'We respect footie stars more than our brave soldiers'

[SO19]

'We respect footie stars more than our brave soldiers'

TV's Ross Kemp on horrors & heroes of Afganistan

By James Weatherup
SIX terrifying weeks battling the Taliban in Afghanistan left TV hardman Ross Kemp in humbled awe of Britain's REAL national heroes— our frontline troops.





The former EastEnders star, who played SAS tough guy Henno Garvie in Ultimate Force, came home in a FURY.

He is convinced the real-life action men, living and fighting in constant danger of death, get a SHAMEFUL raw deal.

Speaking in detail for the first time about filming a hard-hitting Sky One documentary with the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, Ross said:

"Sometimes I think we've got more respect for our national football team than we have for our soldiers. And that beggars belief.

"Those boys out there fighting are the ones worth £70,000 a week not those pampered players.

"I heard stories of great heroism. One of the snipers, Lance Corporal Teddy Ruecker, is up for a gallantry medal.

"He's only about 20, lives with his mum and dad and often gets turned away from nightclubs because he looks too young. Yet he's shot 24 or 25 enemy out there.

"He actually got caught in an ambush, rescued his unconscious mate—who'd had part of his arm blown off—from a burning vehicle and carried him on his back to safety while braving a barrage of bullets and rockets.

"During the firefight, with his free hand, he shot a Taliban fighter who was aiming a rocket-propelled grenade at him from just 10 yards. His incredible bravery was witnessed by everyone.

"Now the rest of us need to offer those guys more support. You can't fight a war on terror and not thank, respect or look after the people doing it for you. How's that ever going to work?"

Nine Royal Anglians have already paid the ultimate price since they were deployed in Afghanistan last April.

Ross's passionate crusade for our boys was forged amid the horrors of frontline action.

And the 43-year-old actor is not ashamed to admit that in one terrifying brush with death—caught in a Taliban grenade and machine-gun ambush—he actually PEED himself as bullets crashed inches from his head.

He admitted:"I don't think anything prepares you for being shot at. We were expecting some contact with the enemy and we were meant to draw them out so we could call in the heavy artillery.

"But they knew we were coming, and we knew they knew we were coming. It was like bait on a hook."

The ambush happened near Jucaylay, a terrorist stronghold in Helmand Province, in broad daylight. Ross, who had trained with the squaddies for six weeks before being deployed on active duty but did not carry a weapon.

He recalled: "What I didn't know was that the Taliban were going to open the attack on the person to my right, the person behind me and me in the middle.

"I think wearing blue didn't help because we stood out as targets in contrast with the yellow of the cornfields and probably the camera looked like a weapon.

"Also they know that if they shoot a journalist or film crew it'll make even bigger headlines.

"We were using irrigation channels in the fields as cover and were up to our ankles in water when we stepped out to go around this compound.

"All I can remember hearing was something like a large firework going off behind me. Then I felt the air being cut around my face and just kicked my legs back in a split second. I went straight down, cutting my face as I hit the ground.

"The bullets take your breath away. It's like a fizzzzz whistling past you. You hear the lead cutting the air, you don't hear the bang.

"But you know you can't get out of the way because when you hear it, it's already gone past.

"It's not like the guy in The Matrix who dodges bullets, it doesn't happen, believe me. If you're in the way it kills or maims you.

"We were being pinned on the ground by very accurate AK fire, then five to seven rocket-propelled grenades were fired just over our heads while I buried my face in the dirt.

"Luckily they hit the compound walls behind us otherwise we'd have been toast, but the rounds were getting closer and closer. I think they were aiming at the battery pack sticking up on my back because I felt the shots go to my left and then landing just to my right, smashing into the ground.

"Then one round passed between my shoulder and my head. And that's when I wet myself.

"There was nothing I could do about it all. Even if I'd been a soldier with a rifle I couldn't have fired back because my head would have been blown off the second I lifted it. We were so exposed all the guys were screaming, ‘Ross! Keep your f***ing head down!'

"And I started praying, ‘Please not me! Please not me!'

"We lay there not moving for about seven to ten minutes but it felt like an hour. Scary is an understatement. I just wanted the ground to swallow me up. It was the most frightening experience of my life, the closest I've ever come to dying.

"It took the guys three or four minutes before they started firing back because they had to get to safety first. Those moments will stay with me for the rest of my life."

Ross was reliving his horror in the surreal surroundings of south London's New Wimbledon Theatre where he is starring in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.

He confessed: "When I got home I went to the pub for 24 hours and had a good long drink. Delayed shock, I guess. How all those brave guys readjust I don't know."

Ross's five-part Sky series gives a chilling insight into what really happens in a war zone. And the heartbreaking aftermath.

Just days before the ambush Ross had been travelling in the convoy in which Corporal Darren Bonner, 31, was killed when his Viking armoured vehicle hit a landmine.

With tears welling, he recalled how talking to Darren's grieving parents back home was one of the most moving things he has ever done. "It was so sad," said Ross. "At least I could say I was there. We were ahead of his section and must have driven right by that mine. Looking into the eyes of a young mother who's lost an 18-year-old, or being hugged by the father of another dead soldier was overwhelming.

"My heart goes out to all of them. I'm not ashamed to say I bawled my eyes out.

"Britain's 18-25s are branded the hoodie-wearing, Nintendo-playing, uncaring generation, but I can't tell you how proud I am of those boys out there. They're brave, dedicated and not respected or paid enough for what they do.

"They're on a basic of about £15,600 but that should be at least £18,000. I mean, nurses and policemen get far more than they do."

For the record, a trained bobby on the beat gets £24,000.

Ross also demanded top brass improve compensation, barracks conditions and supply more helicopters to the region. And he called on big business to give our heroes perks like cut-price restaurant deals as they do in America.

"It looks as though we're planning on being in Afghanistan for many years to come," he said. "We HAVE to look after those boys."
# Ross Kemp In Afghanistan is exclusive to Sky One and Sky One HD. Starts Monday 21 January, 9pm.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/0601_ross_kemp.shtml

[Q]

I have to see that series, but i have to say this, i always thought Ross Kemp was one of these Lewis Collins type "hardmen", who i didn't have any respect for. After reading the above, my attitude towards Ross has changed and have the utmost respect for him, but not as much as the lads doing the job out in Afghanistan and Iraq. As Ross says, these are the nations heroes, not them poofy bloody namby pamby footballers( being into rugby i say this anyway!!) on so many thousand a week for kicking a bag of air around.

[Alfa]

I saw a trailer for this series and it looks pretty good, I'm guttered Virgin don't have skyone anymore.

Ross Kemp has gone up in my estimations after reading that as it'd have been very easy to edit out or simply not mention the fact he wet himself but it takes guts to admit how scared you were but to do it on national tv well it's not what I'd have expected from TV's so called Mr hard man.

I think his series will do a good job highlighting what the guys have been caught up in over that tour and that can only be a good thing.

[aspinall]

Yer the series looks really good and much derserved respect to Ross Kemp as it takes guts going out there.
Although i love football with a passion i think soldiers derserve an improved pay at least for what they are doing out there

[Greenronnie]

The headline says it all.

Most people in this country are so brainwashed by TV, that they call footballers 'heroes' and worship so-called TV celebrities and pop stars. All of these people have done sod all in comparison to the average Paratrooper, Marine or Royal Anglian.

It's just a disgrace that the country doesn't recognise what the lads are going through, and in some cases even treat our armed forces like second class citizens.

[sportbilly42]

Got to agree with Q and other posts, in that Kemp always seemed to be a self-advertising self-proclaimed hard nut wannabe with nothing more than a stocky frame, shaven head and a few 'Eastenders' style mumbled one-liners (combined with withering glare) to back it up. The Bodie & Doyle reference is spot on. Or should I say 'was'. He didn't have to put himself in this position. Great that he did as it will reinforce the respect that your average civvy (with SkyOne) will have for the job that the boys are doing out there.

Letting us into the secret that he'd wet himself is one thing.….. thankfully the bit where he said he drew mud was edited out.

Who'd have thought it. A true 'military' soap-star!

Up till now we've only had Corries Jim McDonald ("I was a Royal Engineer....a technician!!") and Dirty Den (the least said about his military exploits the better)

Hope the crew assigned to look after him weren’t put in harms way just to make a better camera angle.

[Fuggster]

The Celeb culture, breakdown in general discipline, lack of respect for authority etc etc, mainly brought about by political correctness and liberal Looney’s is a sad state of affairs for this nation.

Nice to see that occasionally "Reality of the Real kind" is highlighted. Maybe footballers and the like should watch and learn, so next time they may think on before rolling round the floor in agony for a trip.

By the way I love football but hate what it's becoming.......

[fodd]

Here's a sneak preview I had alot of respect for Ross Kemp from his series on gangs as he went to some serious places but this has lifted the bar again.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=VodLJHwD9D4