Platoons are the Band of Brothers of the British infantry. Thirty men and women who live together, train together and fight together. Predominantly made up from the lowest ranks, they are the building blocks of the army, inseparable families of soldiers who know each other better than they know their wives or girlfriends.
These aren’t elite soldiers, they are the grunts, known as ‘bullet catchers’ and ‘cannon fodder’. But they have a bond so strong they will lay down their lives for each other. You don’t look after your own life in a platoon, your buddy looks after it, and you look after theirs.
Every year, infantry platoons are ‘refreshed’. New rookie soldiers – many still teenagers - join and a new officer (straight out of Sandhurst) is put in charge. Then ‘the Pipeline’ starts: a six month programme to transform a platoon from a group of strangers into a highly-drilled fighting unit. Six months to grow up, to reshape egos, to sort out differences and keep the most wayward recruits on track. Six months to build a bond so tight it could save your life.
This series is the story of one infantry platoon, from its formation in September 2024 through its first deployment in March 2025.
Searingly frank, heart-breakingly confessional, loud-out-loud funny, this is a series about creating a (military) family from scratch.