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Short filmTranscript
00:00The Royal Welsh, a highly trained branch of the British Army.
00:06Stay close, stay close.
00:07You're gonna fight to the end.
00:09A frontline armoured infantry regiment.
00:13It's a fighting unit on high alert.
00:16The job that we're doing is light and death.
00:19If Britain is called to fight a war in Eastern Europe...
00:23Time to go to work.
00:25These soldiers need to be ready.
00:28Delta, give me wrapping!
00:30Move!
00:32It's a regiment with a legacy like no other.
00:35Royal Welsh, we are the best.
00:40Hardened from the bloody battlefields of history.
00:45With six months unprecedented access.
00:51We'll be there.
00:52Fire, fire, fire!
00:53For every trial.
00:55Dickie, let's go!
00:56Blood taken!
00:57It's very intense.
00:58Let's go!
00:59We've got to be sick, go to the fence.
01:00We've got a bloody game, isn't it?
01:02Tarnage.
01:04Every tradition.
01:06Get it down your necks.
01:07Come on.
01:08Mine's delicious and strong.
01:10Every triumph.
01:12As these soldiers train for war.
01:16Witness the pride and the honour.
01:19One of the greatest honours.
01:20One of the greatest honours anybody would ever get.
01:22Of serving king and country.
01:24One time down to me!
01:28If we go to war, I want to bring every one of these home.
01:35This time...
01:37New troops are forced into the firing line.
01:40Then why haven't you got gas?
01:42Come on in.
01:43Sergeant Jacko wrangles a tricky recruit.
01:45Oh, you can play silly buggers, aren't we?
01:48It's crunch time for a new warrior gunner.
01:51Find that!
01:53You're always going to be anxious.
01:54There's so many things that can go wrong.
01:55Wait!
02:02Lucknow Barracks, Tidworth, Wiltshire.
02:08Home to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welsh.
02:12On base are 600 troops across 12 ranks.
02:17Living.
02:18You want some food?
02:20And working.
02:21Side by side.
02:26Yo!
02:29Every year, 50 new fusiliers from Wales and beyond join the regiment.
02:34Now I collect my washing.
02:36With the tablets and sugar, good to go.
02:40Shaping them into the soldiers they'll soon become are the Sergeant Majors.
02:45It's made quite a few thousand coffees, I reckon.
02:48And I've only had it six months.
02:50Without that, I'd be more miserable than I normally am.
02:52Company Sergeant Major Phil Franco from North Wales has served with the Royal Welsh for over 19 years.
03:00I was 16 when I joined the army, so yeah, pretty young.
03:04I knew I wanted to be infantry, so when I went to the careers office, all I said is I wanted to be frontline.
03:08Because of the Iraq and Afghan war was going on at the time.
03:12And then he just forced me into the Royal Welsh, which made sense because clearly I was from Wales.
03:17We are ready to go.
03:21Today, Franco rules over Charlie Company, made up of 95 soldiers, most of them under 25.
03:29The best way to describe Charlie Company at the minute is probably inexperienced and immature.
03:35Got my Friday juice.
03:37My PlayStation.
03:3980% of my fuseliers have joined me in the last 12 months or less.
03:43In terms of having life experience, they have little to none.
03:46In first, at the back.
03:48I looked that off and off TikTok.
03:51Nothing can really set you up for how army life's going to be.
03:55And you need someone with my experience who's done all of the jobs from fuseliers,
04:00Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, to not only pass on my wisdom,
04:04but to grip people who are stepping out of line as well.
04:08It's Franco's job to keep order.
04:12And for him, discipline starts at home.
04:15Room inspections are routine.
04:17Oh.
04:19He expects every bed made and boot shined.
04:24Go and inspect the men.
04:26We'll take the bottom floor.
04:27OK.
04:28And then P2 take the middle floor.
04:32Down there.
04:34That's Sheila, by the way.
04:37The junior troops live on site, Monday to Friday, in 76 flats.
04:42Each flat has six people living in it.
04:46And then we have a kitchen that they share.
04:49Eager to impress on his inspection is 24-year-old fuselier Louis Charlton from Surrey.
04:56Yeah, I'm not six foot, unfortunately.
04:59He's been with Charlie Company for nine months and is already a committed soldier.
05:04I love this job. It gives me everything.
05:07I could never work behind a desk, ever.
05:10It's not my thing.
05:11I just want to stay a kid for the rest of my life, roll around in dirt.
05:15And, yeah, that's why I joined, really.
05:18And his youthful buzz goes beyond the barracks.
05:22I thought England were going to win the Euros, and I was really confident about it.
05:27And some of the Welsh boys here had a bet with me while we were in Cardiff, I think we were, for a parade.
05:34And the bet was, yeah, if England don't win, I've got to get that out of my arm.
05:39And now, yeah, I can't wear an England shirt for the rest of my life.
05:42Charlton needs to have his room spotless to please his sergeant major.
05:49But today, he has company.
05:52Oh, spider.
05:55Help.
05:57No, no, no.
06:01And Franco's all-seeing eye misses nothing.
06:05This is the communal rooms that they've got.
06:07They've got fridges.
06:08What normally tends to happen, I'll come back next week and that pack of bacon will still be there.
06:14That irritates me.
06:19Charlton, you owe me ten anyway.
06:22You owe me ten press-ups.
06:24What's that for, sir?
06:26What's it for? What the fuck was you screaming about?
06:28Oh, spider, sir.
06:29Don't you get it?
06:31One, sir.
06:32Two, sir.
06:33Three, sir.
06:34Four, sir.
06:35Five, sir.
06:36Seven, sir.
06:37Eight, sir.
06:38Nine, sir.
06:39Seven, sir.
06:40Up you go.
06:41What was that for?
06:43For being scared.
06:44Being a fucking lizard.
06:45You're fucking in for tears.
06:48With his room inspections done...
06:51The moment I'm going to take you now is, this is what we call the Scruff Spa.
06:55There's time to relax before his next task.
06:58Yeah, this is a Scruff Spa where we haven't got to get dressed up, so we haven't got to be in collar and I think we can just be ultra relaxed, have a few drinks.
07:06You've got dartboard, pool, you've got a leaderboard.
07:10Where am I?
07:11Oh, luckily for me, let's put that to where it should be.
07:18I'm very good.
07:19Very good.
07:20So, no one will question that.
07:24But it's just somewhere where we can go and relax, let our hair down, you know, away from the fuseliers and corporals.
07:30There's even a sign on the wall there saying, what happens in the mess stays in the mess.
07:34Sergeants and officers live in separate accommodation called messes.
07:39Sergeants' mess is filled with soldiers who have gone through the ranks, they're a little bit hardened.
07:44The other side, you've got all the Ruperts, who have just left uni, finished Sandhurst, very well spoken.
07:53Which fruit has the most calories?
07:55And that's very much their space, so at lunch, for example, they'll probably do some sort of quiz.
08:00Avocado.
08:01And in here, we're telling fart jokes.
08:04But today, Franco has his work cut out.
08:10I am off to see the lizards.
08:12Yes, let's make sure they've actually packed their lizard things.
08:16With the threat of war on our doorstep.
08:19Call my troops, so we're going to go for a nice kit check.
08:22He needs to make sure his young troops are conflict ready.
08:26As previously stated, I will be checking the items on that kit list.
08:30He's about to take them on a brutal week of battle training.
08:35We're going to test the platoons to see how they cope with essentially conventional warfare.
08:40So we're going to go to the hills of Brecon, which is a challenging environment within itself anyway.
08:44Being young and naive, it can be really challenging.
08:49But you've got to make sure they're all tactically sound, taking them into war.
08:54Making sure that, you know, they've got all the equipment they need.
08:56You know, they've been taught all the lessons that need to be taught.
08:59Trying to keep them alive.
09:00But before they deploy, he needs to make sure every item is accounted for.
09:06Everybody show me two sets of empty pea shirt and trousers.
09:11Right, get it open here.
09:12Make sure all of you've got your rations.
09:14See this one, what's this one?
09:16Chicken mushroom risotto.
09:18I've got to.
09:19I'm not even up.
09:20Right, where are the fucking tags for these two peas kids?
09:22Where the fuck's yours?
09:23I haven't been given yet, sir.
09:24So when we capture somebody, and then you get all of their equipment,
09:28how are you then going to, as the phrase goes, bag and tag them,
09:31if you ain't got a fucking tag to go with them?
09:32I won't be able to, sir.
09:33You won't be able to, will we?
09:34I won't be able to, sir.
09:36Even one missing item will earn you a dressing down from your sergeant major.
09:41We can scrimmage shot at somebody, but there is a time and place for it.
09:45I want you to show me your gas bottle,
09:47and then I want you to shake it next to my ear so I know that it's full of gas.
09:51If they can't manage the basics, I'm going to rip their face off.
09:55Oh, gosh, yeah.
09:56Are you fucking cut drugs, dude?
09:57Yeah.
09:58When did you know about this picture?
10:00Actually, how many have we had already?
10:02Uh, one or two.
10:03Then why haven't you got guts?
10:06How are you going to cook?
10:08My fault, sir.
10:10I've now got 90 adopted children, which I'm not looking after.
10:14I want them to be the best that they can be.
10:18Training can be really difficult, as it should be.
10:22So in reality, getting these ready for the war that they may fight is a huge responsibility,
10:27especially for people who have not much life experience.
10:31It can be pretty daunting.
10:33You've had two weeks to sort this shit out now,
10:36and you're acting like fucking lizards.
10:38Off you go.
10:42Coming up,
10:44Sergeant Mark Jackson is feeling the pressure.
10:48So I need to make sure Schengen is on his best behavior,
10:50and nothing goes wrong.
10:52And Sergeant Major Franco has a tough call to make.
10:58We're going to fix the problem, so I don't have to bring one of them back in a body bag.
11:01The Royal Welsh.
11:13Get him! Get him! Get him! Get him!
11:14Get him! Get him!
11:16A modern regiment.
11:17Get them webbeds feet on.
11:20With historical roots.
11:23We have what's called a tenor drum.
11:26The battle honours, you can see, that are inscribed on here.
11:29Called upon in times of crisis.
11:32That was my first tour in Iraq, and I am driving that warrior.
11:37From its base in Tidworth, Wiltshire.
11:40But its historic roots lie 95 miles away in Cardiff, South Wales.
11:47Today, Maindy Barracks is home to the 3rd Battalion, and Sergeant Mark Jackson is on the road for his daily run.
11:58It's an half hour, 40 minute drive, and it's good to come into work to spend the day with Schengen.
12:05As long as the weather's nice.
12:07If it's raining, he won't even come out of his house.
12:11And here we are, Maindy Barracks.
12:12Time to see the boy.
12:25Yes, this is one of his treats, but they've got to be room temperature.
12:30And he doesn't like carrots.
12:34Lance Corporal Schenken may be a fussy eater.
12:38Hello, Ansem.
12:39But as the 3rd Battalion's regimental goat...
12:42You're covered in your bedding.
12:44..he eats like a king.
12:48After 24 years in the 1st Battalion as an infantry soldier and dog handler, Jacko's latest role allows him to show off his softer side.
12:57My current appointment is the goat major for the three Royal Welsh.
13:03Come on in.
13:05Oh, you can play silly buggers, aren't we?
13:07It's a hard role, it's a busy role, because your commitment, you're in seven days a week, 365 days a year.
13:12Come on in.
13:15Jacko's been the regimental goat major since 2013. Five years later, he recruited a ten-month-old Schenken IV.
13:29A goat has been the Royal Welsh's mascot since 1775, when during the American War of Independence, it's said a wild goat led Welsh Fusiliers from the battlefield to safety.
13:42Can you lift the barrier, please?
13:46Thank you very much.
13:49You've got to have a very understanding partner, because on Christmas Day, after you've seen your children opening their Christmas presents, you've got to then come to work and look after the regimental goat.
13:59Yes, I know, come on in.
14:00There are people on camp who said they'd gladly come in to feed him if I want a weekend off, but he's my son, my responsibility.
14:14Good boy.
14:17Come here.
14:20Yes, I know.
14:24I'd say we've got a pretty front bond.
14:27Just like the other serving soldiers, Schenken also gets a room inspection.
14:34Oh, look at the mess he's made.
14:35This is the, yeah, this is the gladdest part of the job that people don't see or see.
14:44He's out in the field now, gives me a chance to sweep up all the spilt food that he's knocked over, fluff his bed in up for him, ready for when he comes back in.
14:55Schenken's wellbeing is Jacko's top priority.
15:00He's got heating bars on the side of the wall.
15:03And unfortunately, he did have a radio, but it blew up yesterday.
15:08And I haven't had a chance to buy him a new radio today.
15:11Well, I have got the, er, a CD of the regimental band, which I put on now and again for him.
15:17But mainly, it's hard FM.
15:20He's happy as laddie.
15:22Jacko's made sure their bond doesn't stop at the barrack gates.
15:27He now comes home with me for the odd weekend.
15:31He chills out in the back garden. He even chills out in the living room.
15:34But before he can put his hooves up, Schenken still has his urn to keep.
15:42Yes, he is a goat, but he's a serving soldier and he gets a wage the same as every other soldier in the British Army.
15:48As part of his duties, in the morning, he'll lead 40 Royal Welsh and the regimental band in front of a packed-out stadium in Cardiff as Wales take on England in rugby.
16:01Of course he's a rugby fan, he's Welsh.
16:04And yes, he will be rooting for Wales to beat England.
16:07Deep in mid Wales lies one of the MOD's toughest training locations, the Brecon Beacons, known for its rugged terrain and unforgiving landscapes.
16:26And it's here that young soldiers are thrown in at the deep end.
16:32It's important that we take them out to places like Brecon to push them as hard as we can.
16:38Sergeant Major Franco is on the ground to test Sea Company's basic combat skills.
16:44This is my first experience in 18 months that I've got my full company together to see how they can actually soldier.
16:54This exercise aims to replicate the environment they may face if they are deployed to Ukraine.
17:01They'll be tasked with ambushes, assaults and survival deep in the woods.
17:06Something Franco knows first-hand.
17:11My first tour was in Iraq in Bajra.
17:14Now, I missed the first, I think it was three weeks of that tour, because I had to wait until my 18th birthday to fly out.
17:21It was daunting, because before I even got there, we'd lost some of the company already.
17:26It was a constant barrage.
17:28When you went out on patrol, more likely than not, a vehicle would get taken out by an IED and a few injured from motor fire.
17:34It was a real war zone.
17:39Getting these ready for the war that they may fight now with Russia is actually more difficult than anything we faced in Iraq and Afghan.
17:47So getting them into the right mindset for that is a challenge.
17:5224-year-old Lance Corporal Carl Mason has served with the Royal Welsh for over five years.
18:04I'm going to have to go that track. It'll be clear.
18:05So I joined the Royal Welsh purely because I was doing joinery, and I got an apprenticeship, got to my level three, and I think I wanted to do something more with my life.
18:17I thought, what a better option to join the army and, you know, travel the world and just do military stuff, as you see on movies.
18:27Yeah, come over here.
18:28And this week, he's got his eye on promotion.
18:33I just want to get to the high ranks.
18:37If you put, like, the work ethic in, and you know what you're doing at the right time, I can potentially be a section commander.
18:44And Mason's ambition hasn't gone unnoticed. Franco is pushing him to see if he's ready to step up.
18:54This will be the first time that Corporal Mason has been acting as a section commander since he got his Lance Corporal stripe.
19:01And he's doing that to try and prove to us that he's ready to go on his next battle course.
19:06A section commander plays a vital role in directing missions.
19:10Mason must lead his unit to an enemy-held location.
19:15Push down and quarter right. Happy? Nudging. Nothing.
19:18Covering four miles of brutal terrain, carrying 20 kilos of kit, they must remain hidden from the enemy throughout.
19:28They near the location, but if they're spotted, the whole ambush is compromised.
19:34Over there. Silence.
19:40We've just been contacted. One time's enemy dead. We're gonna push forward.
19:57Having lost the element of surprise, Mason and his men must move fast in order to provide cover for the assault team.
20:04Yeah!
20:06He's in position.
20:08But Mason can't locate the enemy.
20:11There was no one. The enemy wasn't firing out.
20:14I don't know what I'm looking at. I don't know what I'm firing at.
20:17That's a lot of pressure on me.
20:18The assault team are waiting on Mason's signal to attack.
20:34If any enemy come that way, you have my permission to fire, yeah?
20:39But with the enemy hiding out, Mason's unsure of his next move.
20:46How's he going?
20:47I can't get out of this way!
20:49And his lack of comms is putting the whole assault team at risk.
20:54Get on comms.
20:56We have the platoon commander.
20:58Yeah.
21:00So you have one time's enemy on the left-hand side of the building.
21:06I need to get this right.
21:10You need to make sure it's actually enemy that you're firing onto.
21:15If you need to move about and scan, you can.
21:18With time running out, the assault team have no choice but to fly in blind,
21:24leaving them dangerously exposed to enemy fire.
21:27Engage.
21:28So the whole point of a fire support section is to give support for the assaulting section
21:35to break through under fire, because clearly they've got no cover.
21:40It's been a washout for Mason, and his unit have taken on casualties.
21:44I want information on the casualty.
21:50Didn't have a clue where the enemy was.
21:53So what uses is a fire support group if he doesn't know where the enemy is?
21:57He's just turning rounds to brass, essentially.
21:59Just needed to communicate a bit more.
22:05I knew it was in the wrong.
22:07I need to do that next time, otherwise I'm putting someone else's life at risk.
22:11It's definitely a big thing in, you know, the whole part of military is communication.
22:16For Sergeant Major Franco, it's a major setback.
22:20Had they been on the battlefields of Ukraine, three members of Sea Company would now be dead.
22:25Right, troops. Once contact had been given, and that first assault section went in,
22:33the section started firing at a random building, which the enemy would be doing here.
22:38Remember, there's no fucking ego when it comes to that battlefield.
22:42Next time, if you don't know what you're firing at, speak to your commanders.
22:46He might call you a dickhead.
22:48So what? You're still gonna fire at the enemy position at the end of it,
22:51and potentially save your muckers life from getting from point A to point B.
22:56At the end of the day, the job that we're doing is life and death.
23:00We're gonna fix the problem that they've had.
23:03So if we do go to fucking war, I don't have to bring one of them back in a body bag.
23:09Coming up...
23:10A young Fusilier takes control of some serious firepower.
23:17Yeah, just fucking awesome.
23:19Bricking it quite a bit.
23:21And Franco pushes Mason on a midnight mission.
23:24For me, it was like pressure. I was thinking, we're doomed.
23:26We're doomed.
23:35Let's go!
23:38The Royal Welsh are an armoured infantry battalion.
23:42Their Wiltshire base is home to the regiment's active troops,
23:47as well as 45 warriors.
23:49A 30-tonne fighting vehicle equipped with supreme firepower.
23:56As soon as you hear that chain gun singing over the back of your head,
24:00you get that warm fuzzy feeling.
24:0630 soldiers of all ranks have travelled to Lulworth Cove on the south coast.
24:11Good morning, everybody. Welcome to Bindam Bravo.
24:14They're being selected to qualify as warrior gunners.
24:18A vital part of the battle group.
24:20If you do become a major casualty at any point on this range,
24:23there'll be an air ambulance if it's a significant injury.
24:25Warriors and Challenger 2 tanks are the armoured punch of the British Army,
24:29so we need to constantly keep qualifying gunners.
24:32So we are set for readiness.
24:34Every soldier in the Royal Welsh must pass this training
24:38if they are to stay with the regiment.
24:39If we are to conduct war-fighting operations against adversaries in Europe,
24:45these vehicles and the men crewing them
24:47will be the ones who are at the very forefront of that.
24:49For Fusilier Louis Charlton from C Company,
24:52this will be his first time inside the warrior turret.
24:56It is definitely exciting. I'm looking forward to it.
24:58I'm looking forward to getting in the turret for the first time
25:00and letting the rounds go, but at the same time, it's different.
25:03You're always going to be anxious when you're doing something new.
25:05I think the training that we do here is to make sure that you are ready,
25:10and I think we do great training here.
25:14Charlton will be judged by Sergeant Martin Brown on his performance in the gun turret.
25:19No fire until I give you loaded fire. Happy? Happy.
25:22He'll be assessed on target accuracy on both the chain gun and 30mm cannon.
25:28There's a lot of responsibility in the turret.
25:33You're going from being in charge of a rifle to being the man at the end of a trigger that fires a 30mm cannon and a chain gun.
25:41Firing live means there's no room for error.
25:45There's so many things that can go wrong.
25:47If a cook-off happens, you'll open it up and it'll implode in your face.
25:50First up, it's the chain gun, capable of firing over 300 rounds per minute.
25:57Accuracy on the gun can mean the difference between life or death.
26:03Let's try it.
26:05Coax! And depress! And traverse left. Steady, on! Bunker in the open!
26:11Bunker in the open!
26:12See, blazing!
26:15335!
26:17That's 300.
26:2035!
26:21Firing now!
26:23Stop!
26:25Stop! Stop!
26:27But Charlton is struggling.
26:30Being in the turret at that point, it's not great.
26:32It's cramped and, you know, there's lots to remember.
26:35There's a lot of things that, you know, need to be in place for it to go well.
26:38I'm telling you, right! So you go right, and then you get onto the target.
26:44Right! Full target!
26:46Loaded fire.
26:47Fire now!
26:49Target! Kill him!
26:51Target! Stop!
26:53Stop!
26:55It's not a rush to get there on there. Once you get on there, then you do what you just did.
26:58His final test is the formidable 30mm cannon.
27:03One strike from this could blow up an enemy camp.
27:06Charlton must hit a target over 800m away.
27:11My goal is just to get as high as I can in the ranking system.
27:15I just want to climb the ladder.
27:16Right!
27:17Right!
27:18Let's try for a 30mm engagement, let's see how you do.
27:22So Sammo!
27:23Traverse right!
27:24Lowry!
27:26800m!
27:27Loaded fire!
27:29Firing now!
27:31Left knife timing!
27:33Elevate and traverse right!
27:35Loaded, fire!
27:38Left knife timing!
27:39Wait!
27:40Slow it.
27:41Slow it down, mate.
27:42I know you want to hit fast.
27:44Slow it down.
27:46He's missed too.
27:48If he misses a third, he's failed.
27:51Enemy!
27:53Ah!
27:55200!
27:56Remember, you're correct according to me.
27:58No, no.
28:01There we go!
28:03Target stop!
28:04It's the news Charlton was hoping for.
28:06That's your shoot complete, mate.
28:07That's fucking awesome.
28:08Chill out next time you get in the turret.
28:10Any questions come back to buries?
28:12I was like, that's really good.
28:15Fast pace, but in a good way.
28:18Yeah, just fucking awesome.
28:20He's cleared a crucial first hurdle to becoming a qualified gunner.
28:25And may have to one day defend his battalion in a real war zone.
28:31He's also one step closer to following in his family's footsteps.
28:36I've had a lot of family in the army, on my dad's side as far back as he can sort of remember.
28:41Grandfather in the Scots.
28:44My uncle in the parachute regiment.
28:46I want to be able to get to that age and tell the stories of things I've done, things I've achieved.
28:52My ambition is literally just to be the best soldier that I can be within the Royal Welsh.
28:56At Maindy Barracks in Cardiff, Goat Major Jacko is getting ready for a big day in the Welsh calendar.
29:13Today it's match day.
29:16It's the big day.
29:18Wales v England.
29:20So we're off now to see the boy.
29:22We've got his pack run shoe.
29:25For regimental goat shenking, it's time to go to work.
29:31Hello, handsome.
29:35Oh, you've been lying down again, haven't you?
29:38Thanks.
29:40Every time Wales play at home, we are at the Principality Stadium.
29:44He does.
29:48Good lad.
29:50It's always a love-hate game between the Welsh and the English.
29:55So I need to make sure Schengen is calm, is relaxed and on his best behaviour and nothing goes wrong.
30:02Good boy.
30:05Here you go then, son.
30:07Good boy.
30:12Bit of a long day for us, as you can imagine.
30:14Jacko and Schengen aren't the only ones representing the Royal Welsh at the game.
30:25The regimental band will be coming too.
30:29Corporal Matthew Ashment is a teacher, but on weekends he's a drummer in the regimental band.
30:34Big event today in our calendar, Wales versus England. Always a clash of two great teams.
30:47So we're at the stadium today playing the anthems, centre of the pitch for 70 plus thousand fans.
30:52Today's game is going to be loud. The volume of singing, the volume of pyrotechnics, town is going to be buzzing.
31:13It'll be a spectacular day and even better when Wales win.
31:1740 miles away in the Brecon beacons, Sergeant Major Franco's C Company are preparing for their next training mission.
31:36This exercise is battle critical to get this squad of junior soldiers ready for deployment.
31:42So we're going to be pushing down from our position now where we're located, out the wood block.
31:49Lance Corporal Mason has another chance to impress his Sergeant Major and show he's ready to climb the ranks.
31:57Make sure you get that route in your head and you understand the plan properly before moving off this location, right?
32:04You know that you're a very junior Lance Corporal. I mean they're taking a punt on you.
32:11You've got this week now to prove yourself that you're up to that task.
32:15OK, so don't let us down and don't let yourself down. That starts tonight.
32:18Mason is leading a night patrol to hunt down the enemy, ready for an early morning ambush.
32:26It's a really tough kid. We have thrown him into the deep end. He's never been in charge of a section before and he's never navigated a section from point A to point B at night before.
32:36Bricking it quite a bit. Just got to stay vigilant all the way throughout.
32:44I've never actually done any recce on my own so I was just like, I want to get there, get back and prove to him that I can be a section commander, I can do that job.
32:53So the other goal for Corporal Mason tonight is to see the enemy but not be seen himself.
32:58If he is, if he is seen by that enemy and in contact in any way, he has failed that appointment.
33:21OK, you need to ignore me. I'm a ghost.
33:28This will be the first time Corporal Mason has met with a choice that he's got to make.
33:36You can either take the easy option, which is to follow this road all the way down, or he can take the harder option.
33:44And less obvious is there's a track that goes off in front of that woodblock, keeping him covered the whole way down.
33:50Yeah, and he's done it. He's broke left.
33:57So you can see straight away, he's obviously thought about his route selection and he's gone for the harder option of go off track and stay away from the main metal road, keeping himself covered from view from the enemy.
34:08So really good effort so far.
34:13But navigating at night is not straightforward.
34:17Being in the dark, it puts a big limitation.
34:21So when I'm looking at the map going, right, there's four wood blocks here, but there's only one.
34:25Which one is it? I need to find, make sure that it's the right wood block.
34:28Finding the right location has cost Mason valuable time.
34:35It is now 23.19.
34:38So he's got just over two and a half hours left to get himself back to the harbour location.
34:44And he hasn't even done the record yet. So tight, that time is really, really tight.
34:49Under pressure, Mason makes a rookie error.
34:52If you look to the top of the tree line now, you might just see a glimmer of white light.
34:58Clearly he's doing a check now.
35:00What he's going to be doing is getting into as low ground as possible and keeping himself concealed and then getting a little bit of red light out.
35:07He's lit himself up like a Christmas tree.
35:16The lads were constantly like, can we stop? We're going to be late.
35:19The lads were falling. I was just like, we're going to be here all night at this rate.
35:22I was thinking, we're doomed.
35:25In a war zone, giving away their location could be fatal.
35:30And if anyone was walking past this road, all they've got to do is turn left, notice something at the top and investigate.
35:36And if he gets attacked, that's the end of the mission.
35:39For Franco, this is an instant fail.
35:43He needs to stop fucking around now. He can see the wood block that he needs to go to.
35:46He's still doing whatever he's doing. It looks like he's on a picnic.
35:52Check fire! Check fire!
35:54Check fire!
35:56Coming up...
35:58Where the fuck are you going? Mason!
36:00It's make or break time for Lance Corporal Mason.
36:03I was just thinking, I've messed up here.
36:05Check fire! Check fire!
36:07And it's Schenken's time to shine.
36:09Can you answer? You're a good boy.
36:16To be continued...
36:18To be continued...
36:19To be continued...
36:21To be continued...
36:23To be continued...
36:25Deep in the Brecon beacons,
36:28Sergeant Major Franco C Company are facing their toughest test yet.
36:33A platoon attack on an enemy-held farmhouse.
36:37Mason's final task as section commander is to use the intel from his recce
36:42to lead a unit of six men on the raid.
36:46Right, next, hutch. Push up. Let's go.
36:49But after a late night, he's having to dig deep.
36:53When I got back from the recce, I got two hours and I'm straight up for the orders
36:58and then I'm straight out the door.
37:00I was really tired, but I just had to push through it and make sure
37:04that I'm not slacking in any way to show to my section.
37:08Otherwise, it looks bad on myself.
37:10It's really important.
37:13Culper Mason doesn't overextend himself and start punching forward.
37:17There's something that's common with section commanders
37:19is that they'll see an enemy position and they just want to go for it.
37:22It's really important that he keeps his composure,
37:25holds that line and waits to be tasked by a team commander
37:28before doing anything stupid.
37:29Let's spread out now, OK?
37:31Now you're going to be in the next assaulting section.
37:33Yeah, I'll be.
37:35Adrenaline pumping, like it was real.
37:38I was like, I'm ready to get this platoon attack done.
37:41Lads, push on, let's go.
37:45Where the fuck are they going?
37:47Mason!
37:48You fucking are doing me, no assaulting!
37:50Fire! Fire!
37:52Mason! Go, go!
37:57Check fire! Check fire!
37:59Mason's done what Franco predicted.
38:02Move, move, move.
38:04Mason! On the fence line, observing!
38:06You lot, get fucking up here!
38:08I was just thinking, I've messed up here.
38:12We've now got three people in areas that are insecure.
38:17Culper Mason saw an enemy position to his front.
38:20He wasn't given permission to launch, but he launched anyway.
38:23This clearly annoyed his platoon commander.
38:25It's really important that central commanders listen to their platoon commander and don't overstretch past what they've been told to do.
38:35By some miracle, Mason's unit get to the farmhouse unscathed.
38:40Now, they must clear the building, and this time, failure isn't an option.
38:47So the pressures you've got is clearing that doorway and getting through.
38:52And then you've got upstairs to worry about as well.
38:56You don't know if people are just getting into different rooms.
39:02It all comes down to your training and taking everything on board.
39:07We're firing blank, but I know with myself, I'm thinking, well, bullets flying over your head.
39:10If this was real, I'd be dead.
39:24Clear, clear, clear!
39:28Mission accomplished.
39:31They've taken the farmhouse and secured the perimeter.
39:36Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
39:38To complete the mission, everyone must evacuate quickly, leaving no one behind.
39:43We do all this training for a reason.
39:46We have to make sure we get everything right.
39:48So when we do go for a reel, it's 100% there.
39:52Well done, boys, well done.
39:54It's also given him a taste of what war could be like.
39:58It is daunting going to war.
40:01For me, I'd love to, but then again, is that decision going to change when I get there,
40:06when there's bullets flying over your head and people are getting killed?
40:09It's Cup of Mason's first time being a sexual commander.
40:14Unfortunately for him, it didn't go the way that he wanted it to go.
40:19What this is going to do for Cup of Mason is show him how difficult
40:21and how much a sexual commander has actually got to think about going forward.
40:26I think I've achieved enough.
40:28It was a big experience for myself to go ahead and do it.
40:32So I'm happy with how it went.
40:34For Franco, this exercise has been a crucial step in preparing for war.
40:40It's probably another four to six months of training to get them really competent.
40:45I have got a very inexperienced company.
40:48I've got a huge job to mentor these junior soldiers on how to best live and fight.
40:53But I do that for my own pride and my own want, other than what those above me want.
41:01Because I care, but nowhere near as much as actually hoping that my guys are the best they can be.
41:08I'm confident, if asked, we'll be able to defend.
41:11In the Principality Stadium, it's two and a half hours to kick off.
41:22Good lad. Can you answer?
41:24But Jaco and Schenkin are already on the job.
41:27Yeah, little walk. Get your steps in, see?
41:32What we're doing is getting him familiar with the surrounding areas.
41:37We'll be back out a little bit later as the stadium starts to fill up
41:44to get him slowly used to the sheer volume of this fantastic stadium.
41:49He's in plainclothes at the moment.
41:53Come on in.
41:55He likes the crowds, loves his photos of being taken.
41:58He's a poser. What do you expect?
42:03Good boy.
42:05Backstage, the regimental band are doing their final sound checks.
42:13I've got a medley of choirs, typically two or three male-voiced choirs.
42:18Sometimes a mixed choir, and it's the first time that they'll come together to rehearse.
42:23This is a really important part before the event to make sure the timing,
42:28the pitch, the harmonies are all in place ready for the game.
42:37With the stadium almost full, it's nearly showtime.
42:41Shall we get dressed?
42:43Come on in.
42:45I'll jump in the back of the trailer with him.
42:48In we go then, son.
42:49Let me in.
42:50You're a good boy.
42:53In you hand, son.
42:55You're a good boy.
42:57I'll place his coat on him.
42:59He knows when he's got his coat on, he knows it's work time.
43:02And then put on all his silver horns.
43:04Once he's ready, helmet, gloves, and we're good to go.
43:10And as the band head out on the pitch, go Major Jacko and Schenkin face their fans.
43:11And as the band head out on the pitch, go Major Jacko and Schenkin face their fans.
43:12And as the band head out on the pitch, go Major Jacko and Schenkin face their fans.
43:13And as the band head out on the pitch, go Major Jacko and Schenkin face their fans.
43:14And as the band head out on the pitch, go Major Jacko and Schenkin face their fans.
43:32And as the band head out on the pitch, go Major Jacko and Schenkin face their fans.
43:44And as the band head out on the band head out on the band head.
43:46And as the band head out on the band head, go Major Jacko and Schenkin face their fans.
43:48And then on the pitch, they all cheered and clapped.
43:50All good.
43:52It's probably one of the greatest honours anybody would ever get.
43:57It is an absolute privilege and an honour to be able to march onto that pitch.
44:05You mean, I'm 5'6". I'm marching out on that pitch.
44:09I'm 7'0".
44:14I'm in no rush to retire. If the army could still employ me at 70, I'd still be marching out at 70.
44:27Keep going!
44:29Next time...
44:31The Fusiliers are pushed to their limits.
44:34I'll call across the fucking line if I have to.
44:36The regimental boxing team come out fighting.
44:38And the commanding officer must prove himself to his troops.
44:45There is definitely pressure on you.
44:47I've got to be able to do this just as much as they do.
44:50Right now.
44:54If you're interested in joining the Royal Welsh, scan the QR code or visit royalwelsh.co.uk.
44:59or visit royalwelsh.co.uk.
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