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“The thing the Taliban will probably never get in their heads is that the British army won’t give up. It doesn’t matter how many IEDs they plant or how many times they attack us, we’ll keep going until we get where we need to go.”
Lance Corporal Lisa West
For three months last summer, known as the ‘fighting season’, ITV1 gained exclusive and unprecedented access to the men and women who put their lives on the line to serve the troops in Afghanistan. Landmines, rocket attacks, suicide bombers and Taliban snipers are just some of the risks they face on every mission. But despite operating in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments and the constant threat to their lives, they never give up.
Thousands of miles from the UK, this band of warriors live their lives under the constant threat of attack, injury and death. Their job is to drive hundreds of miles, fighting their way across the harsh Afghan terrain to deliver supplies to our front line troops. The work they do never grabs the headlines but without these ‘road warriors’, the war in Afghanistan could not be fought.
Each episode of ‘Road Warriors’ follows a mission from start to finish. Up to 150 trucks carrying essential supplies make up a huge convoy which leaves from Camp Bastion, the British military base in Afghanistan. The convoy then makes its way to one of several parched and dusty British bases in Afghanistan, to deliver the supplies which keep the frontline troops going. ITV1 follows the convoys, with unlimited access, as they fight their way through hostile enemy territory to deliver the supplies and then make the treacherous journey back to Camp Bastion.
‘Road Warriors’ meets the people behind the uniforms who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to assist the British war effort, in a war torn and deeply unstable country. Lisa West and her fiancé Karl Cracknell both serve at Camp Bastion and are often on the same convoys. They struggle to cope with the stress of constantly worrying about each other as they travel through a desert littered with bombs. During one convoy, Lisa’s truck, carrying the ‘Road Warriors’ series director, almost rolls over an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). In an extremely rare occurrence, the device explodes just yards from the vehicle and yet there are no casualties. The realisation of the situation they are in overwhelms Lisa who is brought to tears when Karl comes to find out if she is ok.
Sergeant Mark Devine has 13 years experience serving in Kosovo, Bosnia and Iraq. The programme captures a serious life and death situation for Mark, when he takes a wrong turn during a night time convoy and leads several trucks into a canal, just yards away from the Taliban. Communications with the main convoy fail and Mark is left with no option but to leave four of his soldiers behind, to protect the loaded trucks, while he races ahead for assistance.
Every convoy is attacked via landmines, IED’s rocket attacks, suicide bombers, snipers or criminal gangs attempting to steal their goods. The only certainty for each trip is that the Taliban are lying in wait for them.
The inhospitable terrain they cover includes shifting sand dunes, lush valleys, harsh deserts, volcanic mountain ranges, swaying opium fields, areas laced with land mines and bombed out villages. The days bring intolerable heat and the nights can be freezing.
‘Road Warriors’ shows the reality of being caught in the middle of raging Taliban gunfire, tracks a suicide bomber as he searches for the convoy and shows the emotional reunions which take place when the troops arrive back home to see their friends and family.
The series celebrates the positive attitude and bravery of these unsung heroes living on the frontline. It reflects on the thoughts of their own mortality and their everyday worries about money, home and relationships. By the time they return to the UK some will have seen their relationships break up, divorced, fallen in love and even become parents to children they’ve never seen.
The road warriors’ courage is immeasurable. Their experiences are terrifying. Their story is extraordinary.
** ‘Road Warriors – Extra Mile’ is also brand new to ITV4, Fridays from the 5th February at 9pm. The programme looks at unseen missions, the in depth engineering behind each convoy, bomb disposal, unmanned drones, apache helicopters and shows the road warriors relaxing back at base.
Episode 1
The first episode in the series uncovers the gritty reality of soldiers who face an unforgiving terrain and Taliban attacks, to supply British bases all over Helmand Province, Afghanistan. This week, three trucks are separated from the main convoy when they take a wrong turn in the Taliban stronghold of Nad-e-Ali. One of the trucks ends up in a canal, in the middle of the night - yards from the sleeping Taliban. When the Taliban realise that a truck holding sensitive classified information has crashed on their doorstep, a vicious fire fight ensues. Four young British soldiers are in a desperate situation while their sergeant, Mark Devine goes for help. Isolated and out of communication, they are forced to repel waves of Taliban attacks before British reinforcements have the chance to arrive. The four soldiers eventually make it back to the convoy but are attacked again minutes later.
Finally, the programme follows Sergeant Mark Devine as he travels back to England for a two week holiday with his wife and daughter before returning for another tour in Afghanistan.
Last edited: Monday, 18 January 2010
