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6 Episodes 2009 - 2009
Episode 1
45 mins
Forty men and women from 1 Platoon, Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment begins mission-specific training for the most intense combat situation any of them have ever faced. One Platoon leader Lieutenant Jon Cox and his boss, company commander Major Cayle Oberwarth, must ensure that these soldiers - some as young as 18 - are fully trained before they enter the volatile combat zone. In this episode, the platoon travels to Fort Bliss, Texas - an area with a terrain that mimics the arid Afghan topography - to begin training as a mechanized force. Right from the start, however, 1 Platoon encounters difficulties, leaving Major Oberwarth very worried as the soldiers move into live fire exercises.
Episode 2
45 mins
With the reality that one Platoon is further behind in training than any other platoon at Fort Bliss, company commander Oberwarth does not mince words to get them motivated. Nighttime live fire exercises and IED training commence after a disastrous showing at convoy drills. The soldiers must also learn how to rid a mock village of Taliban. The situation begins to improve until Lt. Cox is "wounded" by training officers, leaving Warrant Officer Rhodenizer in charge. The problem is no one remembers to tell Major Oberwarth.
Episode 3
45 mins
After intense training in Texas, 1 Platoon returns home with change in the air. The soldiers move to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre in Wainwright, Alberta for the most realistic, complex and technologically advanced combat training in the world. Now promoted, Captain Cox is called home suddenly to attend to his pregnant fiancée, leaving Warrant Officer Rhodenizer to lead 1 Platoon. Later, the mock Battle of Tanachoy puts Company Commander Oberwarth's diplomatic and coordination skills to the ultimate test.
Episode 4
45 mins
Without their leader, Captain Cox, 1 Platoon is assigned to a remote forward operating base for guard duty. Major Oberwarth becomes stretched for resources after a mock suicide bomber causes mass casualties. In 1 Platoon's absence, 2 Platoon is sent to save an important VIP from a downed helicopter, but may be driving into an ambush. Live fire fights, searches for IEDs and hidden weapons caches, and disguised enemies all add to the intensity of the training.
Episode 5
45 mins
When 1 Platoon tries to protect a disabled helicopter, Warrant Rhodenizer - commanding the platoon in Captain Cox's absence - is "critically injured" by shrapnel. One Platoon then reunites with the rest of Mike Company for their final major battle before the end of training. It's the last chance to prove themselves in the eyes of their commanders. Back home at CFB Petawawa, the soldiers physically and emotionally prepare themselves to leave for Afghanistan as the mission draws closers.
Episode 6
45 mins
After months of demanding training, the 'battle-ready' troops of 1 Platoon, Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment finally arrive in Afghanistan - their home for the next six months. Assigned to a Forward Operating Base in the heart of Taliban territory, this will be the first time their combat skills are put to the ultimate test in the theatre of war. They learn just how close the enemy is after a rocket attack on their very first night on base. Later, 1 Platoon journeys deeper into insurgent territory to protect a command outpost that is so dangerous it will be abandoned after this mission. All of their training has led to this. Surrounded by a relentless enemy, a barrage of live fire, and punishing terrain, will the soldiers use the skills they learned in combat school, and gain the confidence they need to accomplish - and survive - their mission?