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Was looking in my TV Guide and saw this, a new TV Series on service personell in Afghanistan which might be worth a look if you are up and in on a Monday night:
Monday 5th January, 21:00 - 22:05
"Documentary following the lives of servicemen and women at Kandahar Airbase in Afghanistan. The facility is equipped with fast-food outlets, football pitches, massage parlours and an ice-hockey rink to provide the 10,000 resident troops with a sanctuary from combat, as well as create a familiar environment for the 4,000 civilians who live there. In the first episode, a Harrier jump jet is scrambled to fight the Taliban and a new squadron of recruits arrives from the UK"

*EDITED FOR TIME*

cool, i'll be tuning in ... what channel?

Crap, forgot about that! Channel 5 so you can always catch it on their equiv of iPlayer if you don't feel like staying up. Mind you it does say repeat on the TV Guide so I must have missed the first viewing (and I wasn't accurate when I said "a new TV Series"!

I'll give that a look, could be interesting. Channel 5 though, hmm...

Just to clear stuff up the series starts tomorrow (monday nite at 9pm) .

Tom163 wrote:Just to clear stuff up the series starts tomorrow (monday nite at 9pm) .

Alright I wasn't too late then, good. I'll edit my post. Monday it is...!
Thanks

Questionable program, was expecting something a bit more involved with frontline units and thought the Kandahar installment was just the first one not the whole series. It was never going to be a Ross Kemp In Afghan contender but still. I guess that's what you get from Channel 5 then.

It looks quite comfortable there and I think SOME viewers may get the wrong impression of what is going on in Afghanistan because I'm sure it's not all Discos, Burger Kings and Sunbathing.

missed it, may have to watch it on demand

i watched it i have to say i did enjoy it as i am looking to go in the army did give me a complete different view of army life though i have to say, but i am takin a guess at its a lot different once your over there lmao i could see this giving off the wrong impression myself altough i am going to watch the next episode just have to see how it goes does anyone know when the next episode is on??

thanks Dawber

I haven't seen it yet, looks like I'll have to stay up and see the repeat on thursday when I won't have to compete with my housemate for the TV. From what I've heard though it wasn't much of an insight into what life is really like on tour?
Apparently some Admin Officer going sunbathing and doing paperwork?? Not quite the same as going out on patrol with the RAF Regt or life at a FOB with the infantry!

Just_Me is right, this relay doesn't give an insight in to half of what army life is like 'Over there'.

Hopefully throughout the program they will progress from Playstation playing RAF boys and girls and move on to some Hard slugging Para/Inf/Marine, it all depends on who's based there i supposed, not sure if Para Marines or INF are actually ''don't know hazy on positions'' lol


But if any one is seriously thinking about doing a combat role or anything BAR /RAF/ Chances are you won't be there so don't expect a happy meal every night.

dont expect a happy meal everynight haha lmao i enjoyed watching it but theres defenitely no combat in it really just once every 2 weeks at the camp theres like rockets going into the base thats about as much action as you see i think lol but i did myself enjoy watching it because i have never saw that side of the army with whats in that program so i do find it interesting

I didn't see it, but the missus said it was absolute shite.

Let's not forget that 42 Cdo Battlegroup along with various other combat formations of various nations are based at KAF. It's great when you get downtime, because there are the facilities (notice I'm on here most nights ) but the work is done outside of camp, where the fast-food restaurants are few and far between

Let's also remember that a vast amount of support staff are based at KAF - the Forces wouldn't run without them (I vaguely remember a crazy figure, something like 3 or 4 support staff are required to keep one infantryman battle-ready), but they're not front-line units; why shouldn't they make life as comfortable as possible whilst they're here?

Life on a FOB is much more miserable, living in Hesco shelters with minimal power and one TV for the whole company. Still get some good sunbathing done tho

Don't forget you don't fight constantly for six months. There are busy periods and quiet periods. You might go out on the ground for a day or a month. If you're unlucky you'll end up in a FOB for three or even six months. But you'll generally get back to somewhere like KAF or Bastion, and you will be grateful for the facilities when you do.

i will be watchin next weeks episode just to see what to expect on the camps and camp life just to get the other side rather than just the combat side so i can put them both togeather i mean yes once your out there your not going to be on camp much but just nice to know what to expect when you are there

druadan wrote:I didn't see it, but the missus said it was absolute shite.

Let's not forget that 42 Cdo Battlegroup along with various other combat formations of various nations are based at KAF. It's great when you get downtime, because there are the facilities (notice I'm on here most nights ) but the work is done outside of camp, where the fast-food restaurants are few and far between

Let's also remember that a vast amount of support staff are based at KAF - the Forces wouldn't run without them (I vaguely remember a crazy figure, something like 3 or 4 support staff are required to keep one infantryman battle-ready), but they're not front-line units; why shouldn't they make life as comfortable as possible whilst they're here?

Life on a FOB is much more miserable, living in Hesco shelters with minimal power and one TV for the whole company. Still get some good sunbathing done tho

Don't forget you don't fight constantly for six months. There are busy periods and quiet periods. You might go out on the ground for a day or a month. If you're unlucky you'll end up in a FOB for three or even six months. But you'll generally get back to somewhere like KAF or Bastion, and you will be grateful for the facilities when you do.

I take it you are over at KAF now? If so and you have a bit of time could you explain what it's REALLY like, Dutch discos aside!