Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
The DVD of this Sky TV series is now out and I received a copy from Amazon today.
I just spent 10 minutes over lunch sampling the first episode where Kemp, almost as soon as he arrives in Afghanistan, goes out on a 3 day patrol with 5 Scots, the Canterbury based Argyl & Sutherland Highlanders.
This is no glossy Hollywood gung ho movie, this is real life and its what our troops are doing daily and you cannot help but admire their courage and supreme professionalism.
Within half an hour of the patrol starting Kemp had bullets whistling by his ears and was under fire also from RPG rocket launchers. He was crawling in a muddy ditch advancing with the troops TOWARDS enemy fire to outflank them. It was quite the most astonishing 'reality tv' I have ever seen. At any moment he, or the NCO who as with him could have be shot or blown up right there on camera, Kemp was facing exactly the same risks as our troops face every day in the front line. The calm of the troops, sat resting, while bombs exploded around them was amazing, none of the hysterical 'drama' Hollywood producers like to portray in war films.
Reading the comments made by serving soldiers on ARRSE, Ross Kemp has earned their respect for what he does and that really does say something. They would be the first to pour scorn if there was anything faked or pretence about the programme.
I recommend getting the DVD, all the more so because very one sold generates a payment to the Army Benevolent Fund and the Royal Navy Benevolent Trust. This is a must see to understand why our troops deserve all the support and admiration we can give them.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes although Im personally not a watcher of the Ross Kemp stuff I have come across it occasionally and I have to hand it to him, it is the genuine article. I bet he does indeed have lots of respect amongst the soldiers on the ground, as he is in there in the thick of it, rather similar to those great and heralded press guys who covered the Vietnamese war, and left us with pictures and words of all the horrors of the time. Pictures and words that should have stopped wars forever, but we never learn.
As an aside that Dispatches programme on C4 continues to strike home. Last night it covered our total escapade in Afghanistan with all its flaws on equipment and so on, and not necessarily the governments fault (the equipment) as most of it was what was requested by the head military personnel.
But the troops dont know why they are fighting there. That was one of the interesting morale gems in the programme. The government keep giving us this concocted baloney about protecting us from homebased attacks from Al Queda, but Al Queda are in Pakistan not Afghansitan, as the troops pointed out. Wrong country, wrong war?? Can somebody let Downing St know...
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
if the russians couldnt the afgans what chance have we got.mind you if the russians couldnt sort it out with 2/3 times as many troops as we have there,banging ones head/brick wall comes to mind.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
We have debated the arguments and issues about the Afghan deployment only recently in another thread, lets not repeat this. This is thread is not meant to be about the politics of the issue at all./
Can we not get back to what this thread is really about - the tough. diffficult and dangerous job the lads on the ground, particularly those from 5 Scots based in Canterbury, are doing over there in Afghanistan. They are doing it superbly and as always they rise to whatever challenge is placed before them with good humour, humanity and professionalism.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
But BarryW we all more or less understand and take it as read that the guys are doing a great job over there...there's not much else to say about that. I dont know how many of us have seen Ross Kemps programmes so I dont know how many of us could comment on 5 Scots but as I say I caught pieces of programmes in the past and they are a clear picture into life for the troops there.
Whether they should be there at all is a much more interesting debate. Although we have debated the war before that doesnt seal it up as the conflict is ongoing and as such so will the debate I expect.
Guest 658- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 660
At the moment Ross Kemp is travelling between several Royal Navy ships on anti pirate patrols off the horn of Africa the Gulf of Aden and the Indian ocean trying to get footage of pirates.
beer the food of the gods
My son in law is with the Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders, and was one of the injured in Afghan last Sept, and was with Ross Kemp, while filming the recent series on TV.
After speaking to my son in law, James, I know that Ross made a great impact on these soldiers lives, and gave them spirit and inspiration, that someone so famous was so interested in their job, normally it is the other way around.
Soldiers train for this job every day, and I know many ex- soldiers, who have gone to afghan as security because when they were in the army they didn't have a war to fight in, and that is what they trained for.
We need to support the heroes of today's war, as we did in the wars of old, where many of the soldiers, didn't have a choice
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
PaulB quote "we all more or less understand and take it as read that the guys are doing a great job over there...there's not much else to say about that"
Oh really?
No I dont think so and I find it appalling to suggest that we should simply 'take it as read'. Or, to put that another way, to take our troops for granted. That is simply wrong.
I really am not sure at all that most people do understand what the troops are doing. How can you say that when my client who is in the PWRR gets shouted at in the street, in Canterbury, while in his 'deserts' accused of being a child killer.
We cannot shout loudly enough, or often enough, our support for these lads in the face of such ignorance from the minority.
Last night I watched the whole of the first episode and there was the young lad on the patrol interviewed, an 18 years old, what that boy has experienced, what he has seen and done, 95% of 18 years olds will never ever see or do. His maturity was a testiment to what the Army has done for him and those experiences he has had, he shames those other 18 year old hoodies standing around on the street corner. These troops are the cream of our youth and deserve to be recognised as such.
There is no-one on this forum more political than me but you are also wrong to say that the politics of this is more interesting. The human side of it is much more interesting and that is what our troops are doing daily basis. The politics is important but that is not what I started this thread for.
Well said Terri....
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
ah calm yerself BarryW...my point is you never hear anybody saying the guys are doing a bad job do you..Ive never heard it. They have much praise heaped upon them from all the media. And thats fair. I dont think I said anyone should take them for granted..so no need to be too appalled.
I have said before the situation is dire when soldiers have to hide the fact they are soldiers when they go out for a drink for fear of reprisals. But I think this is down to the multicultural nature of our community nowadays. No matter what the PR spin, not everyone will agree with their cause anymore. But its just a few of the obvious.
But yes in the ditches of Afghanistan nobody will disagree that their task is difficult or that they are not doing a sterling job.