Raw Recruits

Junior soldier Laura experiences a crisis of confidence on a 1.5 mile run, then her fear of heights means that trusting her teammates on a 40ft-high rope course is a struggle too far.

The raw recruits of 19 Platoon continue their Army Phase One training, traveling to Catterick to spend three days and two nights out in the open, an exercise that will test their stamina and endurance.

The recruits are asked to confront the realities of soldiering, including the fact that they will potentially be taking lives and risking their own; another reality for soldiers to accept is that some are born to lead, and some are born to follow.

In the final month-long phase, 19 Platoon heads for Otterburn in Northumberland for a tactical exercise designed to utilize every aspect of their training and test them to the limit.

While the girls grapple with the reality of not seeing their parents for six weeks, the boys are already in trouble thanks to an illicit cigarette butt.

The soldiers have been at the AFC in Harrogate for three weeks, halfway through the most difficult period; allegations of bullying mean that one soldier faces being kicked out for bad behavior, while another tearful recruit wants to leave.