timing, I suppose.

Yeah. But then at least I like you enough to wait for you, that's something.

Andrew's decided to introduce Toni to his family at his farewell party.

-That's my grandma.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-And grandpa.

I'm sitting behind you, nice to meet you.

Hello. How do you do?

Even though he's met her just a few weeks into going away, I think it'll keep him strong.

And he'll have somebody,

you know, to talk to, give a ring to when he needs to.

You know, I think it's good for him.

Four years, I'm done.

By the time I've done the tour, I'll be three and a half, two and a half.

By the time I've had all my leave, which will be May, then I'll have two years.

-So that's still long though but not that bad.

-Cool.

-Two years. Can deal with that, can't you?

-Yeah.

Yeah, he says he doesn't want to go!

I don't want him to go, but obviously that's his job,

that's what he's trained for, that's what he's got to do.

I accept that, I understand that,

and so, yeah, I'm just going to be patient, understanding, write,

speak when we can, see him when he comes back for his R&R

so he gets a bit of rest, so he can see his son, he can see me.

And then four months, and hopefully he comes back in one piece,

and then hopefully happy ever after, hopefully.

-All right?

-Yeah mate, sound.

You all right?

Yeah mate, sound. Bang on.

On his last night at home, Darren's older brother Lee is throwing him a farewell party.

Right then, lads.

Last weekend now for Daz, let's make it a good 'un, let's hope he does well out there,

comes back alive. He owes me 60 quid, he needs to!

OK, lads, let's have a good night.

This is to our Daz.

-To Daz.

-To Daz.

-To Daz.

We don't want him to go, obviously.

Last time it were a bit more... stepped back a bit,

he wasn't full throttle on the line. This time he is.

So, I've talked to Dave, he's told me about... I've never been to Afghanistan,

I don't know what goes off there. I don't want to know, but I am getting a bit scared of him going.

Yeah, he invited the boys round for a couple of drinks,

and it just turns into a full-on party! But, I don't know,

that's just what it is, that's what your boys are there for, really.

To have a good time and just enjoy yourself.

Especially when they're going away, and you may not be seeing them again, but...

I don't know.

I just hope he comes back.

Ever since Polly has known Chuckles, he's been an officer in the army.

But this will be the first time he's leaving for war since their children were born.

Well, I think our kids are a bit of a tricky age, because they're neither one thing nor the other,

you know, they're neither too small that they don't understand at all,

and they're not old enough necessarily to un...

They haven't get enough of an idea of time.

Get set. Oh! You cheeky monkey!

There's nothing I can do about it, so I've just got to get on with it.

I mean, I'm going to miss him terribly but that's just the way it is, really.

Go, catch him!

-Go on, Nancy!

-Go!

-Yay!

-Oh! Good one!

-Go, Nancy!

I think it's going to be amazing, the change that these guys are going to go through

in the next six months, so what you leave isn't what you get when you come back

and I think that's the biggest thing that I'm going to miss, is seeing these guys just grow up.

Go on, then. Count. What are you going to count to?

Coming, ready or not!

Here I come, it's wicked!

Go. Go. Hector runs around and plays these dragons, and dragonslayers, in his knight's uniform,

and so they slay dragons, but he hasn't got a clue.

One day he'll read about it in the history books though,

and much like we read about our grandfathers here in the First World War.

They're not real fairies!

It's not whether I feel proud about it, it's whether he feels proud about what Daddy did during the war.

Yeah, yeah, you get goosebumps now and again.

It's upsetting, I feel really emotional, I'm trying to be...

..calm and...for his sake.

I can't help it, sorry.

Come on.

-I love you.

-I love you.

Bye!

For me, it just feels like I'm doing something wrong.

You know what I mean, like leaving them, they're making me feel bad for leaving them.

I know that they're not meaning to, you're going to get sad, aren't you? But...

It just makes you want to leave the army.

Before boarding their flight to Camp Bastion,

the soldiers will have to hand their mobile phones in,

as they won't be allowed access to them for the next six months.

Tour starts now.

Check your kit, check you've got your helmet, check you've got all your good stuff.

Everything we do we move as a platoon, when we sit down, all right,

we sit down as a platoon.

You don't go and mingle with 2 or 3 Platoon, until we fucking get out there.

-Happy days. Does everyone understand?

-Yeah.

Over the past six months I've never really took much notice of it all. You know?

You sort of like take it from day to day, what's going to happen.

And then you don't realise...

Oh, God.

And then it's there, looking at you.

Number Two. Start getting your kit on now, fellas.

-Nesbitt.

-Sir.

-Williams.

-Sir.

-Rifleman Bishop.

-Yes, sir.

-Cornish.

-Yes, sir.

-Cosgrove.

-Yes, sir.

-Farrell.

-Yes, sir.

-Forti.

-Yes, sir.

French. Barr. Meads. Francis.

Yes, sir.

-Rifleman Matthews.

-Sir.

-Arundel.

-Yes, sir.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Corporal Bishop.

-Sir.

-Haliday.

-Sir.

-Jones-Newton.

-Sir.

-McQuaig?

-Yes, sir.

-Shott.

-Sir.

-Whitehouse.

-Yes, sir.

Get up on the wall! Get up on the wall!

Up on the wall! Keep facing!

He's found something!

Fire in the hold!

I've took photos of my legs and I've named them, just in case I lose them.

Get right down!

Every time you take a casualty, you try to think as to how you're going to rectify this.

How you'll keep going so that tomorrow you won't stumble, you'll keep fighting.

It just goes to show I've been grafting, doesn't it?

I don't think there's anything wrong with fearing, like, dying.

Cos it keeps you alert, it keeps you awake.

So then you're thinking about your drills a lot more.

So I think it's a good thing.

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