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00:00:00A platoon should be like a band of brothers.
00:00:07You have to form that bond between the geezer left and right of you.
00:00:15When shit does hit the fan, you don't want your muckers to die.
00:00:22You don't want your muckers to die.
00:00:31Hurry up, let's go!
00:00:34Let's go.
00:00:35We've got a Shunda.
00:00:36We've got a very new platoon, coming from all different walks of life.
00:00:40Can you give him a hug?
00:00:41I am like a boy surrounded by men.
00:00:43We don't know each other's strengths, we don't know each other's weaknesses.
00:00:46Target, next target!
00:00:47I think the rifle might think I'm some slightly posh Southerner.
00:00:50Let it fire.
00:00:51We've not got long to learn how each other tick.
00:00:56It's your daddy.
00:00:57I want them to be proud.
00:00:59Mom, baby.
00:01:00Help!
00:01:01We need to form a family spirit between us.
00:01:03And become like a proper brotherhood.
00:01:07Show me a war face!
00:01:21Morning.
00:01:22How the devil.
00:01:26Right.
00:01:27We've got to get a move on.
00:01:28We've got five minutes.
00:01:30Timing's critical and not flexible.
00:01:34With this guy you're going to meet.
00:01:36Stay out of his way.
00:01:37He's got a job to do.
00:01:38Morning, Cooper Jones.
00:01:40Are we ready?
00:01:4130 seconds.
00:01:42Five.
00:01:43Four.
00:01:44Three.
00:01:45Two.
00:01:46One.
00:01:47One.
00:01:48One.
00:01:49One.
00:01:50One.
00:01:51Three.
00:01:52Two.
00:01:53One.
00:01:54One.
00:01:55One.
00:01:56One.
00:01:57One.
00:01:58It's February.
00:01:59At the headquarters of 5th Battalion, the Rifles.
00:02:02The army's largest infantry regiment.
00:02:05This is home for the 29 soldiers of 13 Platoon.
00:02:09D Company.
00:02:10This is my room.
00:02:11My pit.
00:02:12We've got a few rifles flags.
00:02:14Tottenham Flag.
00:02:16Someone's got to support them.
00:02:17I grew up in Cornwall.
00:02:18Didn't do terribly well at school.
00:02:20I was more of a physical person.
00:02:22Like pen to paper.
00:02:24Shocking.
00:02:25That's why I joined the army.
00:02:26It should not be a shithole at all.
00:02:2813 platoon has just been refreshed,
00:02:30meaning old soldiers have left and been replaced by new recruits,
00:02:34and others drawn from across the battalion.
00:02:37We have blokes that have came in from different companies,
00:02:39so we don't really know them.
00:02:41You don't want a little pussy that's just gonna run away
00:02:44and shit his pants when it goes wrong.
00:02:46Big chunk.
00:02:49My missus was not happy about that tattoo.
00:02:51Many of these soldiers have done little more
00:02:54than basic training.
00:02:57Tomorrow, they start a six-month battle deployment programme
00:03:00to prepare for possible war in Eastern Europe.
00:03:03A lot of us are inexperienced.
00:03:05As a platoon, we don't quite have the right skill set to deploy.
00:03:10When you see videos coming out of Ukraine,
00:03:12it makes you realise the seriousness of the job.
00:03:15As a platoon, it doesn't matter where you come from
00:03:18or what your background is, what your previous jobs were
00:03:21or your education is. It doesn't matter.
00:03:24All what matters is we need to get our shit together
00:03:27before shit hits the fan.
00:03:29You ready? Watch this.
00:03:30The commander in charge of 13 platoon is 2nd Lieutenant Tom Drew.
00:03:42If you want a tour of the most depressing room in the world,
00:03:46which I promise myself will be changed with an IKEA shop quite shortly,
00:03:50to us, I haven't been here for that long.
00:03:52It's just a load of crap at the moment, to be honest.
00:03:54He's just graduated from Sandhurst, the elite officer training academy.
00:03:58That's all I've got at the moment.
00:04:04Arriving as a new platoon commander,
00:04:07you have a good understanding of what's expected of you tactically.
00:04:10What I don't have is really any experience
00:04:12of what it actually means to lead riflemen.
00:04:14I'm a 22-year-old who's done a bit of university.
00:04:17I'm now in charge of 30 people, some of which are older than me.
00:04:21I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly nervous.
00:04:25Tom's four weeks into the job,
00:04:27having chosen the Rifles for its front-line soldiering.
00:04:30The Rifles is the most deployed infantry regiment of this century.
00:04:35I didn't join the army to do drill and spending my days polishing buttons
00:04:38and being on parade the entire time.
00:04:41I'm here to do soldiering and infanteering.
00:04:43Right, this way first.
00:04:45Infantry platoons are led by young officers,
00:04:48supported by more experienced sergeants.
00:04:50We will go into H block. This is our wing.
00:04:5332-year-old Dan Mann joined the army at 16.
00:04:58I was never the most well-behaved kid when I was at school or growing up.
00:05:02Probably put my mum and dad through a bit of bother at times.
00:05:05But I think if I put in the work that I did in my army career,
00:05:08I would have been an A-star student at school.
00:05:11We got geese down the right, geese down the left,
00:05:14up until that main door.
00:05:15Yeah, happy. Happy.
00:05:16Today, Tom's inspecting his riflemen's living quarters.
00:05:21Right, troops, gather the rest of the air platoon.
00:05:24As a platoon sergeant, I have an overall duty of care of all the riflemen.
00:05:29You have to be tough.
00:05:31You have to have high standards and deal with discipline.
00:05:34Crusty cheese in the microwave.
00:05:37So, now you see something, it makes me perk up and start digging even more.
00:05:42For example, a gash bag just lying on the floor, not taken to the bins.
00:05:49Right, troops, there's a pack of bacon in the fridge.
00:05:51That is nearly a month out of date.
00:05:53OK, that is not acceptable.
00:05:55OK, that's probably getting mould on it.
00:05:56OK, that is then spreading around the fridge and causing bacteria,
00:06:00which will make you go man down. Get it gone.
00:06:03Sergeant Man's got an eager eye for this stuff.
00:06:06Always waiting for improvement, though.
00:06:08What are you doing right?
00:06:09Platoon sergeant there is absolutely to be a bit of the enforcer of the platoon.
00:06:13Clean and tidy in here.
00:06:15Whereas, in camp, my role is that to make sure that the welfare of the riflemen
00:06:19is looked after as best as possible.
00:06:21What's the medal for, riflemen, Johnny?
00:06:22I'd like to be quite approachable.
00:06:24Was that the one before? Was the semi-final you got your hat-trick?
00:06:25Who's in the dirty boots?
00:06:27Sergeant Man. Probably slightly gruffer than me.
00:06:29Why are they in there? OK, at least clean them and then put them in there to dry.
00:06:33Get the mud off. Otherwise, they're just sat in there. Stinking.
00:06:36Yes, Sergeant.
00:06:37I'm terrible at the Green Cross. I can't do it.
00:06:41All right, troops, listening.
00:06:42OK, if we start living like pigs and rats on operations, on deployments,
00:06:46OK, then people start going man down, OK, and no use to the main effort or mission, yeah?
00:06:5013 platoon are on day one of a six-month training cycle to become the fighting force to be reckoned with.
00:06:58It's my job, team commander's job, to get them ready.
00:07:01I'm expecting all of you to start grafting now.
00:07:04Look to your left and right.
00:07:05Are these people that you are comfortable going fighting for war?
00:07:08Fucking hell.
00:07:11I can't accept failure.
00:07:15So we've got a lot of work to do.
00:07:18All the way in, let's go, all the way in.
00:07:25The first day of training begins with an assessment of the platoon's fitness.
00:07:29Go down!
00:07:30Come on!
00:07:3213 platoon is a combat unit, which means that if shit hits the fan,
00:07:37we could potentially be some of the first British soldiers there.
00:07:41We really can't do our jobs unless we're all fit.
00:07:47The platoon must show they can move as a unit under fire.
00:07:53And carry injured comrades off the field of battle.
00:07:56Troops, when we're on that stretcher, that stretcher is a casualty
00:07:58that we're extracting off the battlefield.
00:08:00Let's act like that.
00:08:01Let's go, let's go.
00:08:02He's at the front.
00:08:03Let's go.
00:08:04Get up.
00:08:05Do not just slump yourself on the floor.
00:08:07Some of them aren't quite as fitting.
00:08:08They're sort of slowing us down, as you can see there.
00:08:09Just have a think, yeah, about your futures in this job.
00:08:11You're just stealing a wage off taxpayers' money at the moment, yeah?
00:08:14But reality's going to hit hard one day, and you're going to be fucked.
00:08:19This platoon needs to be battle-ready to deploy anywhere in the world that the king or queen decides.
00:08:34Everybody, turn the rugby person back!
00:08:37The war in Ukraine doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon.
00:08:40Grenade!
00:08:41Grenade!
00:08:42Grenade!
00:08:43We need to make people realise, right, I need to get a grip on myself, or it's going to end badly.
00:08:4880 miles from camp, the last member of 13 platoon is getting ready to join.
00:09:05Have you got everything from upstairs?
00:09:07Yeah.
00:09:08Socks?
00:09:09Yep.
00:09:10Sliders?
00:09:11Kit list?
00:09:12Oh, yeah, I'll put that in mine.
00:09:14Owen Morris has just completed basic infantry training.
00:09:18Now qualified as a regular soldier, he's chosen the rifles to be his regiment.
00:09:23In the last ten days, I passed out of training, done my driving, passed my driving, and turned 18 as well, and went drinking.
00:09:33Where did you put the pipe for that hoover?
00:09:36Still upstairs.
00:09:38When I was a kid, my dreams was to work in McDonald's and have a pet pig.
00:09:44That's about it, really.
00:09:46Imagine that, imagine walking in someone's house and they've just got a pig on the sofa.
00:09:49When I left school without any GCSEs, I wasn't bothered, to be fair, because I was going to join the army.
00:09:58Suited and mooted?
00:10:00The money is good.
00:10:01You don't see much 17-year-olds bringing 1,600 into their bank account every month.
00:10:07All twisted.
00:10:10Better.
00:10:11Give your mum a hug.
00:10:13Love you.
00:10:14Drive safely.
00:10:15All right?
00:10:17Make-up.
00:10:20Sorry.
00:10:21Ruining my soup.
00:10:23All right, I'll see you in a bit.
00:10:24See you later.
00:10:25Bye.
00:10:26Bye.
00:10:28He's off.
00:10:31I think he was his £3.11 baby.
00:10:35But yeah, he'll do good.
00:10:36He struggled with school.
00:10:50I think because he struggled, he tended to act out.
00:10:54Yeah, a lot of after-school detentions were being cheeky.
00:10:57The minute he joined the army, completely different.
00:11:03He just changed into this really respectful, lovely young man.
00:11:10Hello.
00:11:11Yeah, I'm new.
00:11:12First name?
00:11:13Yeah.
00:11:14He's ready to go to war.
00:11:17Erm...
00:11:19I think mentally and physically, he is.
00:11:22I'm not sure emotionally.
00:11:31I...
00:11:32I think the full impact of going to war, maybe.
00:11:39Erm...
00:11:41I'm not sure that that's really hit home.
00:11:48He's so young.
00:11:51Yeah.
00:11:53There are worries.
00:11:58Erm...
00:11:59But there's also an immense pride.
00:12:06I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go.
00:12:10Hopefully someone comes and grabs me.
00:12:22It's the second week of 13 platoons training.
00:12:25And brand new rifleman, Owen Morris, is settling in.
00:12:31I don't have a room at home, so this is my first own bedroom.
00:12:35Be decent to have my own room.
00:12:37Aged 18 in six days, Morris is the youngest member of the platoon.
00:12:42You wanna make a good first impression.
00:12:45And like, as much as you say you ain't nervous,
00:12:49deep down you are a little bit.
00:12:52What's up, mate?
00:12:53All right?
00:12:54Not bad, do you?
00:12:56Paul, mate, nice to meet you.
00:12:57Morris, nice to meet you.
00:12:58What's your name?
00:12:59Morris.
00:13:00Greeny.
00:13:01When I meet new people, I don't really speak as much.
00:13:04Like, you don't want people to think and look at you and be like,
00:13:07who's this bum?
00:13:09I'll take care of you.
00:13:11Or if anyone's given you any shit,
00:13:13I'll slap one on the chin for you.
00:13:17Right, I'll have a catch in a bit.
00:13:19Take it easy.
00:13:20I've seen Ralph and Morris turn up.
00:13:23I thought, oh my God, is this man old enough to be in the army?
00:13:31Thirteen, two.
00:13:33Front, right.
00:13:35Now with a full platoon,
00:13:37the challenge facing Sergeant Mann and platoon commander Drew
00:13:40is how to build a lethal fighting unit from the soldiers in front of them.
00:13:44Being at the start of this build-up, I've got absolutely no clue what any of them are really like.
00:13:49The platoon's not looking for 30 identical people.
00:13:52We're looking for people that have different strengths and weaknesses,
00:13:54different skill sets,
00:13:56all different things to pull together to give us sort of a collective strength.
00:13:58So we need to pretty quickly work out where our strengths and weaknesses lie within the platoon.
00:14:03And probably the best way to do that is to stress test the individual riflemen.
00:14:11Open up your legs.
00:14:13Come on.
00:14:14Last little push down.
00:14:18Drive yourself up the hill.
00:14:20Swing your arms. Pump your arms.
00:14:22The way the five rifles stress test their riflemen is through an annual competition called Top Dog.
00:14:28How many laps are you boys on?
00:14:30Yeah, the last five.
00:14:31OK, so we've got four more to do.
00:14:32Come on then, let's go.
00:14:34We've got some good preparation going on for Top Dog.
00:14:37Every morning, a bit of a fizz session, ready for the riflemen to show off their skills next week.
00:14:42Top Dog is a gruelling four-day event in the Brecon Beacon Mountains
00:14:46that tests every aspect of infantry soldiering.
00:14:49It begins in a week's time.
00:14:52See these? Let's beat them.
00:14:55Top Dog's important for both me and the platoon commander to see where our riflemen are at,
00:15:00to highlight the strengths and weaknesses and see where they best work.
00:15:04It's going to be tough on their bodies.
00:15:06And we expect it to be like hell for them.
00:15:09The competitors for Top Dog come from three platoons in D Company known as the Dogs.
00:15:15All are undertaking battle deployment training.
00:15:18The winner will be crowned Top Dog, best rifleman in the whole company.
00:15:23Get your name on that Top Dog board.
00:15:25It's got bragging rights.
00:15:27People who won that, won the title of Top Dog, you'll see pushing.
00:15:31We've got a chunder.
00:15:44Rifleman Callum Hancock, a former bouncer from Cornwall, is one of those keen to make his mark.
00:15:49Get an extra bit of training in. Make sure I'm on top of my game for it.
00:15:54Having joined the army 18 months ago, he's the platoon's strongest rifleman.
00:15:58The personal best for the deadlift was 280, but that was four years ago when I was 21.
00:16:09And now I'm getting old. I think it's still a lot heavier.
00:16:12Out of all the things that you can control, I'd say fitness is one of the main ones.
00:16:18I didn't have a terribly great childhood.
00:16:23Family broke down a little bit, ended up being just my dad and myself at home.
00:16:26I think anyone that goes to the gym will tell you that sort of your brain turns off when you're going to the gym.
00:16:34And just, you know, those little voices in your head go quiet for an hour or so.
00:16:39That's probably as heavy as I'll go today.
00:16:40I mean, for this job I don't really need to be lifting this much, for honestly.
00:16:44It's just egotistical.
00:16:49Give it a quick stir.
00:16:52Pretend to eat about ten eggs a day.
00:16:56And if you ask the lads, the smell will prove it.
00:17:00It doesn't look very appetising, but protein's protein.
00:17:03I mean, I'm not exactly Zac Efron.
00:17:05I've just always been a big lad, but I can still shift.
00:17:11And this sort of test, Top Dog, it comes down to you.
00:17:15What you do do behind closed doors when no one's watching,
00:17:18and how much effort you're willing to put into it.
00:17:20I want to do well. I want to win it.
00:17:22I'm also very aware that there's a good rifleman out there, so competition will be juicy.
00:17:34Five four-second exposures. Watch and shoot.
00:17:37But Top Dog is more than just a test of strength.
00:17:43The winning soldier must have brains as well as brawn,
00:17:46and excel at infantry skills and knowledge.
00:17:48All these vehicles on this test are going to be on Top Dog.
00:17:52Top Dog is testing them both physically but also mentally.
00:17:55In the rifles, the main ethos here is that everyone is a thinking rifleman first and foremost.
00:18:00It's not just about how fit they are, it's how well they know their trade.
00:18:04So, knowing which tank is friend or foe is crucial.
00:18:08You've got the T-55 or the T-54-55.
00:18:11The Iraqi version.
00:18:13Looks a little bit more modern, doesn't it, than the T-62.
00:18:14You're new. Let's go.
00:18:21For rifleman Morris, doing well in Top Dog is especially important.
00:18:26I am, like, a boy surrounded by men, because I'm really small.
00:18:34He's like, they're just going to look at you and be like,
00:18:37he ain't cut out for this.
00:18:40Stop rushing it.
00:18:42Morris.
00:18:43Yeah, stop being weak.
00:18:50It's a good first deployment for him to sort of get his foot in the door
00:18:54and introduce himself to the lads.
00:18:58I want to do well at Top Dog to show them that I'm not just some shit guy.
00:19:03I've actually got something to add to the team and, like, to show everyone
00:19:08that I'm actually a decent bloke.
00:19:13This weekend is the platoon's last downtime before the competition.
00:19:24Is he daddy?
00:19:26Is he daddy?
00:19:32That's my lovely daughter, Ava.
00:19:35Rifleman Ryan Dutton lives with his family in an army house next to camp.
00:19:40Ava, shall we put Archie's shoes on?
00:19:41Age 22.
00:19:44He's been a rifleman for four years.
00:19:47This is from the day I finished training.
00:19:49Lean, keen, killing machine.
00:19:51Don't forget it's the same bloke, Maple, isn't it?
00:19:54I weighed then 75 kg.
00:19:58And I weigh now 96 kg.
00:20:02Six months ago, Dutton got sidelined with an ankle injury.
00:20:06Unable to train, his fitness plummeted.
00:20:08Ryan actually did modelling at one point.
00:20:11He's going to kill me for that.
00:20:13Which one are you showing now?
00:20:16That one.
00:20:18No?
00:20:20But why does anyone want to see that?
00:20:22See how much weight you lost?
00:20:24And then gained it back and found it again.
00:20:27I've got a slow metabolism, so like, I'll put weight on loads.
00:20:33One cookie and then that's it.
00:20:35Whereas some people can eat the whole pack in it and not affect them.
00:20:39Mmm.
00:20:42Dutton's now fighting to get his fitness back.
00:20:45When I first got to Battalion, I wasn't married and I had no kids.
00:20:49Um, but it changed my view on things because it's not just you now.
00:20:55Ooh.
00:20:57Maybe I didn't have much motivation in the past, but now I want to go further in my military career.
00:21:03They're definitely motivation because I want them to eventually in the future to look at me and be proud.
00:21:09Not just sat on the couch feeling sorry for myself.
00:21:13Yeah.
00:21:17If I ain't got ambitions to become Top Dog, I'm going to use Top Dog to prove myself.
00:21:23First step, not being made to look like an absolute DOS bag that was useless.
00:21:29But I know, as long as I keep putting 100% effort in on every single thing I do,
00:21:33it will change eventually.
00:21:35All you'll see in your life is me just sprint past everyone like this.
00:21:38Nah!
00:21:39Yeah.
00:21:53OK, so 0630.
00:21:56OK, ammo is going to be collected.
00:21:58Baggage is going to be loaded onto the Panteks.
00:22:010800, OK, is the armoury.
00:22:04Get your weapon system out.
00:22:05All you're taking is IWs.
00:22:06OK, it's all you require.
00:22:09The three platoons of D Company are about to go head to head.
00:22:13What's the batch life of a Bowman radio?
00:22:1412 hours.
00:22:16What's the five D's for, Nav?
00:22:17Deception.
00:22:18No.
00:22:19Deception, you silly fucker.
00:22:21I think a few people was nervous, but you just got to get yourself in the right space.
00:22:26It just depends if your eye starts twitching and you start flapping.
00:22:30As long as you don't want to do that, you're all right.
00:22:31I'm not going to lie and stand there and say it's going to be easy, it's going to be really fun, it's going to be really enjoyable.
00:22:37It's going to be a tough week.
00:22:38And it will probably be for some of you, as riflemen, the hardest thing you've done so far in your career.
00:22:42Fucking hell, here we go, Brecon Beacons. Let's have it.
00:22:45Top Dog is contested on the mountainous terrain of Mid Wales, the favourite training grounds of the SAS.
00:23:00When you're on the coach, you are laughing and joking because you know, like, this is the moment to laugh and joke.
00:23:06But as soon as you hit, like, the Brecon area and you see the hill, it's like, I can't be asked going up there.
00:23:13It's miserable. It's like hills after hills after hills.
00:23:20You're just wondering which one you're going up.
00:23:23This isn't just going to be an easy week. It's not just an easy camping trip out for the next three days.
00:23:28They're going to get a bit of a harassing.
00:23:37Get a chain going. Pass them up, put them down.
00:23:40Over the next four days, the riflemen will face a dozen challenges.
00:23:45A hundred points are up for grabs in each one.
00:23:47OK.
00:23:49We got off the coach. It was all pretty chill.
00:23:54OK.
00:23:56And then all of a sudden, Sergeant Man was like...
00:23:58Start getting all of your kit stripped.
00:24:00First of all, the vent. It will be the platoon sergeant's kit check.
00:24:08Bit of fucking urgency. Let's go.
00:24:09The kit check is a bit of a shocker capture for some of the individuals.
00:24:14Welcome to Top Dog.
00:24:16And the way we will do it will be ruthlessly.
00:24:18If they are missing an item, there will be instantly deducted points.
00:24:22If they forget the bit of kit, they could potentially let the platoon down and then cause a risk to the platoon's safety.
00:24:27You can't do it here when you're fresh. Can you do it when you're fatigued?
00:24:32Well, let's see.
00:24:34OK, on the man. MTP shirt and trousers.
00:24:38We knew, like, the game was on.
00:24:41Seen.
00:24:42Seen.
00:24:43OK, day sack. Waterproof liner.
00:24:45People are just getting, like, marked down points straight away.
00:24:48Wifeman Morris. Point.
00:24:50OK, a small piece of warm kit.
00:24:53OK, if shit hits the fan, you can don it.
00:24:55Even if you've gone over the kit a thousand times and you've got everything.
00:25:00Socks.
00:25:01You're just waiting for him to call it out.
00:25:03OK, compass and map.
00:25:05He'll say it and you're playing far.
00:25:07Down. Not good.
00:25:09OK, serviceable boots.
00:25:11He's quite fierce.
00:25:13Quite serious as well.
00:25:15Gents, how do we not have waterproof liners in our day sacks?
00:25:17That's basics.
00:25:19They're shouting out names of people who have failed certain things.
00:25:22Raviza has made me pen run out.
00:25:24You can have that many strikes.
00:25:26Thinking, oh, please don't let it be me.
00:25:28OK, field, wash and shave kit.
00:25:30What the fuck is that?
00:25:32Looks like your beach kit that you're going to go down the beach with,
00:25:34your sun cream and your bath towel.
00:25:36That is not a wash, shave kit ready for the field on exercise, is it?
00:25:40Don't worry, we'll get you a deck chair set up.
00:25:42A couple of margaritas.
00:25:43To be fair, it was my missus wash bag.
00:25:49Right, troops, stop what you're doing, listen in.
00:25:54OK, as a pre-deployment kit check goes, that is shocking.
00:25:58Some of you have lost 15 points there already.
00:26:01That could be what decides winning top dog or losing.
00:26:04The scores are kept secret from the riflemen, with the winner announced at the end of the final day.
00:26:11Has anyone done really badly?
00:26:13Yeah, 17.
00:26:14Fuck!
00:26:20Lower.
00:26:22Raise.
00:26:23When I say go, put your kit on as fast as humanly possible.
00:26:29Once it's on your turn, off you go, let's go.
00:26:33Still fresh off the bus, it's straight onto the second test.
00:26:37Start point's going to be at the top of the road.
00:26:40From there is an individual effort, from there all the way to the finish point.
00:26:43The five-mile run is a test for the riflemen to test their physical and mental robustness.
00:26:52For some of them, they probably would have never done that distance before.
00:26:56Some of them will struggle, but we'll see the ones that care.
00:27:00They will absolutely be the ones at the front, giving it their all.
00:27:03Still recovering from his injury, rifleman Dutton must sit the race out.
00:27:10In position ready.
00:27:12Start as you need to go on. Empty the fucking tank.
00:27:16At the starting line, quite nervous.
00:27:19It's my first time doing that far of a distance.
00:27:23Stand by.
00:27:26Go!
00:27:30Keep driving, come on!
00:27:31The higher you place, the better you score.
00:27:34Come on! Come on!
00:27:36The first to cross the line will scoop a full 100 points.
00:27:41In front of me, people were just gone.
00:27:44Like they were in the distance.
00:27:48It's all about pacing.
00:27:50And blurring themselves out on the first two miles.
00:27:52Most adults can put the trainers on and go for a run.
00:27:56But it's when you're doing it in boots, you've got your day sack on,
00:27:58and you've got 20 kilos in your kit, and you're putting a helmet on your head.
00:28:02It's tough.
00:28:04Like the lactic acid starts kicking in, and then when you've got these hills coming up,
00:28:08you're like, fuck it now, this is going to be a killer.
00:28:11End the attack, end the attack.
00:28:14You're fucking walking.
00:28:16Let's go.
00:28:18Come on, let's go, on the move.
00:28:20I'd say the ones that are being sick, that shows to me that they care.
00:28:23Close yourself and let me go.
00:28:26Ready?
00:28:27No.
00:28:28Let's go.
00:28:36It'll start getting easier as we flatten out.
00:28:39It's top dog.
00:28:41Three platoons are facing a dozen challenges in the brutal Brecon beacons.
00:28:45Slow them down.
00:28:46Keep me going.
00:28:47Keep me going. Good effort.
00:28:49They're halfway through the five miler, loaded with 20 kilos of kit.
00:28:54Your helmet's like a sauna.
00:28:56You're just dripping of sweat, and you're thinking,
00:28:59I'm going to pass out in a minute.
00:29:01I know you've got it in your head.
00:29:03You're sticking on me. You're sticking on me now.
00:29:05Let's go. Let's go.
00:29:07The platoon commanders act as pacemakers, urging their riflemen up the field.
00:29:11I was not impartial at all.
00:29:12I was very much there. I wanted 13 platoon to be the best.
00:29:16I remember we had a singular figure cutting about 50 metres ahead,
00:29:21which was Rifleman Hancock.
00:29:25There's not a lot of thinking going on in my head.
00:29:27It's just run and keep running.
00:29:29Good effort. Keep up.
00:29:31I have to say I had to sort of stifle the emotion,
00:29:33not look too enthusiastic about a number of 13 platoon being up the front,
00:29:36but I absolutely was.
00:29:37Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.
00:29:42I knew that the pain was only temporary.
00:29:45So just stick with it and keep going.
00:29:47You know it's going to come to an end eventually.
00:29:50I'm smashing this.
00:29:52With half a mile to go,
00:29:54Maurice has pushed his way into the top ten.
00:29:57Chin up. Come on.
00:29:59Go on, Owen.
00:30:02My legs were ready to stop,
00:30:04but I just want to give it my all.
00:30:08Get the sergeant man, come on.
00:30:09Ready?
00:30:10Three, two, one, go.
00:30:11Let's go.
00:30:1753, 51.
00:30:21I think he's shown that actually if he properly grasped,
00:30:23which he did, he can perform really well,
00:30:25proving to himself and to them that he's worth his mettle.
00:30:28Out of three platoons,
00:30:40Maurice places eighth.
00:30:42The win goes to Hancock,
00:30:43a full six minutes ahead of second place.
00:30:45Yeah, buzzing.
00:30:47Reverend Hancock smashed it today, first place.
00:30:49He does a lot of extra training and grafts really hard for his job,
00:30:52and he's absolutely smashing it at the moment.
00:30:54I might seem confident in myself,
00:30:58but that's not always been the case.
00:31:01I'd say I'm a very different person to what I was,
00:31:04three, four years ago.
00:31:06It's weird for me,
00:31:07because being here compared to being in Cornwall
00:31:09is two completely different lives.
00:31:11You're in the army.
00:31:12Your wife, man, Hancock,
00:31:13but down there, you're Callum.
00:31:18I'd say most of my family, um...
00:31:20I'd probably be shocked to see me sat down now.
00:31:25When I told them I was joining the army,
00:31:27I think most of them pretty much after I said that
00:31:29I wouldn't be able to achieve it.
00:31:31I remember relatives saying that, like,
00:31:33I'll be back within 24 hours.
00:31:35I won't hack it.
00:31:36And I just thought, well, what a thing to say.
00:31:39And you can either let that, like, be in your head
00:31:41and make you doubt yourself,
00:31:43but for me, I just...
00:31:44If anything, use it as a little bit of fuel
00:31:46to just prove them wrong.
00:31:47You said I couldn't do it, and I'm here now.
00:31:58Whilst most riflemen opt to spend the first night
00:32:00in a sheep shed,
00:32:0413 platoon are going their own way.
00:32:08We thought it'd be good to just get all the lands
00:32:10and 13 platoons together under the same ponchos.
00:32:12It's how you form not just a bond,
00:32:15but, like, a family spirit between you.
00:32:18This is where the fun happens.
00:32:23I hate wearing boxers.
00:32:25You go commando?
00:32:26Yeah.
00:32:27Bet the boys breathe, man.
00:32:28But once I did it in camp,
00:32:29I fell over and it ripped my balls out.
00:32:31You'd have to snipe to take your balls
00:32:32just so they don't swing when you're running.
00:32:34That is the best time to get to know someone,
00:32:36because that's when you really truly see who they are.
00:32:38I sometimes have night terrors
00:32:39and start making weird noises.
00:32:41But all I need, though,
00:32:42is a little bit of a cuddle
00:32:43and a back scratch,
00:32:44and come back here, mate.
00:32:45You all right?
00:32:46I'll give you a little cuddle, man.
00:32:47Thank you, pal.
00:32:48Chat shit.
00:32:49And eat some shit,
00:32:50because of some of that rations.
00:32:51You need to sort that out.
00:32:53Oh.
00:32:54Is that nice?
00:32:55Nah.
00:32:56Horrible.
00:32:57It's just horrible.
00:32:58That is a poo.
00:32:59That is a human piece of faecal matter.
00:33:02It's like bonding moments.
00:33:03They'll flip the juice over there.
00:33:04Flip you somewhere in a minute, sunshine.
00:33:05Fuck off.
00:33:06Especially for a ride from a Morris.
00:33:07Oh, you're new to this, Morris.
00:33:08You'll go first, mate.
00:33:09It was fun to hang out with them,
00:33:10but I was knackered.
00:33:11Legs were aching.
00:33:12Shoulders were sore.
00:33:13And I was just ready to get in my doss bag
00:33:15and for a while.
00:33:16It was fun to hang out with them.
00:33:18But I was knackered.
00:33:19Legs were aching.
00:33:20Shoulders were sore.
00:33:21And I was just ready to get in my doss bag
00:33:22and for a while.
00:33:23It was fun to hang out with them.
00:33:24But I was knackered.
00:33:25And I was just ready to get in my doss bag
00:33:28and fall asleep.
00:33:29All the moisture's gone from my mouth.
00:33:31Oh, it's so dry, isn't it?
00:33:32It's like a nun's panic.
00:33:43He's upset because I cuddled him.
00:33:44Best sleep of my life.
00:33:48With just two tests gone and ten more to go,
00:33:51the competition is wide open.
00:33:53Go to our first stand.
00:33:54It's about three kilometres away.
00:33:57We know where we're going.
00:33:58We don't know what's there.
00:34:05On day two, the focus shifts away from physical fitness
00:34:08to the thinking side of soldiering.
00:34:12Having missed the five miler,
00:34:14Dutton is starting the day a hundred points behind.
00:34:17I knew it set me back quite a way.
00:34:20I'm going to need every single point now.
00:34:24Unfortunately, it's not just one event that can dictate
00:34:26us over all of the events.
00:34:27You know, you've got to be good at all these things.
00:34:30Everything you do, even if you're, like, confident at it,
00:34:33you can always fumble.
00:34:34Sit on the sandbags, grab your binos,
00:34:37and you'll try and identify as many vehicles as you can.
00:34:43The riflemen have just 20 minutes to distinguish
00:34:49between 50 enemy and friendly vehicles.
00:34:52With us being in five rifles, because we're the armoured element
00:34:57and we work alongside armour, you've probably got more chance
00:35:00of coming up against enemy armour,
00:35:02and so being able to recognise what vehicle's friendly
00:35:05and enemy is very important.
00:35:09Corbin's giving me this piece of paper,
00:35:10and it's sort of like a battleship thing.
00:35:13Looking for those binos.
00:35:15Trying to focus it, and you're thinking,
00:35:19like, this isn't doing anything.
00:35:22But then, eventually, er...
00:35:26I'm looking at them, I'm thinking...
00:35:30I haven't got a Scooby-Doo.
00:35:34The vehicles are two centimetre replicas of the real thing.
00:35:41You'd think having the binos would make it easier,
00:35:44but it just doesn't.
00:35:48At the moment, they're doing it in daylight.
00:35:50Sometimes they would have to do it at night time
00:35:52with night vision,
00:35:53and then, obviously, it becomes even harder.
00:35:55Time is up.
00:35:57You're not sure it's a friend lane,
00:35:58and you whack it with an en-law,
00:36:00and it's a bunch of French, they ain't gonna be happier.
00:36:04I thought, yeah, we'll forget that actually happened.
00:36:07We'll go on to the next one.
00:36:10No-one scores well on vehicle recognition,
00:36:12except one rifleman.
00:36:16Job to be on a Greek island or something right now.
00:36:19I was trying to keep cars close to my chest,
00:36:21but, yeah, felt like I smashed that.
00:36:27Will Halliday is the only rifleman in 13th Platoon
00:36:30who's been to university.
00:36:32He studied graphic design
00:36:33before joining up when Russia evaded Ukraine.
00:36:35I do feel for everyone that's been affected,
00:36:38so I know everyone always says they want to make a difference
00:36:41and stuff like that,
00:36:42but I feel like this is one of the ways I can do it.
00:36:46Alongside Hancock,
00:36:48he's one of the bright lights of the platoon.
00:36:51Hancock is... he's really fit,
00:36:54but my strengths are more of the written and general knowledge stuff.
00:36:58Absolutely no cheating on this.
00:37:01Any phones or notepads with notes are ready,
00:37:03instant disqualification.
00:37:05In test four,
00:37:07the men have one hour to answer a hundred questions.
00:37:10Not everyone's cup of tea.
00:37:12Just basic knowledge.
00:37:14I've got a shit memory.
00:37:16Right, I make it.
00:37:1716.34.
00:37:18Start now.
00:37:23Some of it is quite difficult.
00:37:24Some of those questions,
00:37:25a lot of new monarchs, et cetera, to know.
00:37:28But it all relates back to battle procedure
00:37:29and being really effective at their jobs.
00:37:314-2 in battle trials.
00:37:33They'll be asked about their weapon systems,
00:37:34so the effective range of the SA-80,
00:37:37the GPMG and sharpshooter, et cetera.
00:37:39They might be asked about CBRNs,
00:37:40so chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological.
00:37:44Knowing a lot of this information is absolutely mission critical
00:37:47and could save their life.
00:37:49All right, gents, 30 seconds.
00:37:50Just get something down for all of them, okay?
00:37:52It's like going into a GCSE exam or whatever
00:37:55and thinking, oh, I hope I do really well,
00:37:56and then I'm thinking, actually,
00:37:57I don't actually revise for this,
00:37:59so the outcome of this is on me, really.
00:38:02That's then done.
00:38:04Are you happy?
00:38:05Thank you very much.
00:38:08My wife and holiday's smashing this so far.
00:38:10Hasn't lost a single mark.
00:38:11Really?
00:38:12Yeah.
00:38:13All over it.
00:38:14So I think he's going to pick up loads of points
00:38:15that he might have missed out on on the run yesterday.
00:38:17I think he's a dark horse.
00:38:19No, it's under your nose.
00:38:22Like, no, like, here.
00:38:23Now, you've got a bit of pressure under your nose as well.
00:38:26This is a man who's going to be an officer in about three years.
00:38:29I don't know.
00:38:31Holiday's education marks him out in the platoon.
00:38:33A lot of the lads here seem to think I'm upper-class and very rich,
00:38:38but everyone's got something that they can just grab a hold of you on, so...
00:38:42Have you ever become an officer? I'm never saluting you.
00:38:44Yeah, never, mate. It's not happening, mate.
00:38:50Members of 13 platoon come from all different walks of life.
00:38:54Everyone brings a bit of something else to the party,
00:38:56and that's what you want in a platoon.
00:38:57So, a platoon should be like a band of brothers.
00:39:02They need to know each other inside out.
00:39:04They need to know each other's weaknesses.
00:39:05They need to know each other's strengths.
00:39:08The closer that you are as a platoon,
00:39:11the harder you're going to work for each other and with each other,
00:39:13and you're going to rely on each other when shit might hit the fan.
00:39:15A
00:39:22A
00:39:24A
00:39:26A
00:39:30A
00:39:32A
00:39:33A
00:39:34A
00:39:35A
00:39:36A
00:39:37A
00:39:38A
00:39:40A
00:39:42The Rifleman had just reached the latest test in Tubdog.
00:39:49Take it easy, mate.
00:39:51What's happened to you?
00:39:52Drone strike.
00:39:55Drones, ghastly things.
00:39:57You've only got to look at the war in Ukraine
00:39:59and realise this is a very present danger.
00:40:04These things can sort of come out of nowhere.
00:40:06Is there anything in your mouth? No? Slight breathing.
00:40:08You've got the thermal capabilities, they can lock onto you.
00:40:11You know, drop grenades.
00:40:13You might not even hear it coming.
00:40:15Personally, for me, that would be my biggest worry,
00:40:17is a drone strike.
00:40:19Ah!
00:40:20Keep talking to me, mate. Where are you from?
00:40:22The battlefield casualty drill stand is to test the Rifleman.
00:40:26Slight breathing.
00:40:27So we can see how they work under pressure.
00:40:29I'm just going to take your sides.
00:40:30Yeah. Yeah.
00:40:32Some of them might surprise us and some of them might shock us.
00:40:34Ah!
00:40:35Ah!
00:40:36Ah!
00:40:37Ah!
00:40:38His breathing is at...
00:40:41Er...
00:40:42What? Did I write that?
00:40:44Airways clear. Breathing's fine.
00:40:46Pulitzer rate of 90, as of...
00:40:48Ugh!
00:40:50It's intense pressure, like, I should have done that first.
00:40:54Oh, no, shit, I should have checked his breathing.
00:40:56But he's still got blood pissing out of his knee.
00:40:58You know what I mean?
00:40:59Like, oh, shit, I need to stop the blood!
00:41:01Ah!
00:41:02You're trying to rush around, and you want to give them the treatment.
00:41:06But when something like that happens, my mind just goes blank.
00:41:10Ah, then you're going to give them a fentanyl for?
00:41:12Uh, a minute.
00:41:14Ah!
00:41:16Ah!
00:41:17Unable to recall critical information, Dutton and Morris are docked points.
00:41:21Fentanyl was given to him at 12.32.
00:41:24Still got about five minutes left.
00:41:27Halliday and Hancock both excel.
00:41:30Can't really mark him down for anything, so I literally probably scored 95.
00:41:34I'm pretty sure that's us done for the day.
00:41:38I think it went okay.
00:41:43I know there's other good lads out there that have just as good a chance to succeed as me.
00:41:48But maybe not necessarily want it as much as me.
00:41:53When I was relatively young, my parents split up.
00:41:56Ended up being just my dad and myself at home.
00:41:59Bringing up a lad on his own can't be an easy job.
00:42:03He was sort of like my dad, my mum and my big brother all in one.
00:42:08You know, he just was just that big, big support for me.
00:42:12Um, and actually still is to this day.
00:42:15He was always keen for me to strive to do better.
00:42:18Um, encouraging me as well.
00:42:23Doing something like this, joining the army, I know that he's proud that I've done it.
00:42:27And I, you know, have a lot to thank him for.
00:42:30There'd be nothing greater than to go in and tell my dad, oh, I've done this thing here.
00:42:34And, er, I've just proven I was the best rifleman in Holiday Company.
00:42:37Er, Hancock.
00:42:38Rothen-Hancock, 91.
00:42:39Er, Halliday.
00:42:40Rothen-Halliday, 96.
00:42:41Oh, fair play.
00:42:42I know.
00:42:43Fair play.
00:42:44At the beginning of day three, the top six riflemen are separated by less than a hundred points, with just a handful of tests remaining.
00:43:03There's 400 points up the grabs there.
00:43:05If you're getting top points, then happy days.
00:43:08But if you're not, and you only get in the middle of the park with 50 points, you can drop quite a lot.
00:43:12Um, so, yeah, it's still all to play for.
00:43:15Right, guys, er, remove your helmets, take a knee.
00:43:20Today's first event could upend the leaderboard.
00:43:23One small mistake here could cost a hundred points.
00:43:27We're gonna test you on your camouflage and concealment, okay, and we're gonna conduct a stalk.
00:43:36What I suggest to you, okay, is a natural cam around the area, okay, which is what's gonna be in the environment.
00:43:41You get ten minutes, okay, to crawl into position.
00:43:45In the first part of this test, riflemen must conceal themselves in a marsh and avoid detection by a team of spotters on the hill.
00:43:52Just gonna have to slow movement when you're crawling.
00:43:55You were slow anyway.
00:43:57Oh, fuck no.
00:43:58Hopefully we don't catch any of them, because they're trained soldiers, aren't they?
00:44:19I found a good little spot where there was long grass.
00:44:23It was, like, pretty high stake, hide and seek.
00:44:26Like, you just don't wanna get caught.
00:44:29They've been hidden pretty well, to be fair.
00:44:33I've just been laying in a massive puddle.
00:44:36It's just flooding into my boots.
00:44:38The whole of me is just completely soaked, which probably helped my position a bit soon as it was everywhere.
00:44:44It just covered me in mud.
00:44:47The only way you can usually spot them is, uh, some of movement.
00:44:51So we put the targets up to try and draw some movement.
00:44:53In the second part, riflemen will get extra points if they can move undetected to record the number and letter combinations.
00:45:06So, there's a big bit of footage.
00:45:10That's where he just stood, where Bacon just was.
00:45:13Yeah.
00:45:14An assistant to the stalking team is positioned in the marsh.
00:45:18It looks like the shape of a helmet.
00:45:21Wondering if he'd just stayed in that...
00:45:23Yeah, I think they might have.
00:45:25Right, mate, can you just walk 50 metres forwards?
00:45:29I'm sure it's to his right now.
00:45:31Point to the ground two metres away with your right arm.
00:45:35Is anyone there?
00:45:39No.
00:45:41I was laying there and a bee landed right next to me.
00:45:46I blow it with my nose at half.
00:45:49And it's just not...
00:45:50It just wasn't fucking off.
00:45:52And then it started buzzing more.
00:45:55I see his helmet.
00:45:57It's like, shit.
00:45:59Go left.
00:46:00Four or five metres.
00:46:02OK, point again with your right arm.
00:46:04Two metres.
00:46:05There's only one in that area.
00:46:06One.
00:46:10I thought so.
00:46:11Right, mate, can you just point him?
00:46:13Turn to stand up.
00:46:18Who's that?
00:46:20Crossword.
00:46:21Morris.
00:46:23Oh, now I said, like, fuck.
00:46:26What a call.
00:46:28It's unfortunate for him.
00:46:29It's still going to be a zero.
00:46:30Better luck next time.
00:46:31So...
00:46:34Both Hancock and Halliday remain undetected
00:46:37and score maximum points for identifying field positions.
00:46:41Halliday, he did good because he didn't get seen
00:46:43and he could see everything.
00:46:45Where did you go compared to everyone else?
00:46:47They got absolutely piss wrapped.
00:46:50Your testicles are freezing.
00:46:52I've got a hole in my trousers.
00:46:56Morris is the only rifleman to score zero.
00:46:59I've got two minutes left and I got caught.
00:47:02It's hard.
00:47:03Sometimes you're in really good cover.
00:47:04I was looking from my side.
00:47:05I couldn't see them.
00:47:06So I thought I'm just going to hide and try to get points.
00:47:08Yeah.
00:47:10Good one, mate.
00:47:14Having only completed ten weeks basic training,
00:47:17Morris is at a disadvantage,
00:47:19especially in the more technical tests.
00:47:21OK, so all you'll do now,
00:47:23you'll show me how to exactly set up the 355 radio.
00:47:30I've never seen a radio like that before.
00:47:34You know, I was just looking at it thinking,
00:47:36I don't know what I'm doing here.
00:47:38It just slots in and you twist the bottom.
00:47:41He was thrown in the deep end a little bit, but...
00:47:44He was trying his best.
00:47:46Think of it as 354, OK?
00:47:47You touched 354, haven't you?
00:47:49This is his first time using a radio like this.
00:47:52So if you're going to set the time, you'll click time.
00:47:56He's effectively giving the caveman a laptop
00:47:57and telling him how to turn it on and go on Google.
00:48:00Like, he hasn't really got a clue what he's doing.
00:48:04You just want to do everything correct all the time.
00:48:08But you can't always do it correct all the time.
00:48:11So there will be parts where you do flap and worry.
00:48:14Don't worry.
00:48:18I think it is really difficult being an 18-year-old
00:48:21who's been thrown into army life.
00:48:23But there are absolutely some people in the platoon
00:48:25who have taken him under his wing.
00:48:27When I got in the position, I couldn't see the ****,
00:48:29so I just hid there.
00:48:31A lot of them will remember being new out of Cataric
00:48:33and probably know that feeling.
00:48:34So a lot of them are really looking after him.
00:48:37You're all in the same situation.
00:48:39You're all competing.
00:48:41But at the end of the day, after the competition's over,
00:48:43you're all in the same platoon.
00:48:45So you're all going to fight for each other.
00:48:49Yeah, I'm getting to know them a lot better.
00:48:51I'm also learning stuff as I go as well.
00:48:54Maurice, early signs of atrophin poisoning.
00:48:58Bloody nose.
00:49:00Runny nose.
00:49:01Yeah, same thing.
00:49:02I do want to do well at this,
00:49:05so hopefully I impress some people.
00:49:19With the race for the top spot tightening,
00:49:21the riflemen must maximise every remaining challenge.
00:49:25Let's go, hurry up.
00:49:28They must prove their skills and observation.
00:49:31Ten items. You need to remember them in order.
00:49:33And locating enemy targets.
00:49:35Series Alpha.
00:49:37Eight, seven, nine, zero.
00:49:39I haven't got...
00:49:40That was the closest so far.
00:49:42But the test which causes most difficulty
00:49:44requires the riflemen to protect themselves
00:49:46from nuclear or chemical attack.
00:49:48One small mistake will cost you your life.
00:49:51Right, just grab the harness
00:49:52and rip it over the back of your head.
00:49:54Those shitty black gloves that don't fit my hands.
00:49:58They were like,
00:49:59oh, man, they're just shit.
00:50:01You're not grabbing the bottom of the harness?
00:50:03No, I just kind of get it on.
00:50:06Piece of shit.
00:50:07I've never struggled like that before, but...
00:50:09Come here, come here.
00:50:10You're going to rip all your hair out.
00:50:12I'd rather my hands just burn off
00:50:13and then wear them.
00:50:14Look, that's the bottom.
00:50:15You're grabbing the middle.
00:50:17You can ask any soldier in the British Army
00:50:20do they like CBRN,
00:50:21and if they say yeah, they're lying.
00:50:23Straight through the teeth, they're lying.
00:50:25If it don't decontaminate.
00:50:30Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:50:33What are you doing?
00:50:34I made the mistake of not ripping the packaging open
00:50:36before putting stuff on.
00:50:38That's not DKP, is it? It's plastic.
00:50:40It's like shit, and I'm trying to rip it.
00:50:42You'd be fucking dead now.
00:50:47Everyone deals with pressure differently.
00:50:50I just knew for myself
00:50:51it's better for me to slow down
00:50:52and think through it methodically
00:50:54rather than rushing into it.
00:50:57Holiday scored really high on that.
00:50:58Done really well.
00:51:0020, 30, 40.
00:51:01Holiday's becoming more and more competitive.
00:51:04Let the best man win.
00:51:08As day three draws to a close,
00:51:10it's tighter than ever at the top.
00:51:13Going in today, Rifleman Hancock was in first place.
00:51:15He's been slightly pipped on a couple of the stands today,
00:51:18so he's just crept into, I think, second or third place now.
00:51:21There's only a few points in it though,
00:51:22so it is all down to tomorrow now.
00:51:27The final day of Top Dog is rumoured to be the toughest.
00:51:30They know something's coming.
00:51:33There's tension in the air.
00:51:35We were dropping little bit of mind games,
00:51:37getting in some of their heads.
00:51:39You know all this summer comet.
00:51:41Little rumours going around.
00:51:43The worst thing is probably just everyone else
00:51:45inspiring and coming up with stories of their own
00:51:47and what's going to happen and stuff,
00:51:49and that just eats at people.
00:51:51A lot of mental resilience needed tomorrow.
00:51:55My mindset's always good.
00:51:57I love this shit.
00:51:59It's what I was made for.
00:52:00The final day of Top Dog has just begun,
00:52:20with a surprise dawn attack launched on the Rifleman.
00:52:24We woke the Rifleman up at 0500 this morning
00:52:26with a number of bangs, a number of smokes.
00:52:29See the reaction to a bombardment.
00:52:32It's all about the mental resilience.
00:52:34Keep going.
00:52:35Just keep going.
00:52:37That's my favourite bit.
00:52:39The last day of Top Dog is to test when times get tough,
00:52:44who can dig deep.
00:52:54What a wake up.
00:52:55Hey!
00:52:56Get the fire!
00:52:57Get the fire!
00:52:58Get the fire!
00:52:59Get the fire!
00:53:00Hurry up!
00:53:01Get him on your fucking fire!
00:53:03I'm just trying to create pressure for them.
00:53:05Move!
00:53:06Trying to put them into that environment
00:53:08to replicate a war zone or a battle scene.
00:53:10Is a cousin gonna jump for you, is he?
00:53:11Get him up there!
00:53:12Get up there!
00:53:13Go!
00:53:15I fucking knew it was coming!
00:53:17Let's go!
00:53:18Keep moving!
00:53:19Keep moving!
00:53:20Let's go!
00:53:21Russian!
00:53:23Get over him!
00:53:25Keep your fucking head down!
00:53:27Do not stop!
00:53:28Come on, let's keep moving!
00:53:29Do not quit!
00:53:30Do not quit!
00:53:31Do not quit!
00:53:33You're just sliding everywhere.
00:53:35You're trying to keep your rifle pointing forward.
00:53:37Keep moving!
00:53:38And it's just like it's not working.
00:53:39Monkey crawl!
00:53:40Monkey crawl!
00:53:41Let's go!
00:53:42Hurry up!
00:53:43You're not doing it hard enough like I fucking am!
00:53:44Hurry up!
00:53:45Let's go!
00:53:46Turn through there!
00:53:47Turn left with you!
00:53:49To be honest with you, I've had people shouting at me my whole life,
00:53:51so shouting at me is like love language to me, really.
00:53:53Come on, let's go!
00:53:55Come on, let's go!
00:53:56Come on!
00:53:57Now!
00:54:00Straight into the pen.
00:54:01Fill up from the rear.
00:54:03But this half-hour thrashing is just to wake them up.
00:54:06Knees up!
00:54:07Knees up!
00:54:10Okay, listen in.
00:54:12Okay, where you are now, inside this mine tape, okay, is known as heaven.
00:54:18Inside heaven, you are safe.
00:54:21As soon as you go through those gates, you're in hell.
00:54:24You will run everywhere.
00:54:25You will crawl everywhere.
00:54:26You will fucking suffer.
00:54:29Heaven and Hell tests riflemen on retaining information under acute physical stress.
00:54:36Okay, this is all about attention to detail.
00:54:39Bugle out!
00:54:41Sound!
00:54:46The riflemen must run to one of three markers on the surrounding hills.
00:54:50Go!
00:54:51Go!
00:54:52Go!
00:54:57When we ran to them first...
00:54:59Right for it, darling!
00:55:00Hurry the fuck up!
00:55:02You felt...
00:55:03Oh, it's not bad.
00:55:06Straight across the road, into that pen.
00:55:08Let's go!
00:55:09Hurry up!
00:55:10You're back and then Salman's asking you.
00:55:11Who can tell me what nations were involved in the battle of Jalalabad?
00:55:17Anyone?
00:55:19He's like, fuck.
00:55:21Attention to detail!
00:55:23In command!
00:55:24Get away!
00:55:25Get away!
00:55:26Each marker contains a 300-word brief on a historic battle fought by the rifles.
00:55:33Thinking of the pressure is a big one.
00:55:34They need to be observant.
00:55:37They need to always remember that it's a 360 battle space and not just focus on a couple of meters or a hundred meters in front of them.
00:55:44You run all the way back.
00:55:45Okay.
00:55:46You're reading it like, yeah, sound.
00:55:48Hurry up!
00:55:50And then he switches it up and it's like, what was the date?
00:55:53Of the battle of Inkemen.
00:55:56He knows no one knows.
00:55:58Attention to detail!
00:55:59And then you're going back and running back up the hill.
00:56:02Google Earth!
00:56:04Until they bring back the correct answers, they must keep running.
00:56:07Up the hill again, down the hill.
00:56:10It just keeps going on and on and on for hours.
00:56:13How many British troops were involved?
00:56:17I haven't even finished yet. Shut the...
00:56:21Ends up being a mental game.
00:56:24Can you imagine doing this after weeks in a battle space?
00:56:27You are getting angry.
00:56:29You just want it to be over so you're angry that it's not over yet.
00:56:32Have a fucking word for yourselves up that hill.
00:56:35In command!
00:56:37Let's fight!
00:56:47After three hours of running, the rifleman must now confront the most difficult task asked of any infantry soldier.
00:56:54Get your weapons in your hands, in the high port position everywhere.
00:56:57The rifleman needs to be prepared that he might have to take someone's life to save his own or his muckers around him.
00:57:04Lying between the rifleman and the finish is the sword lane.
00:57:10A mile long run through 12 enemy targets which must be dispatched at close range.
00:57:15High port! High port! High port!
00:57:19I quote William Shakespeare.
00:57:22Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.
00:57:25Get you the dogs of war.
00:57:28When released, you're gonna cause havoc and destruction.
00:57:32Get on that enemy down that lane.
00:57:34Instill fear into their eyes.
00:57:36Look them in the fucking face when you thrust that sword into their chest.
00:57:41It's all about getting in the rifleman's heads, getting them angry.
00:57:45At the end of the day, the rifleman needs to switch from being a regular soldier to a killer.
00:57:50What are you?
00:57:52I am a rifleman! I am a local war!
00:57:55If you release me, I will release hell!
00:57:57What are you?
00:57:58I am a rifleman! I am a local war!
00:58:01You're in that mindset now that you're just pure anger.
00:58:04I'm gone!
00:58:06High port! High port!
00:58:09And you're ready to go do what they tell you to do.
00:58:12High port! High port!
00:58:14Show me your full face!
00:58:19And you can see in their eyes, people are thinking,
00:58:21right, I'm gonna go and fucking kill someone now.
00:58:24Full face!
00:58:35You're ejected.
00:58:36Let's go down this stream.
00:58:37Right, and clear any enemy.
00:58:39Okay? Happy?
00:58:40Let's get in the fucking water there.
00:58:41Let's go.
00:58:43The sword lane, it's not just a drill, it's not just an exercise,
00:58:46it's the realities of water.
00:58:48Oh God!
00:58:50Oh God!
00:58:52Let's go!
00:58:54High port!
00:58:55He's not dead!
00:58:56He's not dead!
00:58:59If you've run out of ammunition,
00:59:01the last resort you've got is that sword attached to your rifle.
00:59:07You've just got to go for it.
00:59:09Kill!
00:59:10Because at the end of the day, if you don't, it'll be you in the ground and not them.
00:59:15Fucking let him have it!
00:59:18Thank God!
00:59:19Let's go!
00:59:21It goes from you being like a normal, thinking human to a violent individual.
00:59:26Ah!
00:59:27Ah!
00:59:28Ah!
00:59:29Ah!
00:59:30Ah!
00:59:31Ah!
00:59:32Point four!
00:59:33Jack's sword!
00:59:34Jack's sword!
00:59:35It's something you can't really train for, but I suppose it's probably going to be one of the closest things you're ever going to get to it.
00:59:40It's all about controlled aggression, having that switch to be able to turn it on, to kill the enemy, and then turn it off again.
00:59:46Ah!
00:59:47Kill!
00:59:48Ah!
00:59:49Kill!
00:59:50Can you stop there?
00:59:51Jack's sword!
00:59:52Oh God!
00:59:53Just everything feels heightened.
00:59:54Ah!
00:59:55Ah!
00:59:56You're definitely getting in a zone.
00:59:57Ah!
00:59:58Jack's sword!
00:59:59A lot of people get too far in the zone, and it's hard to come out.
01:00:02Ah!
01:00:03Get him!
01:00:04Get him!
01:00:05Ah!
01:00:06Ah!
01:00:07Ah!
01:00:08I can't remember what I was thinking, to be fair, or what I was feeling.
01:00:12Ah!
01:00:13Ah!
01:00:14Ah!
01:00:15Ah!
01:00:16Anger running through you when you're doing it.
01:00:18Come on!
01:00:19Get up!
01:00:20Get up!
01:00:21Get up your rifle!
01:00:22But you have to learn to show that aggression.
01:00:25Get him!
01:00:26Get him!
01:00:27Get him!
01:00:28That's what gets to your throat at the end of the day.
01:00:31Come here!
01:00:32Let's go!
01:00:33You've lost enemy now.
01:00:34Come here!
01:00:35Let's go!
01:00:36The situation came to it where I have to stab someone.
01:00:38Let's go!
01:00:39I think I could.
01:00:40Get up there!
01:00:41Come on!
01:00:42But...
01:00:43Colin!
01:00:44It's how you react to it.
01:00:45Colin!
01:00:46Being able to move past it, or let it dwell on your conscious, on your mind.
01:00:50And you will never really be able to say, yeah, I can do that until you've actually done it.
01:00:55So...
01:00:56Yeah.
01:00:59Come on!
01:01:00Come on!
01:01:01Come on!
01:01:06Get to that enemy!
01:01:07Come on!
01:01:08Come on!
01:01:09Come on!
01:01:10Come on!
01:01:11Come on!
01:01:12Come on!
01:01:13Come on!
01:01:14Come on!
01:01:15It's over now.
01:01:16Top Dog is finally over.
01:01:19The rifleman can now leave the mountains of Wales and return to camp in Wiltshire, where the winner will be announced.
01:01:27Hard.
01:01:28It was hard.
01:01:29Cold.
01:01:30But...
01:01:31That's it.
01:01:32Top Dog.
01:01:33Done.
01:01:34My knee's gone.
01:01:35All sliced up.
01:01:36And when I got changed, my fucking dick retreated back into my body.
01:01:37Pretty much when we started, I started getting cramp in my leg.
01:01:38So for the whole thing, I was having cramp.
01:01:39So when I was crawling, I was just in absolute agony.
01:01:40Knees were in bobbins.
01:01:41Fingers were in clip.
01:01:42Loved it.
01:01:43Everyone's knackered.
01:01:44But at the end of the day, you're going to get through it.
01:02:03There's no better way to sort of create a team.
01:02:10There's no better way to sort of create a team ethos
01:02:13than through collective hardship and some pretty shit times.
01:02:17They did really well. I was really proud of them.
01:02:24When you're on a coach for three hours, you've got loads of thinking time.
01:02:27I think I did the best I could.
01:02:31There's also the saying, you can't choose your family,
01:02:33but you can choose your friends.
01:02:35Here, like, your friends almost become family.
01:02:37You do so much together.
01:02:39You're bonding with each other.
01:02:41And you just become, like, that proper brotherhood.
01:02:49I'm actually knackered. My throat hurts and all that screaming.
01:02:53We should find out soon who's won.
01:02:55I think I did all right. Doubt first place.
01:02:58But as long as I'm up in the top third, I'm happy.
01:03:02The winner is due to be announced by Major Simon Reid,
01:03:09the officer commanding D Company.
01:03:11We've got a winner. We have got a winner.
01:03:12Why not Daniel?
01:03:13Obviously, it would be great if the winner came from 13-2.
01:03:19We had some really high flyers, but along with that,
01:03:22we had some people who I think were probably lacking some self-confidence going into it.
01:03:25People that I was more unsure of, who grafted really hard,
01:03:28put the effort in and showed that they are effective riflemen.
01:03:31I'm going to take a seat now to make sure everyone's sorted before we...
01:03:33When it comes down to it, everyone's fighting for that top dog.
01:03:38Hi, everyone. Thank you so much for coming this evening.
01:03:42Clearly, we have an empty seat in the middle of this row.
01:03:48But I'd like to invite the winner of this year's top dog
01:03:52and the top dog, Reifeman Hancock, to take his seat.
01:04:01I was just like...
01:04:04That was a big, proud moment for me.
01:04:12The maximum points on the majority of the stands.
01:04:15He then came first on the five-miler,
01:04:17performed really well on the sword lane.
01:04:19And I'm very, very impressed, very happy with him.
01:04:23Nearly all 30 of Commander Drew and Sergeant Mance Platoon
01:04:26placed in the top third.
01:04:30Placed 15th.
01:04:31It may not sound like a good number,
01:04:33but considering what I've come back from, I'm happy with that.
01:04:38Will Halliday came a close third.
01:04:41Obviously, I would have loved to have been top dog,
01:04:44but just to be able to show what I can do was the main focus,
01:04:47and I was very pleased with how well I did.
01:04:51After less than a month in the rifles,
01:04:53Owen Morris placed 20th.
01:04:56I think I've done all right.
01:04:57I wanted to show people I can actually do the job
01:05:01and has what it takes.
01:05:04I think my mum would be proud.
01:05:06When you're top dog, you get a year off guard.
01:05:10You get put on the next motion carter.
01:05:13And then you get the best bit.
01:05:19The dog.
01:05:21So I'm going to take this home,
01:05:23give it to my dad to put up with
01:05:25one of the bits and bobs that he likes.
01:05:27Of mine.
01:05:29Up on the mantelpiece.
01:05:31For him to see.
01:05:33Dad, I made it.
01:05:34I'm the top dog.
01:05:37He probably had no idea what that means.
01:05:43Next time, as the platoon let off steam,
01:05:47the conflict in Ukraine arrives in Bulford.
01:05:50A war with Russia would be soldiers versus soldiers.
01:05:53It's in your face.
01:05:54Post and personal.
01:05:56Right for Morris.
01:05:57Right, under, let's go, let's move.
01:05:59I'll shit myself big time.
01:06:01Dutton's old injury threatens his future in the army.
01:06:04One to ten, the pain on my ankle is ten.
01:06:07And the platoon heads to Germany.
01:06:10To prepare for a possible deployment.
01:06:14Target, next target.
01:06:15If they fail, then they look in the mirror,
01:06:18have a fucking word themselves.
01:06:20What's going on?
01:06:21Let's fucking move.
01:06:24All that with the platoon next Monday at nine.
01:06:27The NFL Super Bowl is live Sunday at 10.30.
01:06:31Join Dermot and the team when the Seahawks take on the Patriots
01:06:34right here on five.
01:06:36And for drama from New York,
01:06:38Tom Selleck keeps crime-fighting in the family in Blue Bloods.
01:06:41Stream now on five.
01:06:43Next tonight, life inside the force 24-7.
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