Young Soldiers

This is one of the most dangerous times to join the British Army, with nearly 380 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan and over 1,700 seriously injured, and yet thousands of young men from all over the country still want to join.

This series charts the lives of four new recruits and their families on their journey from day one basic training through to frontline combat in Helmand.

With the first five weeks of basic training completed, the recruits return to Catterick to complete the rest of the course. Things are ramped up with the recruits having to learn hand-to-hand combat with their bayonet knife, how to shoot live ammunition, and how their bodies react to exposure to CS gas.

But with only weeks left until they are committed to serve Queen and country for the next four years, some of them begin to question their decision of joining the British Army at such a dangerous time, and whether or not they could really deploy to Afghanistan.

Who will last the course and make it through to the passing out parade and graduation as a professional British soldier?