In Training: Commando: On the Front Line Episode 1

Took me a bit to find it, but ain't that always the way. (Update - background posts with articles & sites: here and here) Lucky for you, kind reader, Royal and I watched it "together"* before he deployed and he gave me a few notes. These will be listed underneath the vids. There are five parts and do contain questionable language.

6:33 ish - Those nods (Marines-in-training) that do require a haircut had to pay for it on the spot
8:50 ish - When Royal was in training they did not receive those tracksuits, they walked around in civvys (civilian clothes) he's heard that the lads with the tracksuits have to give them back after the first two weeks.

1:02 ish - About this time and for the next three minutes all I heard was Royal mumbling about how "we never had any bloody quilts!!" Or duvets, or duvet covers. All he received was a couple of sheets, a pillow, a pillowcase, and two "itchy" blankets.
2:55 ish - The music playing for the next minute or so is 'A Life on the Ocean Wave', a very important song to the Royal Marines. Also the ringtone for Kath's mobile while she was in Britain. (Good Commando wife that I am!)

Just one here:
6:17 ish - Royal actually has a photoshopped version with all the lads that didn't make it through blacked out. Only ten men passed out (graduated) of Royal's troop.

No special notes for this segment

3:25 ish - The dreaded mud run. Usually only used if - like in the video - the guys are late or slacking in some other way. Royal's troop did not have to do a mud run until week 21 and even then it was not for any particular offence, just to "give the lads a good kick up the arse" in Royal's words. [Royal's mud run story here.] Royal was not impressed that the troop in the video had to go through one so early in training.

Altogether, Royal thought it showed as much as it could have within an hour. Mostly he thought it seemed soft and had no trouble laughing (a lot)at the Caribbean bloke that seemed to have so much ... to whine about.
Royal unfortunately will not be able to see the rest of the episodes as he is deploying tomorrow. He's pretty bummed about that. But let's be honest, he's gonna go live the show!
I will be hopefully finding 'Commando: On the Front Line' on you tube each week and posting. That's right, you can see them here. Or You Tube. But also here. HERE!

* By "together" I mean over the phone, saying one, two, three to start it at the same time and all that. Great fun.

Commando Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8

55 Year Old Commando (follows the filmmaker of Commando: On the Front Line)

** Update **
Thank you to Uncle Jimbo from Blackfive and Mrs. Greyhawk from Mudville for posting and for all the readers for visiting! Hope this series helps y'all understand the making of the Royal Marines that much more (hell, speaking of understanding the RMs, I'm still learning and I'm married to one of them!)

Comments

Damn good show, I have to agree with Royal, why did that one have to whine about everything. Hope that either the BBC shows this, or you post the other shows, as i dont get ITV on my sky, or at least i have not found it yet.

Posted by: dagamore | September 25, 2007 at 03:18 AM

I saw the first episode and will watch the others. I think all recruits should see it and realise what is expected of them. An awful lot of money was wasted when I was training as a nurse and probationers didn't stay the course because they didn't realise what they would be expected to do. Might save the MOD some money that could be used to better effect.

Posted by: Pat or Pi | September 25, 2007 at 05:30 AM

Dag, I will definitely do my best to find them each week online -- I was so down when I thought I would miss them by coming home! I know we had ITV1 on Sky, but I think where we were it was called STV. If that helps...
Pat, I know the guys have to go through a 3 day selection to be allowed to go on to training. I think my main problem was the first man to leave on episode one, day 3 ish -- his complaint was that he was constantly surrounded by Marine stuff... uh, what did you think it was going to be?? That is what bothers me most, guys like that. It seems the others at least give a good solid go.

Posted by: kath | September 25, 2007 at 12:32 PM