The Troops Season 1 Episode 3
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Probably a really stupid question, but are you not scared?
00:02The drones are a bit annoying.
00:04The drones are a wee bit annoying.
00:06You hear a high-pitched buzz, and that's the last thing you hear.
00:23We're living in an unstable world, and tensions are high.
00:27There's huge consequences, right?
00:28So if I get that wrong, it would live with me forever.
00:34The threat of conflict feels very real right now, and it could affect us all.
00:40I pride myself on having a good mental resilient attitude where nothing's too hard.
00:49These are the Scots.
00:52The Royal Regiment of Scotland and Britain's most deployed infantry.
00:56And they're getting ready to fight whatever battles might lie ahead.
01:00As one battalion trains in Eastern Europe to defend our NATO allies.
01:05Another one is moving to the Med, ready to react to conflict if needed.
01:11It can get very violent, and things can escalate pretty quickly.
01:15Is that another miss?
01:18Back home, ceremonial troops prepare to guard the King.
01:21But behind the pageantry, they need to be battle-ready too.
01:25It's frantic, it's frenzied, it's ferocious.
01:29But for the troops, it's just another day at the office.
01:38Previously on the troops...
01:40Exercise Hedgehog is a multi-nation exercise on the Estonian border.
01:49It's not like I'm going, let's go!
01:52Any cover?
01:53All sorts of different units coming together and practising, so if anything did happen,
01:58we know that we can work as a whole organisation.
02:03Get us on the columns if any drama's alright.
02:05Tipsy, move! On the move! On the move!
02:08He's on that!
02:12It's more than just training, it's training for war.
02:16Warfare is chaos a lot of the time, and the thing that you need is people to understand what's in
02:20front of them,
02:21to have success and to beat the enemy.
02:23So what am I doing with these two casualties?
02:27Right, let's go. Back with me.
02:29You need to get that, we're doing this for a reason.
02:31Especially now how turbulent politically the world is.
02:35It's going to be alright, brother.
02:36There's a lot of pressure.
02:37If I get the whole force protection wrong, it would live with me forever.
02:44In Estonia, the troops are now less than 20 miles from the Russian border,
02:49taking part in Exercise Hedgehog.
02:51It's a NATO training mission which involves around 17,000 soldiers from the Allied nations.
02:58It's testing whether they are battle-ready should Russia's invasion into the Ukraine spread.
03:04So during the exercise we are really close to the Russian border, but from my personal perspective I think that's
03:10good.
03:11Training in the environment that we potentially could be fighting in.
03:14And it also gives the jocks a feel for the environment that we'll be fighting in.
03:18They're firing blank ammunition and being assessed on their readiness for war by NATO referees.
03:23The battle is well underway, with the troops now in the final phase known as FTX.
03:30FTX standing for Field Training Exercise.
03:33This is a training event where soldiers practice and refine their skills in a simulated combat environment.
03:41Which will be sort of four or five days of testing if we've got everyone in the right places and
03:45we'll have an enemy that are playing Russian tactics.
03:50The red forces are the simulated enemy and they are played by NATO forces.
03:56And we'll fight against them for four or five days to show that we're really good at it.
04:04The jocks are training for the most likely real life scenario right now.
04:07And so their role in Estonia is a defending force.
04:12Their aim is to fight from the trenches they have built and to push back any encroaching enemy forces.
04:18Above all, they have to hold their ground.
04:22When it comes to the push of enemy forces, unlike World War One it's not just a big grand assault
04:28onto every piece of land.
04:31What they'll try and do is spearhead and kind of punch and obliterate a small part of the line.
04:37Where is he?
04:39Keep your eyes on.
04:41And it's up to the Scots battle group to put the gum shield in and take the main blast.
04:45It's a very high tempo, a lot of armour, a lot of assaults coming in which makes it hard for
04:51us.
04:52Back up!
04:53Cheer of smoke!
04:54Bookie send a mini flare.
04:58The mini flares are quite useful.
05:00If you think back to World War One, World War Two where communication was hard,
05:06there was no audio, visual communication between units.
05:11Jump forward a hundred years, you've now got the challenges of an EW threat.
05:17Electronics will go down, technology will fail you, therefore you need to revert back to the old and bold measures.
05:24Whether that's keeping a pigeon in your back left or a pen flare in your pocket, these are the things
05:30that you're going to have to use.
05:32It's a mini flare, it goes in there, so what you do is put the trigger back and it denotes
05:37you fire on an EW.
05:39Just for safe practice when using these.
05:41Mini flares are a vital communication tool in the modern battlefield, so the troops need to practice using them.
05:49Although in this training scenario, they're not being used to send messages, but rather to signify something far scarier.
05:58Now, on the exercise piece, mini flares were used to simulate next generation lightweight anti-tank weapons,
06:06so if you've seen a pen flare or a mini flare getting fired directly at you, it's safe to say
06:12that was a bit of munitions getting launched at you and you were going to become dust.
06:18Send a runner, you're rating here on AWO.
06:21What do you need?
06:22What do you need?
06:22556.
06:24You've got one, ain't it?
06:25He's got one.
06:26Just one.
06:29I'm a runner for Ali mate, just fucking shout out to him if you need to.
06:32Fuck do mate.
06:36IDF fucking...
06:37IDF!
06:42IDF simulates artillery strikes or a barrage of explosives coming from airborne threats.
06:53Now, on the exercise that was simulated by blasting an air horn.
06:58And then that would last for maybe five to ten minutes and then they'd come back round and blast another
07:02air horn.
07:02Once that happens, there's a select drill and a select doctrine that you have to do with hit the ground,
07:08go to that, try and get as flat as possible and then just wait out.
07:17Clear.
07:21IDF coming in, slide indirect fire.
07:23If you hit the beck, you can get the cover as fast as you can.
07:27One deep denoting IDF.
07:29MACA!
07:29MACA!
07:32A lot of the time it can feel a bit like a game.
07:35I think it's probably unavoidable because you're not killing each other.
07:39And we have to remind a few people that you're not doing that because some people can get a bit
07:42involved with it.
07:44Watch your leg! Watch your leg!
07:47Fuck off!
08:00We'll be speaking about that later.
08:07In Cattery, other troops are learning how to handle a public disorder situation.
08:12It's an operational requirement for us to have their training under our belt.
08:17Right back into the land that's fucking global.
08:20They've been tested to the limit to develop the skills they'll need as a resident infantry battalion in the eastern
08:27Mediterranean.
08:27It's not supposed to be timid because in real life realities they're extremely volatile and extremely violent a lot of
08:34the time.
08:35Why someone fucking grab him!
08:39I am Lieutenant Laura Donovan and I'm a platoon commander in Delta Company.
08:44I have a platoon of 24 soldiers under my command.
08:50With their training complete, Laura and her platoon are now ready for deployment to their new base in Cyprus.
08:57I think I'll miss just being able to pop home at the weekend.
09:01I've still got so much army kit in the summer house of our garden.
09:05Is that the mansion?
09:08That's not how we all live.
09:09I don't call my shed a summer house.
09:10Yeah, because there's a shed that's got bikes and stuff at the bottom of the garden.
09:13And then there's a summer house that's got like tables and chairs in it.
09:16My shed has boxes, tools, lawn mowers.
09:21What do I need a lawn mower for?
09:23Cut the grass, no?
09:24You don't do that? Oh, sorry, you have somebody to leave.
09:29But before they can go, there's one more room to pack up at the barracks.
09:33And this one is a big one.
09:37That one of the Esplanade that will come with us, because that's nationally important.
09:41Gordon will come with us.
09:43Piper Mackay definitely will.
09:45General Sir Peter Hunt will come.
09:47Most of the things in here will come with us.
09:50When one battalion leaves the barracks in Cyprus, they take everything back home.
09:56What about the Queen? Is the Queen coming?
09:58So the Queen is coming.
10:00And so when the Scots take up their position, it's tradition for literally everything to go with them.
10:10Lieutenant N.G. Cameron.
10:14Lieutenant N.G. Cameron.
10:16November Gulf.
10:18Jinx.
10:22I think my family are looking forward to coming out and visiting.
10:25And so are my friends, which is funny because people complain a lot about making the journey down to Catrick
10:30from Edinburgh, but I don't think they're going to complain as much about making the journey out to Cyprus.
10:34At least they'll know that we're in the sunshine.
10:37There's a Facebook page between the rifles who we're taking over from.
10:43They obviously are needing to sell lots of...
10:48They're needing to sell lots of the stuff that they've picked up on island.
10:54I think they call the cars out there Cyprus specials because everyone just kind of rotates them between the units
10:59that go out.
11:00That's three paintings of 365.
11:06Nice.
11:08We're nearly there.
11:08It's going to be a long weekend.
11:20Exercise Hedgehog is designed to feel as real as possible.
11:23And in this war game, the troops in the trenches are coming under heavy indirect missile fire.
11:30They're holding ground, but enemy forces are using every tactic at their disposal and have their sights on battle group
11:38headquarters,
11:38which is the crucial nerve centre for the Scots, carefully hidden in the forest.
11:44In a combat environment, especially a kinetic one, things don't always go to plan.
11:48And for the troops, their best laid plans are about to be tested.
12:09Now, we were testing some equipment, and one of them bits of equipment kind of compromised us a little bit.
12:14It was a 17-foot mast, I think it was, off the top of my head.
12:17And that's a communication system that we use for the comms.
12:20But this mast was silver, and when the drone went overhead, clearly it was sunny that day.
12:25So the drone kind of seen the shine off the mast, and it identified us.
12:29And the minute a drone identifies you, you've probably got 10 to 15 minutes,
12:35and then you're going to get indirect fire on top of you.
12:38I mean, helicopters and jets going over the top.
12:40We understand that we've been taken out through a number of different ways.
12:44It could come across comms.
12:46Referees, they'll come in and they'll just let us know exactly what's happened,
12:49and we need to react to their words of command.
12:54The guys come in and say, look, you've all been destroyed, you're all dead.
12:58When we've been IDF'd here, what we do is we hand over to ALT,
13:03so it's just alternate HQ.
13:04It is essential that we hand the battle across to them,
13:07just so there's constant feed to the guys on the front line.
13:11So when it comes to the tent, Major Shepherd being one of the key personalities within that.
13:16Geographically, they're in different locations, clearly for protection.
13:19You don't want everybody killed at the same time.
13:22So you've always got a reserve essentially to plan and execute.
13:28With dozens of key players now taken out of the game,
13:32it's up to Shep and his team to keep the jocks on track.
13:36This morning, the first enemy action was to have indirect fire,
13:41so artillery fire onto our main headquarters,
13:43which meant that this headquarters had to step up and take control of the battle,
13:47which happened pretty quickly.
13:49We were expecting the enemy actions to start ramping up today.
13:52Obviously, we weren't expecting our main headquarters to be taken out of action so quickly.
13:55Bit of a jump for us, but always ready over in the alternate HQ, so ready to step in.
14:01Since then, for the last sort of six hours, we've been controlling that battle,
14:05which has mainly been down on the main route into A Company's location.
14:10I did!
14:14They've had the majority of the enemy force come up there and we've been understanding and trying to support them
14:19through their fight.
14:21Zero Echo Zero, can you just confirm that the fire control centre is re-established in your location? Over.
14:27The final exercise will be the full whack and everything coming in all at once.
14:34The exercise will finish with something that is the most complex scenario you can deal with, I think, for sure.
14:43While Shep and his team devised tactics to help the soldiers hold ground.
14:50After days living in the trenches, for the jocks, things have gone quiet.
14:56The lull in the battle can be one or two things.
14:59We've defeated the enemy or they could be planning another up against us.
15:04But essentially what we would do then is we would do exactly the same thing.
15:07We would re-consolidate.
15:10We would make sure all our kit and equipment is ready to go again, just in case they hit us
15:13at any time.
15:24Go for a walk. Come on then.
15:32I absolutely prefer being with animals.
15:34It's just the way I am.
15:35I just prefer the companionship.
15:40If I'm ever feeling anything other than happy, they can sense it.
15:46Hey.
15:49I'm Corporal Stewart.
15:51I'm the pony major and I am Crookhan IV's handma.
15:56In Edinburgh, Rory is preparing the regimental mascot, 16-year-old Crookhan IV, for the Freedom of Folkirk parade.
16:05Go on then.
16:06It's a ceremony where the regiment can showcase their tradition while receiving the honour of the freedom of the town.
16:14Crookhan is the symbol of the regiment or battalion.
16:18He's a Shetland.
16:20What they lack in size, they make up an attitude.
16:23Crookhan lives with his uncle and companion, Nightcap.
16:27But it's Crookhan who serves in his ceremonial duties and holds the rank of Corporal.
16:34I want some grass.
16:39Come on then.
16:41Come on.
16:42Eh eh.
16:43Walk on.
16:43Crookhan wears his medals.
16:44Those medals are given to him whenever one of the units within the regiment goes on tour.
16:50It's almost to show off what the regiment's done during his time as a mascot.
16:56It's got a normal day getting up, checking on them, giving them a physical check over.
17:00Just make sure they've not done any damage, trying to escape or fighting with each other.
17:05Get their hay and then they'll muck out in the paddock.
17:10Crookhan is a diva.
17:12He knows he's important and he'll show off.
17:15I mean at the end of the day, they're all still animals.
17:18But sometimes just like us, they'll have an off day.
17:21One of the most notable ones was him eating the Queen's Posy of Flowers.
17:26She knew what Crookhan was like and she was a big fan of animals obviously.
17:32And she loved spending time with these two.
17:37I'll do it for him because I won't get him because I will die anyway.
17:48It's not very good.
17:57Head and shoulders for the dandruff.
18:12I was actually 18 years old while out on patrol in Afghanistan.
18:18We were basically providing a security cordon for a new Afghan National Police Headquarters opening up.
18:32And we've seen these motorbikes going in behind this compound to the front.
18:36Most of the time in Afghanistan if it's two military-aged males on, on a motorcycle, it's the Taliban.
18:50So yeah, they went in behind this compound and then next thing I know, I'm like almost coming round.
18:56Looked down and there was just blood coming out.
19:01Tried to shout man down.
19:03Nothing was coming out.
19:06Rory had been shot in the face by the Taliban fighter.
19:09So it went in my chin here, back out my jaw and my neck there.
19:15Went round my neck, through my spine fracturing into two places and then got lodged in my left shoulder blade.
19:22I thought that was me.
19:23I was actually temporarily paralysed.
19:37When you join the army, you should understand the risks.
19:41I was angry, of course, but I understood like this is just the nature of the job.
19:49This can happen.
19:51And it could have been worse, you know, people have had worse things done to them.
19:55So I was pretty lucky in my eyes.
20:12You took them a walk this morning?
20:14No, not today.
20:15Not in this weather.
20:16It's the day of the Falkirk parade and a Dreech day in Scotland.
20:20When I first got into this job, obviously I was nervous about it.
20:25You know, as much as I had done marching in parades before, being with Crookan.
20:33Crookan's got that many fans, you know.
20:35The spotlight is on us.
20:39Rory's colleague, Private Robbie Burt, is on hand to help.
20:44For this parade, because we're going up a high street, we like to clear up the way behind us
20:48because people will be walking through it, obviously.
20:51So I had the chief paper scooper.
20:54He's known as Bobby Joby.
20:56No, he's gone back in.
20:57No chance.
21:00No, Dad, we're going home.
21:03I see you later.
21:04I see you.
21:05I've gone right in here.
21:09I've got your own jobies.
21:11I think everyone minds being wet.
21:14If you've got a job to do, you've got a job to do.
21:16And Crookan understands once he gets his uniform on, he has a job to do.
21:20Good to go.
21:22Happy, my boy?
21:24No.
21:25Yeah.
21:26Yeah.
21:28You happy, aye?
21:29Aye, he's going.
21:32I don't even hate it.
21:35I don't think he's got to do this, do I?
21:39Hooray!
21:41Love!
21:43And!
21:46Time!
21:52When he's not happy, he makes sure he knows by being grumpy.
21:58The troops need to walk through the centre of Falkirk
22:02before concluding with an outdoor formal presentation.
22:06It's the pride of doing it, even if he hasn't behaved.
22:10Just for him to be there and to be beside me and do the parade
22:14and be there for the people, it's a big thing.
22:17And he'll always get rewarded at the end, regardless whether I've got a hand left or not.
22:26For the troops heading to Cyprus, all that's left is to pack up their personal belongings and say their goodbyes.
22:33But Lance Corporal Josh Rankin won't be saying goodbye for too long,
22:37as his girlfriend Claudia and dog Winnie are giving up their life in Scotland to be with him in Cyprus.
22:44So you're leaving me tomorrow, then I'm flying over on the 9th and you're picking me up from the airport
22:50and then on the 11th we're picking money up.
22:54And then, is it the 13th we should hopefully get into our house?
22:58Somewhere around there anyway.
23:00Me and Claudia met in April of last year, so we've been together just over a year.
23:07For the last year we've just been seeing each other about the weekend.
23:11And it's been a lot of travelling for you as well, because you've been going up and down every week.
23:15Claudia was a nurse in a stroke ward in one of the NHS hospitals in Edinburgh.
23:22She's left that to basically come out to Cyprus to live with me.
23:28Making that decision was probably quite difficult, but we both agreed that the opportunity to live in a different country
23:36for two years has really got to pass up on.
23:39When we get over there, we're not really putting any pressure on Claudia working or finding a job.
23:44Like, she's going to take care of Winnie and me, essentially.
23:49From what I've heard, like, people that have been to Cyprus, I mean, I've never been, but they all love
23:53it.
23:54Aye. All the Padvice and et cetera, I must say that was one of the best things I ever did.
23:59Yeah, exactly, but it's not like I'm there on my own.
24:00There's going to be other people that I can go and speak to and meet up with.
24:04Aye.
24:08So, we've both decided to have, like, a leave and do, which I think is a really important thing, because
24:14we're going away for, like, a prolonged period of time.
24:19And as good as we'll have people coming out to visit us when we're there, there is people who we
24:24won't see for some of that period.
24:26This door's heavy, by the way. I know.
24:31Yeah.
24:32Yeah, hi.
24:32Hi.
24:33Where are we going to sit?
24:35I don't know.
24:38Hi, Babs.
24:39How are you?
24:40How are you, Neil?
24:41How are you? Hi, Nicky.
24:41I've been sitting in that side.
24:43Good to see you, though.
24:45About to start up here, aren't you?
24:46Yeah, I ain't.
24:46I don't know.
24:47Hi.
24:48Oh, yeah.
24:49Oh, Bob.
24:52That's cute. I don't even think we had this many photos together.
24:55No, well, it's a surprise.
24:59That's so cute.
25:04Mmm, I'll miss the people.
25:07Not the place.
25:09That's what I keep saying, everyone.
25:11Scotland always holds a place in your heart.
25:14You might tell you moan about it in the weather.
25:16When you come back, nothing really changes.
25:20I think it's more Josh that's nervous.
25:21He's more nervous.
25:23Not about moving, but he's nervous that when we get there,
25:26I'm not going to like it and I'm going to want to come home.
25:28Is anybody taking any thoughts?
25:31Yeah?
25:32There's a guy taking different cheese.
25:34There was a post on the page on Facebook saying
25:37it was advertising on the babysitter.
25:40She can watch her way and she can watch her dog.
25:42Yeah.
25:42So, you know.
25:43Have you got a speech?
25:45Have you got a speech?
25:48Excuse me, please.
25:49Have you just watched her up?
25:50Bianca is a few words to say.
25:54Been put on the spot here.
25:56No, really.
25:57You stole our girl's heart,
25:59but you didn't have to drag her all the way to Cyprus.
26:01We just want to wish you both all the luck in the world
26:03on your new adventure, your little family of three.
26:06You both deserve all the happiness in the world.
26:10We can't wait to come and visit.
26:12So, good luck.
26:12Have an absolute ball.
26:14And a toast to Josh and Claudia.
26:21Cheers to Cyprus.
26:26In Estonia, just a few miles from the border with Russia,
26:30Maka, the trenches are quiet,
26:32but the jocks have received word
26:34that the enemy is getting closer.
26:36I presume they're going to push back
26:38about 150 metres north
26:40from the other side of the enemy, sir.
26:47Maka has spotted something.
26:55The enemy are moving with their armour,
26:57and that can range from a small tank
26:59to similar to a challenger.
27:07It's a bit concerning when they start moving out
27:09about the battlefield.
27:11We will start complaining against that.
27:15Where you are, Liz Kelsey, up there.
27:17Push.
27:19Shout, mate.
27:20It's time for the jocks to go all out
27:21and leave everything they have on the battlefield.
27:25Let's go, let's go, let's go.
27:28Nine times out in a pen
27:29in a stone hour
27:30you were fighting them in a trench.
27:32Say, five, ten metres
27:34as you're trying to pick them off
27:36as they're coming over.
27:37They're not afraid of anything.
27:38Nah.
27:39I know fucking boys that are nuts
27:41but they're fucking brown soldiers.
28:02I like to call it flow state.
28:04You've got your task, you've got your intent, and you just need to make it happen.
28:08Whether that's working in the day environment or night environment.
28:11You just need to keep operating.
28:13Get a couple of hours kept, then you're back in.
28:16It does all just flow into one.
28:23Yeah, fucking yeah, move on!
28:28It's the best way to see who someone is.
28:31They can be the nicest person when it's easy.
28:33As soon as it gets a wee bit wet and cold,
28:36then they can't do work.
28:43Going down the street in Sivers,
28:44you wouldn't know that that guy's done this
28:46or that guy's just been to a stone in.
28:47He's willing to lay down his life
28:49or willing to take the fight to a substantial enemy.
28:52You can not really think twice about it.
28:55I'm moving right.
28:58Here he comes, here he comes.
29:01Hang on, Scott!
29:02It's our culture.
29:03And to being able to do the things that we do
29:07under the strain and under the stressful situation,
29:11you have to be a certain type of person.
29:13And if that certain type of person is me,
29:15I'm fucking happy.
29:20We're very close to the Russian border.
29:23It's an exercise now, but in the future it might not be.
29:26I'm sorry, my mom!
29:30I'm sorry, my mom!
29:32I'm sorry, my mom!
29:46As a jock, the best thing you can hear during an exercise
29:51is the phrase Endex,
29:53as Endex stands for End of Exercise.
30:07Yeah, Endex is a glorious word.
30:10It sends shivers up my spine.
30:12Nine times out of ten it comes over the net,
30:14it comes over the radio from higher to say,
30:16yeah, sack it.
30:17That's it then.
30:21After seven intense days of living and fighting from the trenches,
30:25all that remains for the Scots
30:28is to wait and see if they pass the test.
30:36what a buzzin'.
30:38It's fucking the best feeling in order.
30:40Like, aye, fair enough, we enjoy the job.
30:41But assuming you're saying, aye, Endex.
30:44There's no better words than Endex.
30:46index. Back up, fuck off, good to go.
30:59Back in Scotland, it's time for Laura to back up too. The two-year deployment to Cyprus will
31:05be her longest time away from home so far. I'm looking forward to the move. I find it pretty
31:12easy to leave home. But I think being out in Cyprus and not having my girls around is probably
31:23going to be the thing that I struggle with the most. And I love the guys that I work with.
31:27I've got such good friends in the mess. But sometimes it is just nice to be around the
31:32girls. And not having the ability to just go home and see them will be probably a bit
31:37of a struggle. And for Laura, saying goodbye to her biggest supporter will be the hardest
31:42of all.
31:46So, you're used to me being away now.
31:49But I'm coming and going all the time.
31:51Yeah.
31:51Yeah. But just being gone for a bit longer this time.
31:55Yeah.
31:56Do you think when you watch the news now, that you look at things through like a different
32:04light, knowing that like our political climate is, well, I don't watch much of the news, but
32:11yes, because of the role that you're now in, there's a, there's a knock-on effect or there
32:19could be with, with some of the, the news we hear.
32:25My dad from a young age knew that I was, I was very in tune that I would just always
32:31do
32:31my own thing. Like I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I know that he was hugely proud of
32:36me
32:37growing up. And I was at the, I suppose, young age of 12, starting high school when he got
32:44ill. And it's a bit sad actually to think like he would never have known this chapter of my
32:50life. He would, yeah, yeah, no, I know he'd be hugely proud of me. But I get that from
32:58my mum. Sorry, I'm getting so emotional. I think my mum took on the role of both parents
33:09when I lost my dad. So the fact that she is my biggest cheerleader and tells me relentlessly
33:21how proud she is. It, it reflects the fact that I know that my dad would have felt the
33:32responsibility. I want to make the most of the, what I've got left of platoon command.
33:37And there's not really much better place to do it than in Cyprus, especially in the first
33:42year where it's all new and exciting. I'm not necessarily saying that I want to go into
33:48a kinetic environment and take my platoon there and there'd be the horrors of war to happen
33:54in, in, in my life. However, if I got called to do that, I would happily go and trust in
34:03my soldiers to do their jobs and then do my job in like the only setting that would be
34:08able to provide it, which would be the reality of going to war.
34:13With the move fast approaching, Laura's sister has been roped in to help with the packing.
34:18So how many boxes do you get to take? So I've got five big boxes. So they'll be in a
34:26big
34:26ISO container and they'll be shipped out. What is ISO? Just like a big shipping container
34:32thing. You're always coming out with these letters and I don't know what you're on about,
34:35you just start firing live. I know, I know, it's like another language, but I think you're
34:40used to a lot of it now. Like why Cyprus though? Like what, like why are you getting put there
34:46specifically? There's always two battalions based out there in two different locations
34:50on the island and it's basically like a forward operating location for if there was anything
34:56to happen, say in the Middle East and they needed people to go in whatever role we'd be asked
35:03to do, then we would be able to deploy more quickly from Cyprus.
35:08Would you say that you're scared to go to Cyprus?
35:11No, I wouldn't. I don't think I've ever really been scared to do anything because I've not
35:18experienced anything truly scary yet. But knowing like the way that the kind of political climate
35:25has gone recently and that we actually might be asked to do something a bit more kinetic
35:30than what we would have originally anticipated, there is that bit of like uneasiness around that.
35:35But we're well trained, like well oiled machines, so I trust that if we did need to do anything
35:40then we'd be able to do it well. But maybe it's a bit easier to not think about it.
35:50Whenever I'm home, the first question my friends will ask me is, are we going to war? All the time.
35:56I don't think, maybe they're not being completely serious when they ask it, but they do watch
36:01the news and to have me in their lives, it's like an extra question mark over what that
36:05actually means. So I know that they do worry more than they probably would if they didn't
36:13know me or didn't know someone that was in the military and they could actually have a part
36:17to play. But at the end of the day, you want to do something that you've trained for. But
36:24that kind of situation, that conversation of reality is the one that's, yeah, sometimes
36:30maybe one of the harder conversations to have.
36:35Well, for the troops' family, the thought of their loved ones in combat may be difficult.
36:40For the Scots, it's the role they were born to do.
36:44From the start of that FTX to the end, it was just one big fight, I think is kind of
36:50how
36:50it played out. How good is he coming in? Unbelievable.
36:54The boys just get it done every time. The win is the kind of the big aims of that objective
37:00were achieved, I guess. So we got everyone there. We got everyone to dig in and do defence
37:04positions. We proved that we could fight in that terrain. There was a lot of wind.
37:14This is probably the end of two years as an OC. Two years of what has hands down been the
37:21best
37:21job I've ever done and rounding off by seeing the boys do phenomenally well.
37:33We can leave Estonia confident and I think we can absolutely let NATO know that we are ready
37:39if anything does happen. We're more than ready. Do I want it to be called? Absolutely not.
37:44But are we ready? Absolutely. Yeah, we're ready.
37:48I enjoy coming off exercise and looking back on it and being like, yeah, I'm happy with how that went.
37:54It is nice to see the lads doing well as well and being able to see the change that you've
38:00had a part in.
38:02You know what the banter is like in the military. That's one of the things that I'm going to miss.
38:06The banter is great.
38:07I don't live it down. They always tell me that I got everybody killed in Battle Group headquarters. So, yeah.
38:15Are you happy with that? I think that's probably as good as we're going to get at you.
38:18Three, two, one. Cheers Troop.
38:22Cheers Troop.
38:25Cheers!
38:28When we were putting parade at the end, right, they told us, look, you've done well, you've passed this.
38:31You've passed your validation. Well done. Thank you for all your efforts.
38:34The commanding officer gets everybody together and recognises individuals that have performed well during that time.
38:40Right, morning everyone. I just want to say a few words, how we've come to the end of the exercise.
38:45You're saying a well done for your graph.
38:47A few presentations from people who have done really well in the exercise.
38:51Coosley McMillan from A Company, who was instrumental in the construction of trenches.
38:55Fuck it, I didn't expect I was getting an award, man. My name got called it.
38:59Showed a strong work at the graph.
39:02Showed a few minutes around, won't wait to make it so if it's human.
39:05I don't want people to come around, like,
39:07here's Marker, he's shit.
39:08Like, I want to be able to go into a different company or other people,
39:11oh, here's Marker, fucking grafter.
39:13Do you know what I mean? Like, that's what I want to be known as.
39:16I'll do it, bro.
39:18You sure my bum looks good in the camera?
39:19I've been squatting in that, aye?
39:24Obviously cut that bit out, but I've just done a big snotter.
39:28Let's go!
39:36Oh, fuck, I've got some marks to the front.
39:38I've got a pure beamer.
39:44I've got conclusions to a bright red.
39:46Bang, I saw it up.
39:51Half it does.
40:03Once back in Edinburgh for Piper Ben Milne, there's no time to rest.
40:07The next chapter of his story is only just about to begin.
40:12A jock is a soldier. It just pushes through.
40:15We've got a reputation that we are the hardest people in the army,
40:18and we keep it going because, at the end of the day, we're jocks.
40:22I'm Faisley, or Ben Milne, of the 2nd Battalion, the Riders in Scotland.
40:29Today he's at the airport, where he's expecting a special arrival.
40:34I'm in a relationship. Her name's Jen. I don't see her that often.
40:38She lives in Canada, so it's actually been seven months since I've last seen her.
40:41So I'm looking forward to her coming over.
40:47Hello. Hi, baby.
40:50You okay? How are you?
40:52Yeah.
40:52We met when we done the Royal Edinburgh Millage Tattoo in 2033.
40:57So she's a Highland dancer.
40:58Let's go home.
41:00Take that off.
41:01Take that, all right.
41:04As we were getting ready to go on to one of the dancing and piping sets we do together,
41:08we got chatting.
41:12Every summer, Edinburgh Castle is the stage for the Royal Military Tattoo,
41:17now in its 75th year.
41:19The couple will take part in the 40-show run,
41:22which is centred on armed forces from around the world,
41:25but also features civilian performers like Jen.
41:28And this year, for the 75th anniversary of the first tattoo,
41:32the duo will be sharing the stage once more.
41:35But before the shows begin, there's just enough time to get reacquainted.
41:40When I was younger, I was army staff.
41:42So my family was actually in the Navy.
41:44I decided to choose the army route.
41:47Watching stuff on TV when you're younger, you're like,
41:49wow, that's what I want to do, that's really cool.
41:51So I went to the careers office in Glasgow, and they went,
41:54listen, you're still a wee bit too young.
41:55Come back in a couple of months when you're 15 and a half.
41:58So I waited, and I waited as soon as I could.
42:01Went straight to the careers office,
42:02done the pre-assessment you have to do there.
42:04And that was it set.
42:06I was 16 in three months at that point, so I'm still a child.
42:09Started in September 2019, that's been me ever since.
42:13Right, you can go first.
42:14Lurie's first.
42:18Oh, that's definitely going on.
42:24You tried no better.
42:27Okay.
42:29My main responsibility is a rifleman.
42:31So I'm just a basic soldier who does what I'm told to do
42:34when I'm told to do it.
42:36I've got a dual role, so I'm doing everything from a typical
42:38jock, a squaddy will do.
42:40But I'm also a musician within the army.
42:48When do you start rehearsals for the tattoo?
42:51There's a mass plays and drums rehearsal on Sunday,
42:53just at Redford, because we've not seen each other at all yet.
42:57When I was like 12 years old, our music teacher was like,
43:00if you want to learn any instrument, come and see us.
43:02So I went to them, and I was like, miss,
43:04I really want to learn to learn bagpipes.
43:06And they were like, no.
43:08But I was like, okay, brilliant.
43:10So then I joined the army, found out the army will teach you.
43:12I was like, 100%, that is what I'm going to do.
43:14So I messaged the drum major, and I was like,
43:16this is what I want to do.
43:17I'm here in training, but I want to come with types and drums.
43:20And they brought me across.
43:27So as well as doing the day-to-day soldier side of things,
43:30I'm constantly practising the pipes and the chanter
43:34for the Royal Edinburgh Millers tattoo.
43:37With around 1,000 performers, the tattoo is one of the largest
43:40and most complex spectacles of its kind.
43:43Are you ready?
43:45So we got this music, what, a couple of weeks ago now?
43:49And then pipe majors like Ben and Nami, you're on harmonies.
43:54So I need to learn the whole first set again.
43:57With three days to go, the dancers rehearsal.
44:00What is it like?
44:01What do you do?
44:01We start with costume fittings right away.
44:08What a shot, by the way.
44:10Friday to Tuesday, we're in the gym learning our dances
44:14because we don't know anything at 8am until dinnertime.
44:18Every day.
44:19Just weeks after returning from Estonia,
44:21Ben has to get ready for another huge challenge.
44:24Just five days until we're crossing over that drawbridge
44:27for the first time in front of an audience of 8,000.
44:32Oh, here I am.
44:34Yes, yes, yes, wasn't that?
44:36Cheers.
44:40With just a few days till the first performance,
44:43it's time for Ben's rehearsals to ramp up a gear.
44:46And the stakes are high.
44:47Across the performances,
44:50over 200,000 people will attend the events at the castle.
45:07We're travelling from Pennycook to Redford every day
45:11for the tattoo rehearsals
45:12where we'll be playing alongside the bands.
45:18During rehearsals,
45:19it's the first time the bands and drums are coming together
45:21and we're expected to play up about 110 beats per minute.
45:25We've only been practising at, say, 90.
45:27So the pace I play is so much faster.
45:31It's a big jump and it's really difficult for your fingers to keep up.
45:35I've had better days playing my pipes.
45:44I've been practising the firsts.
45:46I'm actually meant to be playing the harmonising.
45:49It's different notes.
45:50You can hear what everyone else is playing
45:52and you're having to play something completely different to them.
45:55So it can be really challenging on the ears
45:58because you feel that you're playing the wrong thing.
46:02So right now my current boss or my current pipe major
46:04is pipe major Joe Davies.
46:07Night!
46:08Pipe major during rehearsals
46:10he's feeling the strain
46:11because he's in charge.
46:12He's responsible.
46:13So we sound like shit.
46:15It's him that sounds like shit
46:16because he's set up the band.
46:17Hi, we all right? Good.
46:19Right, so what's going to happen now?
46:20We're just waiting for the mass military bands to do their thing.
46:24Youse and March out playing Braveheart.
46:25It's doubled the time now for Braveheart.
46:27So do you know we were practising it?
46:33It's not that anymore
46:34because you're going to be marching to it.
46:36As a fight major
46:38he's strict
46:38and he's rigid.
46:40He knows what he wants
46:40because he's been playing pipes a long, long time.
46:43If we're not performing
46:44for the rest of our abilities
46:45he can get stressed.
46:47And then
46:48we'll just take it from that.
46:50All right?
46:50It's hard to work with sometimes.
46:52It's the same every ear.
46:53The face is so fast.
46:56Right, this is brave ass.
46:58Must be.
46:59Sounds like Mel Gibson, doesn't it?
47:06There's always a bit of chaos during rehearsals.
47:12Alongside the live audience
47:13around 100 million people worldwide
47:16will watch the tattoo on TV.
47:19The march on itself with the tattoo
47:20it has to be perfect
47:21and we're practising all day, every day.
47:24and by every 14, 15
47:26you're tired.
47:27Your feet are tired.
47:28Your fingers are tired.
47:29Your instruments tired.
47:30So everything takes a battering.
47:33My jaw hurts man.
47:35Hanging out my hoop.
47:38Joe's got a right idea.
47:40He's done.
47:44If he's doing it, I'm doing it.
47:45I'm doing it.
47:45I'm having a seat.
47:49Okay.
47:51Take 12.
47:53Of the march on.
47:55Of the march on.
48:00A few points.
48:01We just need to work on the slow air.
48:03The brake.
48:03Nah, it's up.
48:04Into the slow air.
48:05Yeah, yeah.
48:05The two beats.
48:05Just getting the two beats in.
48:07Take off the bail off the back of it
48:09and then just straight into it.
48:10And just work on them jigs
48:11because it's getting really quiet behind me.
48:13Yeah, yeah.
48:13I need people, as soon as them jigs kicking,
48:15people are just cutting out.
48:17We have to get it spot on.
48:19That's why we're pushed
48:20and we're pushed to get it perfect.
48:22I'm struggling with the tempo
48:23because it's faster than what we've practiced.
48:25Okay, right.
48:25So just work on them.
48:27Like, you know,
48:27we'll do a bit of work.
48:29After all this,
48:30we'll get that cracked.
48:32It's fair to say,
48:33I'm not exactly ready.
48:44Back in Pennycook for shit.
48:47Life on base is returning to normal.
48:52The company performed incredibly well.
48:54So yeah, I think you're very happy
48:55of how that exercise sort of panned out in the end.
49:00Jocks always get it done.
49:01Always get it done.
49:04Infantry battalions are incredibly busy places.
49:06You're doing stuff that you feel like it's worthwhile
49:08and making a difference.
49:10You know, which Estonia was that.
49:11You felt like you're there for a purpose.
49:13Yeah, yeah, yeah.
49:14Being part of the Armoury,
49:15there is a sacrifice to it,
49:16but there's a sacrifice to everything in life.
49:18The hardest thing, right?
49:19It's the hardest for the people
49:19who are like away from their families.
49:21So like guys that have kids and stuff.
49:22Yes.
49:23It's really tough.
49:24Really, it's like me and you, Finn.
49:27Like, it's the best job I've ever had.
49:29You need to hang out with all your mates.
49:30All the time.
49:31All the time.
49:32Once again, our favourite stat.
49:34Obviously.
49:34Not more than 24 hours apart for coming up on a year now.
49:37That's it, yeah.
49:38Forcing friendship.
49:39Yeah.
49:39It's a sacrifice, but you get to force friendship on people.
49:42Yeah!
49:45Yeah!
49:45Edinburgh.
49:45It's the first week of the military tattoos.
50:05So I've performed in two previous Edinburgh tattoos.
50:09It's a festival of music and culture from around the world.
50:22I've got a mic.
50:22You've just bent the bench.
50:25Oh, no.
50:27I can just put my own medals back.
50:28Can't put it anywhere, mate.
50:30Especially that one, mate.
50:31I've got to stand Iraq every single while, I'm sure.
50:33Sorry.
50:34Where's your medals?
50:36Oh, no.
50:37I can't put my medals back.
50:40Oh, no.
50:40Albo here?
50:41Aye.
50:42No mistakes, Ben.
50:42What have you been?
50:43No promises.
50:44Alright.
50:46Our last run through before the performance is the big blow at the top of the castle.
50:51So that's the last time we can make any mistakes and we have to get it set in perfect before
50:56we march for the drawbridge shortly after.
50:58Come on.
50:58One, two.
51:11So you get to see military bands from around the world, dancers from around the world and
51:15music from around the world that comes together, comes to Edinburgh for one month.
51:18It's the best thing in the world.
51:53Right, on our things.
51:56So there are four mobile cameras on the Esplanade.
51:59The zoom lenses on these things could read the headlines of a newspaper from about 300
52:05yards away.
52:06Right, so just because you can't see a camera doesn't mean that you're not in shot.
52:12So we need to make sure that we're switched on at all times.
52:15And then the last thing, if you do make eye contact with a TV camera inadvertently, don't
52:23stare down the barrel of the lens.
52:25Yeah.
52:26All right.
52:27Anybody got any questions?
52:29We're all happy.
52:30It's nice and sunny.
52:31It's a great place to be.
52:33Okay.
52:33Enjoy.
52:35Run through over, it's time for the tattoo to begin and Jen to take up her position while
52:40Ben waits for his starting moment.
52:43This might not be his first tattoo, but this one will be the most poignant.
52:49I'm actually getting out of the army and moving to Canada to start a new chapter.
52:53Are you able to go on?
52:54Yeah.
52:55Right.
52:55Good luck.
53:09My mum hates that I'm moving to Canada.
53:11She keeps telling me Ben all the time, I'm going to cut off your passport, I'm going to
53:14do this, I'm going to do that.
53:15You're not going.
53:16And I'm like, Nicola, I'm going.
53:20I don't know what happened.
53:20I think a wealth adjust, as the army is the only thing I've done.
53:23I don't join the army at 16, so it's the only thing I've ever done.
53:26It's the only thing I know.
53:27So the adjustment to civil street life will be a hard and maybe a long one.
53:32But with the correct support network there, it should be easier.
53:44When you're behind the scenes and you're stood there in your formation, good to go,
53:48you're going through the tunes in your head, you're going through, make sure you've got
53:51the step, you're really trying to focus in on everything.
53:54You're going to try and calm your breathing as well, because you're going to be nervous
53:56and there's thousands of people out there.
53:59You need to be calm when you're playing, because if you're not calm, your pipes will be erratic.
54:03So you really need to settle into your pipes, settle into your tune, because you know what
54:06you're going to do.
54:07You've practised the tunes, you've memorised them, you've perfected your music.
54:10It's now just relaxing into your craft of the marching.
54:15And where we stand, near the back of the echelonade, we can see half the crowd.
54:20So you can see there's going to be a lot over there and they're going to put you off.
54:23You just have to keep going.
54:36You have to work hard, because if you get caught out not being 100%, you're going to get
54:40noticed.
54:41So you have to make sure you're on top of your game at all times.
54:44You don't know who's watching.
54:48Fucking shit myself.
54:50The moment of truth has arrived.
54:55No, no, no.
55:01Bye.
55:01I can't wait.
55:04Bye.
55:05Bye.
55:05Bye.
55:06Bye.
55:07Bye.
55:08Bye.
55:08Bye.
55:09Bye.
55:10Bye.
55:12Bye.
55:13Bye.
55:40A jock is a soldier, it just pushes through.
55:54We're fighting for the girls and lads to the left and right of us, that's all that matters,
55:59you know.
56:00We're all jocks, you know.
56:03Nothing's better than a jock.
56:08I absolutely love my time in the army.
56:10I wish I could start again, but unfortunately I can't, my time will come to an end.
56:14I don't want to get to that stage yet, I'm just trying to put it to the back of my
56:18mind.
56:22There's days when you're in the kilt, you're stood there with your chest out and you grow
56:26three inch.
56:27It fills you with pride.
56:33If it wasn't for the jocks, the jocks wouldn't get done.
56:40The pride of identifying with a regiment with such a great reputation, it invokes a feeling
56:47of just genuinely belonging.
56:54Definite sense of pride when you're out in public in your ceremonial kit and just being
56:59there representing the regiment is quite an honour.
57:09how amazing jocks are that are almost sacrificing their lives, not just for their country, but
57:15for their muckers left and right.
57:20you don't really stop being a jock.
57:28Once a jock always a jock.
57:54While we're in public in our country, we're in public in our country.
57:58Bye.
57:58Bye.
57:59Bye.
57:59You
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