It struck me how shambolic the platoon was, badly trained, haring around like headless chickens, and running on adrenalin rather than any sort of military professionalism, like a bunch of chavs on a Paint Ball day out.
Thicko grunts can't even think for themselves and get a injured man out of danger without getting screamed at by a NCO.
Not really a good advert for the British Army was it ?.
Richard Cranium is an appropriate name for you, isn't it?
Just thought... there was a similar incident in Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, where a soldier was killed out on patrol. Was that the same guy? As Kemp was with 1R.ANGLIAN wasn't he.
Edit Just looked it up. Yes, it happened at the same time as Ross Kemp was filming. He visited Pvt Grey's parents.
Was thinking the same thing myself at the time, I thought the incident and recovery of the soldier was very familiar to me.
Just thought... there was a similar incident in Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, where a soldier was killed out on patrol. Was that the same guy? As Kemp was with 1R.ANGLIAN wasn't he.
Edit Just looked it up. Yes, it happened at the same time as Ross Kemp was filming. He visited Pvt Grey's parents.
Yes it was and Ross did some good programmes too on the same subject. As to the BBC well done for this which was good tv and a very good story..
It struck me how shambolic the platoon was, badly trained, haring around like headless chickens, and running on adrenalin rather than any sort of military professionalism, like a bunch of chavs on a Paint Ball day out.
Thicko grunts can't even think for themselves and get a injured man out of danger without getting screamed at by a NCO.
Not really a good advert for the British Army was it ?.
:rolleyes:
Would you call them thicko grunts to their faces?
Have you been there? Have you been shot at? Have you witnessed your pals injured? Dying?
Have you run out into a contact, in 100+ degree heat risking your life to save your pals?
Nope didnt think so.
Scandalous that this programme was buried on BBC3......
and that more people are interested in Geordie slappers, than an insight to what many brave men and women had to deal with and still are going through right now........
(yeah its 0426am AFT and people are up and fighting a war)
There may have been a few choice words between them in carrying Pvt Grey but they are a solid as a group; a band of brothers if you like. They did everything they could to save their fallen comrade under such circumstances. Everyone in this programme is brave; from the soldiers out in the middle of nowhere, to the parents who allowed access to their grief. I never liked this 'invasion' of Afghanistan nor Iraq and when you see these young men they were only in their early teens when 9/11 happened. I shall be watching next week.
i knew it was on, but not my sort of thing, don't agree with them being over there, so had no interest in seeing them in a country they should not be in.
Most of that group of soldiers were young, I think they said 18 or 19 which I guess would be pretty typical.
A couple commented that they were excited to have their first contact. One of them said he and his mate did a 'rock on' sign of excitement to each other when the Afghans began firing at them.
The mother of the guy who died, Private Gray said as a lad he'd played mostly with toy guns like lots of lads.
They all seemed very happy to be deployed there initially as it appeared quiet for them. One commented that they began to think the Taliban were a myth!
I wonder what they're told their role is over there?
The officer said he felt they made a difference as opposed to Iraq where he felt they'd made it worse.
A sorry sight of the troops getting Private Gray away on the make shift stretcher, one of them said they hadn't had any stretcher training either. Hmmm, best trained troops in the world?
When they got Gray to the pick up point, they put him on the ground and walked off!! :eek:
Not impressed when the Sergent said to his men when they were struggling to carry him that if he dies as a result of them being slow, he'd hate them for ever! That was devastating.
I wonder what they think now and how many of them are still in the army?
It's not a criticism of them but it's fair to point out things that could have been done better e.g. the sarge not realising there was enemy in front of them (he thought they were friendlies); unfamiliarity with the stretcher etc. The sarge also broke protocol when the 'man down' call went up. I wonder how that might have affected the outcome?
They said they learnt from their mistakes afterwards, but it did show that 'basic training' really is just that.
On another note, experiencing the helicopter evacuation was incredible. Felt like you were there.
Of all the coments made by Mr Cranium yesterday the ones suggesting the British Army are poorly trained and lack professionalism seem the most ridiculous to me. The fact that 'only' 371 soldiers have been killed in 10 years of war suggest to me that they're very well trained and very professional.
It struck me how shambolic the platoon was, badly trained, haring around like headless chickens, and running on adrenalin rather than any sort of military professionalism, like a bunch of chavs on a Paint Ball day out.
Thicko grunts can't even think for themselves and get a injured man out of danger without getting screamed at by a NCO.
Not really a good advert for the British Army was it ?.
A tad trollish, but not without truth or relevance. They certainly did appear to be ill trained, and the pathetic inadequacy of the stretcher was shocking. I wonder if US troups would be similarly equipped in such a situation?
That said, they came across as a great bunch of lads, and it was a hugely insightful programme. It brought out two truths to me -
1) The class structure in the army is as prevalent as ever
2) How war should be an absolute last resort. A curse on the pathetic politicians who send kids like this into theatre on a political whim.
Scandalous that this programme was buried on BBC3......
That's the problem BBC3 has. It gets criticised for showing rubbish TV but when it does produce quality stuff it is criticised for having its programming "buried".
I thought it was a very moving programme - shed a tear too
Did think that all three episodes were going to follow the same platoon though.
I think the problem with following that platoon for the 3 episodes would be that it would be a bit too much like Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, as that platoon was one which he followed.(He was there for the fallout of Pvt Grey's death)
Not impressed when the Sergent said to his men when they were struggling to carry him that if he dies as a result of them being slow, he'd hate them for ever! That was devastating.
I'll put that down to adrenaline, I'm sure in the heat of the moment, under enemy fire, with a T-1 casualty, you'd say anything to try to get your comrade out of the situation quicker.
@ Mr Cranium
I fail to see how that post by was pathetic? Your post was incredibly insensitive and came across as bitter. Yorkshire King's response to yours raised a few good points. Have you experienced what happened to them?
That's the problem BBC3 has. It gets criticised for showing rubbish TV but when it does produce quality stuff it is criticised for having its programming "buried".
9pm was absolutely the earliest it could have been shown with the language it contained.
It struck me how shambolic the platoon was, badly trained, haring around like headless chickens, and running on adrenalin rather than any sort of military professionalism, like a bunch of chavs on a Paint Ball day out.
Thicko grunts can't even think for themselves and get a injured man out of danger without getting screamed at by a NCO.
Not really a good advert for the British Army was it ?.
You'll probably find most green troops react in the same way on their first contact. Recovering an injured man under fire would be quite difficult, especially when previous men have been shot trying to do so. But sitting on in your arm chairs, it's easy to make judgements.
The fact of the matter is they learnt from their mistakes and that's what counts.
Excellent program, very insightful and very emotional.
Reality check - you are contracted to do a job which might result in your death...
not Tesco shelf stacking is it
.
I liked the Ross Kemp series with the Soldiers but it didn't get much coverage.
It doesn't retract from the humanity of it though does it? In such a close knit family, it must be terrible to loose someone and have to carry on regardless.
Comments
Richard Cranium is an appropriate name for you, isn't it?
Haha I only just noticed that
Was thinking the same thing myself at the time, I thought the incident and recovery of the soldier was very familiar to me.
Yes it was and Ross did some good programmes too on the same subject. As to the BBC well done for this which was good tv and a very good story..
It was the footage of them evacuating him that made me think that I'd seen it before. Doesn't get any easier seeing it again.
Next week's episode looks to be another good one, IEDs.
not Tesco shelf stacking is it
.
I liked the Ross Kemp series with the Soldiers but it didn't get much coverage.
:rolleyes:
Would you call them thicko grunts to their faces?
Have you been there? Have you been shot at? Have you witnessed your pals injured? Dying?
Have you run out into a contact, in 100+ degree heat risking your life to save your pals?
Nope didnt think so.
Scandalous that this programme was buried on BBC3......
and that more people are interested in Geordie slappers, than an insight to what many brave men and women had to deal with and still are going through right now........
(yeah its 0426am AFT and people are up and fighting a war)
Oh dear, what a pathetic post.
don't think you answered the guy's question
Oh the irony.
It was better than yours :rolleyes:
I thought it was a very moving programme - shed a tear too
Did think that all three episodes were going to follow the same platoon though.
A couple commented that they were excited to have their first contact. One of them said he and his mate did a 'rock on' sign of excitement to each other when the Afghans began firing at them.
The mother of the guy who died, Private Gray said as a lad he'd played mostly with toy guns like lots of lads.
They all seemed very happy to be deployed there initially as it appeared quiet for them. One commented that they began to think the Taliban were a myth!
I wonder what they're told their role is over there?
The officer said he felt they made a difference as opposed to Iraq where he felt they'd made it worse.
A sorry sight of the troops getting Private Gray away on the make shift stretcher, one of them said they hadn't had any stretcher training either. Hmmm, best trained troops in the world?
When they got Gray to the pick up point, they put him on the ground and walked off!! :eek:
Not impressed when the Sergent said to his men when they were struggling to carry him that if he dies as a result of them being slow, he'd hate them for ever! That was devastating.
I wonder what they think now and how many of them are still in the army?
They said they learnt from their mistakes afterwards, but it did show that 'basic training' really is just that.
On another note, experiencing the helicopter evacuation was incredible. Felt like you were there.
A tad trollish, but not without truth or relevance. They certainly did appear to be ill trained, and the pathetic inadequacy of the stretcher was shocking. I wonder if US troups would be similarly equipped in such a situation?
That said, they came across as a great bunch of lads, and it was a hugely insightful programme. It brought out two truths to me -
1) The class structure in the army is as prevalent as ever
2) How war should be an absolute last resort. A curse on the pathetic politicians who send kids like this into theatre on a political whim.
That's the problem BBC3 has. It gets criticised for showing rubbish TV but when it does produce quality stuff it is criticised for having its programming "buried".
I think the problem with following that platoon for the 3 episodes would be that it would be a bit too much like Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, as that platoon was one which he followed.(He was there for the fallout of Pvt Grey's death)
I'll put that down to adrenaline, I'm sure in the heat of the moment, under enemy fire, with a T-1 casualty, you'd say anything to try to get your comrade out of the situation quicker.
@ Mr Cranium
I fail to see how that post by was pathetic? Your post was incredibly insensitive and came across as bitter. Yorkshire King's response to yours raised a few good points. Have you experienced what happened to them?
9pm was absolutely the earliest it could have been shown with the language it contained.
You'll probably find most green troops react in the same way on their first contact. Recovering an injured man under fire would be quite difficult, especially when previous men have been shot trying to do so. But sitting on in your arm chairs, it's easy to make judgements.
The fact of the matter is they learnt from their mistakes and that's what counts.
Excellent program, very insightful and very emotional.
It doesn't retract from the humanity of it though does it? In such a close knit family, it must be terrible to loose someone and have to carry on regardless.
It might ensure applicants came forward with their eyes more open.