A Company of Soldiers

Soldato
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Did anyone else watch this superb 90 minute documentary last night on BBC2?

I though it was a superb piece of work that showed the suffering that both US troops and Iraqi's have to go through.

I take my hat off to the US Soldiers that have to drive their vehicles through crowded roads knowing that a suicide bomber may be driving alongside them.

However, there also looked to be the usual gun-happy scumbag that all armed forces have. The shooting of the stray dog (soldier said it was about to attack him :rolleyes: ) by the soldier had more affect on me than seeing the Iraqi mortally wounded in the back of a taxi.

I'd recommend it to anyone interested int his kind of stuff although i'm not sure if its to be repeated in the near future.

edit//

Could be spoilers if you recorded it to watch today. :)
 
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fozzybear said:
However, there also looked to be the usual gun-happy scumbag that all armed forces have. The shooting of the stray dog (soldier said it was about to attack him :rolleyes: ) by the soldier had more affect on me than seeing the Iraqi mortally wounded in the back of a taxi.
I only caught the end of the program, but I saw that and it really ****** me off. It looked like the other soldiers wern't too impressed with the fella that did it though. Did I hear that the culprit was a doctor? I'm sure I did.

Anyway, the small part of the program I watched was really good, I wish I'd spotted it sooner.
 
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Mr_L said:
I only caught the end of the program, but I saw that and it really ****** me off. It looked like the other soldiers wern't too impressed with the fella that did it though. Did I hear that the culprit was a doctor? I'm sure I did.

Anyway, the small part of the program I watched was really good, I wish I'd spotted it sooner.

You really missed out. In the first few minutes, a US soldier opened fire on a car that was travelling at speed towards them. There was also an incident when an IED went off in the middle of the road.

I'm not sure if it was a doctor who shot the dog. I did hear someone say something about most dogs having rabies in Iraq. Terrible excuse to be honest.

PrettyInPink, i can't visit that link you've posted (Access Denied). The programme was on BBC2 between 11.20pm and 00.50am last night.
 
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Yeah it was a doctor that shot the dog. I was surprised because i thought (for some reason) that the doctors would be "softer" than the other troops! But its good to see the other soldiers said it made them sick to see that. It really was a very good show, but i can't work out why they put it on at midnight on a tuesday evening. i surely thought that was "primetime" material.

Is it a series or anything? or just a documentary?
 
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Gaygle said:
It really was a very good show, but i can't work out why they put it on at midnight on a tuesday evening. i surely thought that was "primetime" material.

Is it a series or anything? or just a documentary?

It was, i think, initially a BBC4 programme. I agree it was a crazy time to put it on although there was swearing and the scene where the dog got killed.

It was just a one-off documentary.
 
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**SPOLIER ALERT**

Saw the last hour or so of this last night and was really impressed, a fantastic piece of broadcasting. I didn't feel that the viewpoint on the situation had been skewed by any preconceptions or politics, just an honest depiction of every day life in the war zone.

There were a good few moments that really made me think about what goes on out there. The troops were visibly disgusted by the Company Doctor shooting that dog, although the reaction of the dog's owner, sheer disbelief and helplesness, was far more moving and rather humbling to watch. As was the very end when the letter came in for the dead soldier, mailed on the day he died.

Their constant vigilance whilst on patrol and the explosion of the IED at the traffic circle really showed the intense pressure those guys are under every day. It was almost bordering on paranoid suspicion of every vehicle and rubble pile, something which must put intense psychological stress on them.

However, I was most impressed by the evident professionality that (most) of the soliders displayed and the respect they showed to the Iraqi people in their words and actions.
 
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miracleboy said:
Haven't watched it yet, recorded on SKY+ (hopefully!).

Did the original post from yesterday about this get deleted, or am I going mad?

Its good stuff, you should enjoy it. :)

The previous thread got closed due to it being classed as 'heads up'.
 
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