Young Soldiers

The first episode tells the story of the first five weeks of their six-month basic training course in Catterick, North Yorkshire. The recruits have to be broken in and come to terms with a tough new army regime which will turn them from civvies into soldiers. They aren't allowed to leave the base, have limited access to their phones and will have to get used to a daily wake-up time of 5am. If they can survive the first five weeks without quitting then they will be deemed worthy enough to be awarded their regimental berets and pass off the square. On the home front, the families of these new recruits are also adjusting to a new regime, as they struggle with the decision their sons have made to join the army at such a dangerous time and their inevitable deployment to Afghanistan.

With the first five weeks of basic training completed, the recruits return to Catterick to complete the rest of the course. Things are ramped up with the recruits having to learn hand-to-hand combat with their bayonet knife, how to shoot live ammunition, and how their bodies react to exposure to CS gas. But with only weeks left until they are committed to serve Queen and country for the next four years, some of them begin to question their decision of joining the British Army at such a dangerous time, and whether or not they could really deploy to Afghanistan. Who will last the course and make it through to the passing out parade and graduation as a professional British soldier?

Darren Meads and Andrew Forti have now graduated as British soldiers and are preparing to join their new battalion, 1 Rifles, in a six-month countdown to their deployment to Afghanistan. Their company Commander, Major Carl Boswell, aka Chuckles, has to prepare Meads, Forti and the rest of the 110 men of A company, for frontline combat. As the deployment date gets closer, the stark reality of deploying to such a dangerous war zone starts to hit home for all the soldiers and their families.

As A company deploy to Afghanistan for their six-month tour of duty, the training is finally over for Darren and Andrew and they are about to get their first taste of combat. But it's a violent start to the tour, as the company faces sniper attacks, the deadly threat of IEDs and an ever-growing casualty list. Will fighting in a war zone live up to Darren and Andrew's expectations? And if they make it home in one piece, will they still want to be soldiers in the British Army?

18 months ago, this series started following a group of new recruits, three of whom were following their childhood dream of becoming a soldier in the British Army. All the highs and lows were captured from day one of basic training to frontline combat in Afghanistan. As some prepare to come home from their tour of duty, the three young soldiers look back on the extraordinary journey they have made.