Commando: On the Front Line

Commando: On the Front Line

2007, Military and War  -    -  Playlist 92 Comments
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Ratings: 7.22/10 from 54 users.

Commando: On the Front LineIn Commando: On The Front Line, director Chris Terrill embarks on a courageous 12-month journey to Afghanistan alongside Britain's most elite front line troops - the Royal Marine Commandos.

A division of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marine Commando directs the most physically and mentally challenging training regime of any military contingent in the United Kingdom, and only the cream of the crop gets through.

This eight-episode series provides fascinating insight into the experiences of the 50 new recruits of 924 Troop - following the Bootnecks through their hardcore eight-month training period, right up to their arrival on the front line and first moments wearing the illustrious green berets in combat.

The transformation of the young men is incredible, as is the footage obtained by Terrill, who got involved side-by-side with the boys at every step of the way.

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Ed
Ed
7 years ago

Great documentary, congrats to those who earned their Green Beret, from a US Marine about Terrel's age myself.

billy bob
billy bob
7 years ago

For those that are antiwar, you should think twice. Wars are what we as humans have done for a long time, actually since our creation. They make the world go round financially wise. Where would we be without wars? About 20 million military jobs less, that’s where and that does not include contractors. The answer is far back technology wise then we are today. GPS, internet, space travel, radar, first computer, microwave oven, and many others were created during time of war. Things we now take for granted. I do hate wars as they usually accomplish nothing except impoverish people even further then they were and create things to make some live longer. Wars are horrible having done two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan I know what it is like to be shot at, but sadly that is part of mother nature’s plan. People protest to end wars because of so many dead, but looking at nature we are no different than a bear eating 50 fish. That is no different then a special ops guy killing 50 insurgents. It’s part of mother nature and population control which is truly sad that we live in this world or is this hell.

Genreal Giap
Genreal Giap
8 years ago

How did America gain its independence again? Oh right.... Is that in British textbooks too?

Yea it is in British textbooks and unlike the yankee versions it tells of how the French, Spanish and Dutch had to bail you out. You were not so fortunate tho when you invaded Canada and the Brits smashed you all the way back to the Green House or whatever its called now.And the next time you fart around on Omaha beach you wont have the Canadians And Brits to rescue you. Or as Montgomery was overheard to say'Tell those yanks to shit or get off the pot" lol

Mahi Tuna
Mahi Tuna
9 years ago

terrorists and radicals somehow think driving around in pickup trucks shooting guns in the air somehow intimidates these type of soldiers. not a chance..when let loose they will run thru you like shit thru a goose, mr. terrorist. Radicals believe these type of soldiers don't show up because they are afraid, no, they just follow orders from leaders and when given the go ahead these soldiers will dispatch very quickly anyone who raises arms against them

Brian Walters
Brian Walters
9 years ago

As a National Service man in the 'Fifties' and 25 years on the Reserve. Called to Suez. I am disgusted with the instructors. I have never heard in all my service such disgusting swearing against recruits. We never had that or heard it on training. Pure intimidation. little encouragement. I am ashamed of the training team and ashamed of the Officers who allow the intimidation, and low encouragement whilst training.
Ex Royal Engineers.

terry
terry
9 years ago

Not much has changed in the 50 years since I passed out at Lympston. A great and compelling film.

Ann
Ann
10 years ago

Excellent documentary, Can now see what my Father went through

catmc66
catmc66
11 years ago

Brilliant from start to finish...I could not stop watching it...The Best of the Best and Royal Marine,Tom Curry, know that your commanding officer, Bertie Karr, commented that he "lost a damn good Marine" but, you will never lose the Green Berat. Their is a Royal Marine, in training right now, that is placing a cross at your gravesite, just as you did when you were in training and they said that this done so that NO ONE is ever forgotten. Rest in Peace Tom Curry and all the soldeirs from around the world who have lost their lives...

David Stanley
David Stanley
11 years ago

I have worked with the UK soldiers in the past including officers and found them to be competent and decent people. This was 3 decades ago,but I think people don't change.
I did not like all of the concentration on the little obviously gay black troop. I watch less than one hour per year of USA tv because the government requires all white men characters to be mentally deficient and any blonde haired beautiful white woman is immediately teamed up with a black male and shown kissing and having implied sex together. I find this disgusting. First is the order that 5% of our population be shown in 95 % of programing.Second is the idea that somehow I am supposed to feel that I owe something to anyone from events that happened over 100 years ago.
I don't watch anything that tries to dump a government inspired social agenda into my house. It makes me sick. I never thought the Brits would fell the same way.Obviously there are segments in programing that do.
Now having said that I do not think there is anything wrong with people dating or marrying anyone they want.Don;t dump it at me and act as if there is something wrong about my race or gender.Another thing is this.There are thousands of single black moms raising children by themselves.This costss this country billions of dollars.The government does nothing to help their situation by the current crap that is shown on the tube.

James Robert Edwards
James Robert Edwards
11 years ago

This was very eye-opening but extremely sad about the world losing some great young men; I'm so very proud of them but so sad.

K.Howell
K.Howell
11 years ago

After reading the first few replies I started laughing my butt off over here. I'm a former U.S. Army Cavalry Recon Scout. When I served I looked forward to having a chance to operate with British, and Australian units. Yeah, we scouts were tough, but there's always something you can learn from the other guy to be stronger, faster, more intelligent about your profession, etc.. All this bickering about who's this, and that, and this country's military suck this, and that. It's about as useful to our ability to work together as a cock flavored lollypop. Anyone ever stop to think that maybe if we stopped worrying about how big our pricks are, and started tackling the objectives we might get something done ? Personally, with the exception of a couple of you. The rest of you have much to learn about What anyone in any Military goes through, and does just to get to where he, or she can do their job. The initial training is usually bullcrap mindgames, and programming anyway. The concept behind Soldierization is the same in any nation, any unit, any branch etc.. The regimen may be easier from anyone's point of view. The fact is that the goal of the training, and concept of the training are the same. Commando's, Seals, Pararescue, Force Recon, etc. tend to go a lot further than the basic mindcleansing, numbing, basic training that means nothing. They progress to a level far beyond that, and I don't give a rats ass who you are. You gotta have respect for that. Much respect for ALL of our allies fighting right beside us.

Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews
11 years ago

Watching the Royal Marines Commandos have given me much appreciation for the rough training they must go through in order to become British Royal Marines Commandos.

Brendan Clarke
Brendan Clarke
11 years ago

Really great documentary. This is tough ass training

Oliver Darcy
Oliver Darcy
11 years ago

at this very moment im training to become a marine officer, im am 17 and i train 5 days a week my generation are on there job, people think we are kids then you are wrong i can bet a 17 year old marine would make **** of samson yah fat b*stard, any man in the military deserves respect as he is protecting you and you're family from potential threats and for serving you're country so have respect, christian i highly doubt you've been in any military environment so you have no knowledge otherwise you wouldn't of called British army gay even tho these are not British army, they are Royal Marine commandos therefor you're post has no meaning apart from being obnoxious, last words shut up and learn how real men live

Fiptastic
Fiptastic
12 years ago

Guys............... Have some respect for each other maybe? Americans did this, Brits did that, they're all out there fighting their balls off.......... Don't forget that with idiocy and squabbles. Respect to all the fighting men and women of both our Nations and all others bringing it to the enemy!

Christian Imasda
Christian Imasda
12 years ago

too much male nudity... British Army is Officially #gay. I know... that is normal military life... but still. I don't have to like it.

Ray Stewart
Ray Stewart
12 years ago

@spen4leeds
Shut it. I hate it when people like you try and defend us service men and women, when your talking out of your A-Hole. I have held a gun, I have been in war zones, missiles hitting our camp and watching people die. Have you? all military no matter what country they are from are highly professional. You sound like a student, you can not even write in English. Just shut up. Its the same with Uni students protesting against what I and others do in Iraq and elsewhere when they have no idea what we go through and what we are really doing. We are protecting you people from outsiders. Sometimes I wonder why I am protecting you at all after reading comments such as yours.

Samson Sami
Samson Sami
12 years ago

elites ?? those are stupid kids that have no idea what the hell they want from life...and no wonder theres so many suicides in british and us armies...FKING IDIOTS

koolaidguzzler
koolaidguzzler
12 years ago

I hope most of you retards are young, because that's the only excuse for all that cocky nonsense spewing out of your pieholes. All this talk about who's tougher is crap. EVERY unit mentioned here has proven itself countlessly. It is meaningless who humps further, who swims longer, who does the most chinups or who pukes the most. The ONLY thing that matters is what you do when you need to do it. When the shrapnel's flying, no one cares who swims fastest. The only thing they care about is whether you can hold your mud. So quit bickering and bragging like little girls the morning after prom night, and contain your worrying to what YOU can deliver in the cold dark chaos when your buddy needs you the most. And if you can't do that, then you can always try standing over his wheelchair and telling him how many pushups you can do in a minute.

spen4leeds
spen4leeds
12 years ago

may be so, you won your independence from a country half the size of california on your own land, england is a nation of warriors and for are size no other country can say they have a history like ours, or had an empire like we did, our boys always get called up when the sh*t gets thick, we have the most experience when it comes to needing special forces, the last rescue mission you americans did you ended up killing the hostage with one of your own hand grenades, are boys should of gone in

Michael lehoczky
Michael lehoczky
12 years ago

AUS - SAS beats the shIt out of all your US Marines and Brit Commandos

Michael Owens
Michael Owens
12 years ago

and the british did get there ass kicked by us!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael Owens
Michael Owens
12 years ago

the u.s. marines are not are S.F. rangers and seals and so on are so know what u are talking about before u talk!

walkitoffalready
walkitoffalready
12 years ago

Robby. you are ret*rted and should move to England. US Marines have to go hard from the moment they get to bootcamp. These guys hang out and do laundry for the first week they are there. OH, and they are also laughing and joking with their instructors. If a US Marine recruit did that the Drill Sergeant would rip his dumb a** to shreds.
Yes, US Marines make hard motherf*****s in half the time. Meanwhile, Brits take 32 weeks to train a bunch of "mates" to piss their pants and call the real Marines when the s*** gets thick...
How did America gain its independence again? Oh right.... Is that in British textbooks too?

Robby Baker
Robby Baker
12 years ago

I definitely have much more respect for these guys than our Marines. These guys had the hell beat out of them for 32 weeks. Our Marines go half that time.

Robby Baker
Robby Baker
12 years ago

Everyone is told that they are the worst class ever. That's part of being broken down. My class was told that at B-219 3rd and so was everyone else in combat arms.....I hope.

Jake Fkthishit
Jake Fkthishit
12 years ago

It looks great to be honest. Hopefully in a year or two when I get fitter I can join but the only thing that I think the American Marines have better is their "Battle Cry" (I call it this due to lack of what it would be actually called) their famed "Huraah" which does seem to boost morale and a sence of pride, in this series I have not seen any War cry of the Commandos and it seems odd to me that they dont.

Richard Carus
Richard Carus
12 years ago

For those that don't know, in May of this year the Royal Marine officer Orlando Rogers who featured in this film was killed when the Tiger Moth plane he was flying in crashed in Dorset. Tragic waste of what was obviously a great guy and a credit to the Royal Marines. Just thought I would put this on here for info.

GoughLewis
GoughLewis
12 years ago

Dear M62

For a nation that continually congratulates itself for bowing and curtsying themselves before royalty, the British have an unhealthy interest in Americans opinion on this behavior.

I find the whole "pledge allegiance to the Crown" absolutely unsettling, but that also goes for the United States blind patriotism. The unquestioning loyal servant are the backbones these "back-feeders" suck the marrow out of traditionally.

Military boys and girls have my sympathy actually. They are traditionally pulled from the poor and uneducated of the citizenry, historically. I might be wrong, and England might be pulling the best and the brightest young men and woman England has to offer to go fight in "whatever" country that is designated a target of the American/Anglo enterprise. But, I doubt it.

The British all grow up knowing that "we all bow and curtsy" in front of certain people simply because of the privilege of there bloodline. This snobbery subtly soaks out through the British society, tweaking the citizenry to be deferential to unearned, inherited, and talentless wealth & power, simply because it’s a tradition. Maybe Donald Trump should be crowned, I don't know, all sound like a racket. ... Burger King anyone?

The Royals sitting on the throne of England are Germans. I find that amusing. Check for yourself; if that annoys your sycophantic proclivities just prove me wrong. The Royals in England are creepy eugenicists, and wield tremendous power and influence. To deny this is to join the willfully ignorant.

I am not picking on the Brit's by the way. I am pointing out subservient behavior from anyone, including The President of The United States of America, PRESIDENT OBAMA, is disgusting act of prostration.

President Obama practiced bowing and brushing up on courtly etiquette ahead of meeting the Queen. Traditional royal protocol dictates that men do a neck bow and women do a slight curtsy — though a handshake is considered acceptable as long as the queen offers her hand first, Politco reported.

When the President met the Queen in a room used to stage audiences with foreign dignitaries, Obama bowed his head and quietly said to her: “Thank you so much for having us” before turning to the Duke, bowing once more and adding: “It’s a wonderful honour.”

Michelle Obama curtsied to the Queen, however, later on she was treasonously caught inappropriately putting her hands on the glorious Monarch. The London Telegraph even issued a report on how the move was “a departure from what is considered appropriate protocol when meeting the Queen.”

Reminds me of a joke about Ron Jeremy, the porn star, and WHY he raises his pinky when performing a money shot? ....it's because it's classy!

Soldiers are used as pawns in the grand chess board of geo power politics by the ruling elite, and are expendable. My sympathy to the families of the soldiers who have fallen through history.

__________________________

Dethrone Royalty. America Presidents are puppets. Time for an information revolution. Time to truly become a constitutionalist. Time to break the social programming.

piratethrower
piratethrower
12 years ago

theres no god damn way sorry but Im joining the US marines soon and I cant beilive thats there boot camp there instructor was in basketball shorts and flip flops I bet he dosent yell once the entire series. Im not insulting just in an aw and disbelief

Anthony Bosch
Anthony Bosch
12 years ago

Such an amazing series, I watched every episode without taking a break lol

who_me_yeah_you
who_me_yeah_you
12 years ago

I'm so tired of hearing people say you cant stop war, its human nature. That's the kind of gumph said by people in 1st world countries who only partake in wars by choice (on the other guys turf) rather than have them imposed on them. If China becomes the global monster that some fear you wont hear such philosophical acceptance of the treat of invasion.

Wars take a lot of effort and input to start and even more to conduct, they do not occur like the weather.

patrickcanada
patrickcanada
12 years ago

it's funny when that african guy talks about how anxious he is to kill that rabbit and eat already haha "dog eat dog world mon, im gonna rip that rabbit apart son!"

Shafiq Ahmed
Shafiq Ahmed
12 years ago

During the visit to the school by the marines, when the little cute school guy showed his drawings my eyes got wet and the tears suddenly dropped. At this age this is what he could think of and draw it. No colours, no grass, no brushes but just tanks hallicopters and devestation. This is typically an afghan kid is thinking and been growing up around. That little kid would have a mother like that marine had. She must have dreams for his kid as well. She sent him to the school to fulfil her dreams but even there what he is thinking of,,,, Tanks, bullets apachies. ahhhhhh. Whoever is responsible for this but this is not fair at all.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,. I was also melted by the sceen when the troops were marching on the streets and a little girl was so scared and stepping back slowly. Can you please go back and watch that instance again. Her immensely terrified face. I just watched that face once and I am sure I would never ever forget her expression of uncertainty and fear. Even, considering my self an emotionally strong person, my heart cries. These afghan kids are as beautiful as any kid anywhere in any other country.
I wish if there was no politics, no war, no bullets all peace and the fate was fair to the afghan kid as it is fair to a kid in England.

John Eacott
John Eacott
12 years ago

20 royal marine commandos VS 100 Taliban?............. Fair fight

GoughLewis
GoughLewis
12 years ago

Unfortunately, the film reminded me of Henry Kissinger's infamous quote, "Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy."

The quote is found in “Final Days,” a book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Kissinger has never disputed it.

Poor boys, no Idea who or what they are working for... war criminals like former US Secretary of Defense Henry Kissinger, or in this case the sitting British Royalty called the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.... who changed there name to the House of Windsor.

The King was going to change the NEW name for the Germans who sit on the throne of England to "Whitehall". Instead, he changed his mind, and named the NEW and current name of the British Royal House to "Windsor" after his favorite castle in England....

The House of Windsor was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom during World War I.

You can't even make this stuff up....

Go Marines.... "I pledge allegiance to the Queen..." Blaa Blaa Blaa...

America had a revolution to throw off these back feeders, called the "War of Independence".... can't even make this stuff up.

Good luck to these kids who become Marines, god help them, because "Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy."

Michael Brown
Michael Brown
12 years ago

GET IN THE WAGON! GET IN THE WAGON!

Jason Reek
Jason Reek
12 years ago

Tough lads..

patrickt
patrickt
12 years ago

what happen to s01e06....can't find it

Bjurne
Bjurne
12 years ago

I despise anyone who brings a weapon over a border.

rtiom
rtiom
12 years ago

Very cool documentary, gives you a nice idea of how much hard work goes into becoming marine.

Jack Seahorse
Jack Seahorse
12 years ago

to end wars is like saying to end weathers. we can't stop nature.

James del Valle
James del Valle
12 years ago

class

01bad2dbone
01bad2dbone
12 years ago

Good doc. I dont get it they train for so long yet they dont know how fight in war where the Afghan fighter they just pick the guns and fight without any traning. They should be thankfull of AFGHANS that help the british solders they said without them they have no strength. And the british soliders are good i think they have sense of humer and a smile in their face unlike the Americans argunt stuck up. At the end day war is never good both sides someone dies they're someone is son someone brother.My thought anyway after watching this doc

Guest
Guest
12 years ago

You can be at the battle front to win a war, or you can be at the battle back to win peace, nothing is ever won either way. I think the best position is to end up in the middle between the two and turn sideways.
Look at all the arguments here about religion and science. Bet you anything if we sit the most vocals about their position...you would end up with a fight of some sort or at least if not shooting, a lot of shouting.
Will we end wars? not as long as we create them in small scale.
az

kris sto
kris sto
12 years ago

For those of you that are sick and tired of death and destruction, i recommend a documentary about life and creation. Watch ''Cosmos'' and listen to Carl Sagan's voice. It will calm you down.....