I did my basic training at Fort Polk in 1968, before my year’s tour in the infantry in Vietnam. I don’t know which place was more miserable - Fort Polk or Vietnam - but I managed to survive them both.
My brother was drafted in 1965, he wrote a letter to mom saying if he had to spend the next two years in Fort Polk he would volunteer for Vietnam instead, lol. He ended up in White Sands New Mexico.
Former US Cavalry trooper here, I can unequivocally state that Ft Polk is one of the most miserable places on the North American continent, and I grew up in the South so the terrain wasn't terribly unfamiliar. That said, it was without a doubt some of the best training I ever had.
@Rejekelstrong Fair point, and I have to say that the Panamanian jungle sucked to operate in....but I expected it to. I grew up in Alabama so the weather/terrain/critters weren't much different than at Ft Polk, so I probably didn't expect it to be as bad as it was.
2-30 infantry battalion (wild boars) soldier here, these British troops did a phenomenal job out there with us in the box, hats off to them for going through one and the most miserable training center in America
@@richnaper6666 They are playing Opfor during the rotation. It lets them run all around JRTC without all the mess the rest of us are carrying trying to catch them. Sometimes in the JRTC videos you will also see guys in the standard uniform not wearing kit, and there are always two or three times during the rotations where everything is stood down for half a day or so for various reasons.
My old school friend was in the British parachute regiment for almost 20 years, he was a Sargent training up the next recruit's before he left, he had taken part in several training exercises in the US, possibly here, he always spoke very highly of his American counterparts, both infantry & Airborne.
In the US, Airborne is just a light infantry division or brigade with a fancy way of getting to the fight. They're still classified as Infantry - they just have an additional skill identifier that labels them as having been through Airborne school
@PLONG12345 No, they aren't. They aren't comparable on any level. The 75th is an elite light infantry unit and the Army's premier raid force. Your average Para is nowhere near that of the 75th.
@budte and? That doesn't mean either of them are comparable to the 75th Ranger Regiment, and there are several members of both the Paras and Royal Marines who will openly admit they are not comparable. I'm not saying they aren't good, they're great! But they are not comparable. It's like comparing an apple to a pineapple..
@@marcs990 70% of being out in the field is you're mental ability to push through imo , seen many very fit and able young men start breaking on day 4 of an exercise because they gave up in they're mind long before they're body did. (Or im preaching to the choir and that was a stab at the book in not dig in crew XD )
As a Welsh man I'm so proud of our boys and girls who put themselves in arms way to protect our freedoms like they always have throughout history awesome
My freedoms didn't feel threatened enough to bomb Iraq, Afghanistan.Lybia & Syrian civilians to oblivion.And they're adults not children, who volunteer & are paid by the state & go where politicians send them.
This is quite interesting and provides both armies with valuable experience of operating against technically advanced and equivalently trained militaries which they haven't actually had to encounter since WW2.
Difference is today both armies can be combined into a single combat force under (if need be) a single chain of command along with other assets both domestic and from US allies. Training together is just the first piece of the puzzle.
When the stuff really hits the fan, which is looking more likely with each passing day, the British and Americans will always stand shoulder to shoulder, and that's good enough for me and mine.
I remember Ft Polk Louisanna 1974 .I just turned 17 and joined the Army . Basic training was pretty tough all of the drill instructors were Vietnam combat experienced .Today I turn 65 .And I thank God for directing me to the Army . If I didn't join back than I wouldn't have my lucrative retirement I got now .
@@MrLmao37 All I can say is that facing not only the challenges of training but also that of Mother Nature, these men and women deserve our support, regardless of their nation. All this to protect our way of life.
AKA the Water Moccasin. They are mean mean snakes. Very hard to see and they give you no warning other than a swift charge. And yes the same for those Boar, they will destroy you, they have that Russian Razorback in their blood. They didn’t even say anything about the Gators, better choot em.
@John Cliff In many parts of the US, like where I live, it gets much colder, windier, and snowier than Brecon. 100 degrees F and tornadoes in the summer with 0 degress and blizzards in the winters. I would actually prefer the Brecon winter. It's climate statistics look much more relaxing and mild
That terrain looked really challenging, not to mention snakes and gators that are not fearful of any human and will attack you. Well Done to you all. My Family and myself would like to Thank You All for Your Service. ATB Reeco
It's hard to think that people are worried about them. I live in FL and when you go into the woods you never even think about them. You know they are out there but you don't really think about it, just another walk in the park type of thing.
Yep totally agree with you we should be training together all the time American and British troops are the best of the best and God have mercy on the silly enemys of our amazing countries cause it never usually ends well for them lol big shout out to my ex regiment 23 pioneer god bless you all
Going through the “box” a few times was Brutal. Years later, got the opportunity to be an augmentee, that was the most fun I have ever had in an actual training environment. Gave me a whole new perspective on how much fun Geronimo has while their jacking you up.
Our British allies r awesome we appreciate everything ur country does to help us ur soldiers r always side by side with us in any hostel situation we've been in since our 2 countries have grown so close to each other thank u guys for wat u do and know we'll always be there for u guys whenever needed hope these British soldiers had a great time over here taking part in this with us 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇪🇺
There isn't any other channel even close to this on UA-cam right? And I can't express enough regard towards the men and women in the armed forces around the world, protecting free speech, free press, religious freedom and democracy. You are the guardians of our societies and our way of life. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your service.
USA massive respect for the professionalism. We in the UK feel the same, US is our main ally and we always feel safer knowing the US has our backs if Russia attacked UK or mainland Europe. When I visited the British overseas territory of Gibraltar on the Southern tip of Spain I was astonished to see a massive joint UK and US nuclear capable naval base (the size of an entire town) with US warships lined up in the heart of the mediterranean alongside UK warships and nuclear subs...you can see how closely and well the US and UK work together around the world for global peace and security.
This another example of just how brilliant the US Army training is and integrated with the UK’s outstanding military abilities make the combined effort unmatchable.What a combo!🇬🇧🇺🇸👌
I’ve done 2 JRTC rotations to the box, I’ve spent about 32 days total in there. Some of the best (and hardest) training I’ve ever done. But it did a great job preparing me for our deployment to Afghanistan. My second rotation we had some Brits with us, not sure which unit though.
I spent a wonderful summer at Fort Polk in 1968. The nice people running the place had each day scheduled with different activities, from sun up, to sun down. Sometimes into the night. Plenty of fresh air, exercise, and three meals a day, what more could you want? Four months after leaving that paradise I arrived at another, know as the big green latrine, aka RVN
A long time ago, I served 21 years in the Marines (1968-1989) as an infantry officer with 3 years in combat. I think the recruit and officer candidate training today is more demanding than when I entered OCS, but the Vietnam War demanded a lot of people ASAP and so OCS training was trimmed by several weeks and Officer training was cut by 3 months to 6 months. The training was hard and there were 9 months crammed into 6 months. I felt prepared to lead a platoon of Marines in Vietnam. It was a hard year and I was mentally and physically exhausted when I returned to the states. I had also lost 30 pounds and a number of medical issues dealing with parasites and infections. My first 10 years in the Marines was leading platoons and companies with high training tempos, lots of exercises, and deployments aboard amphibious ships. I was a company commander during the evacuation of Saigon in April 1975 aboard the LPD USS Denver (among other amphibious ship types). We were always being changed to different ships and to different training areas in the western Pacific. From 1986-88 I was a LtCol who volunteered to serve two years in Latin America supporting counter-insurgency operations with the host nation's Army and Navy. It was not as dangerous as Vietnam, but still dangerous work. In all, I guess I should have died at least a dozen times in those 21 years, but somehow managed to finish with permanent back pain and a broken hip. The greatest honor in my life was leading Marines. I'd do it all again if I could. Semper Fi.
Respect to you from across the pond mate, Vietnam was way before i was alive but it looked a nasty conflict to be a part of. Hope you're doing well these days 👍🏻
When I was in the army, my unit took part in a training exercise for the Canadian Army as their OPFOR, us and the brit light infantry unit. I never did directly get to work with them, but got to speak with and hang out with them during the buildup to the exercise and it was just a cool experience getting to speak with fellow soldiers from a different country. Oh, and we (US and UK) kicked the Canadians’ asses, except when they called for fire and killed an entire company (US) and managed to “capture” a few brits.
Good Ol’ Ft. Polk. I Had the privilege to do a training exercise there with the 1st ID in 2014, 1st Armor DIV in 2015, and 1-157 CONG in 2018. 3 times in total, 2 trips to JRTC was smack in the dead of winter, and the last was in the rainy month of May. 😂 Don’t miss it at all. It’s the men I served with that I miss the most.
The problem is Salisbury plain pales in comparison to what the US can offer in terms of training real estate. Not saying the wind swept hell that is salisbury plain isnt arduous, just that its limited by its size.
The moors of Scotland 🏴 Freezing even in summer when the weather can change at a moments notice, just as bad in the Brecon’s in Wales toughen any Soldier up for mountain warfare .
Lol im from Louisiana and im in the army in Louisiana and we train at polk all the time. The jrtc rotation is literally hell. My unit stayed out in the box for 26 days straight
For a small nation we are made of tough stuff over here and our troops are definitely some of the best in the world, aswell as our American friends also.
In the 1980’s I served in the US Army and trained extensively at the NTC Fort Irwin, CA (Desert), and Graffenwoehr, and other training areas in Germany, Netherlands, France, and Denmark with British troops like the Royal Green Jackets and other NATO forces, French, Dutch, Spanish and German, etc. It was usually really great training and there were a lot more differences back then than today, due mostly to the more operations that have been run together in the GWOT. That’s important for our troops and countries in defense of freedom. I never got to train at Fort Polk, thankfully, just desert or wooded areas or urban, but I’ve lived in swampy/jungle areas most of my life and mostly in South Florida where those danger signs are in most communities and alligators can sometimes be seen crossing streets in populated areas, and snakes and other animals as well. That Helo training was always fun and grueling too. To think that I started in Hueys UH-1’s and Chinooks, Kiowa’s, and ended with Blackhawks, and they’re still kicking butt. Awesome.
This is very interesting! I was privileged to help train a company of the Coldstream Guards in 2006 in Wisconsin, and it is always instructive to work with our allies. I worked in the J-3 (Joint Air/Army Operations) shop at Volk Field coordinating rotary (helicopter) air transport support by an Illinois Army National Guard Chinook company for the Guards. They were very professional!
I served in the Navy in Vietnam, in the Mekong delta, 1970-1971, patrolling the river and its canals. Before shipping out we trained for a week on some island off of Seattle in the forest there. We had to live off the land for the week. But it was nowhere near as tough as Fort Polk. At least it was cool and dry.
Former 4/10 medic here, we spent months in the box while not deployed. We were probably the only unit that knew the box as well as OPFOR and it was still a challenge. Made us get work done on deployment though.
i noticed the opposing force still use the woodland camouflage, not the multicam/OCP camouflage. it just shows that the woodland camouflage is still an effective pattern on certain terrains...
509th uses a mix of OD, Tiger Stripe, Woodland, DCUs, civilian clothing and police uniforms depending on the role required. They are specifically prohibited from using contemporary allied patterns like multicam and UCP to prevent being confused.
"mastery of the fundementals." It's funny, I've heard that commented on before. Just doing the basic stuff consistently really really well. The Box looks an amazing environment to tighten-up field-craft.
I love the fact that the first two wars my nation fought we’re against the British, and yet now we are the closest of allies, having fought two world wars and a war on terror together. Says a lot about both countries I believe.
The British army has always trained in similar terrain. A snake is a snake, whether it bites you on Rattlesnake pass in Canada, Kenya or the Far East. The wild "boars" check out out the woods in Berlin.
They go for Jungle Training in Brunei, Borneo, complete with saltwater crocodiles, king cobras, reticulated pythons, bears, and just about everything the natural world generously dispenses, including toxic trees and plant life. And as far as I have seen on YT, it seems all units sent for training in Brunei, loved it. This exercise at Fort Polk in Louisiana, almost mirrors those swampy conditions.
The box! I was awarded an award there, when me and members of my unit, got an emergency resupply to a division the ammo an ordance and fuel, my team, 2 woman 4 Men lit the box with all their supplies in record time, shattered the previous record By a number of hours. They had 2 ceremonies and a night on the town, All in a day's work when you're committed to the right people and committed to the excercise.
I've heard how aggressive and dangerous wild pigs (boars?) can be. What an you do to defend yourselves if one decide to cut your leg open? (Assuming you only have blank ammo?)
@@GarrisonFall pray to the good Lord your buddies aren't mauled as well, and hope they can get out of the ruck before all the critters start sticking to your open wounds.
@@Wrestling4404 Hi and thanks Dan. I don't really understand your answer. My concern is with the soldier's safety if they are on exercise in areas where wild pigs (or boars) are found. I know they are dangerous but, without real bullets, how might the soldiers drive off or overcome the animals if they were to attack? It'd be like conducting training in Africa where lions might attack. I'd like to have something more than blanks to fire if a lion wanted me for lunch.
The Chinese are watching this like "you guys fought and died to be independent from the British", "and communist Vietnam is an American military ally, why?" HAHAHA
@LeMao ZeBron They realized the CCP were just using them as puppets. The reason the war was going on for so long was because of Chinese troops reinforcing them.
Bruh Vietnam is the one place no Chinese dynasty could ever conquer, they are quite literally unconquerable through history. Their biggest threat is China, so they are trying to survive.
Also we the British have completely changed because of the United States and very much for the better. We fight for democracy around the world I’m proud of our alliance.
For me as a German it's a bit sad to see that one training facility in the USA seems to use more helicopters than the German Bundeswehr has in total...
To all the U.S. veterans and current service personnel that might happen upon this, let me just say - Thank you for your service! I would further add; there are probably way, way more Americans running around with an ongoing feeling of gratitude toward you than you may realize.
I did my basic training at Fort Polk in 1968, before my year’s tour in the infantry in Vietnam. I don’t know which place was more miserable - Fort Polk or Vietnam - but I managed to survive them both.
Sheesh
Not much has changed since. Last I was there was 2017 or something. I don’t even remember. Life was a blur then.
Thank you for your service.
My brother was drafted in 1965, he wrote a letter to mom saying if he had to spend the next two years in Fort Polk he would volunteer for Vietnam instead, lol. He ended up in White Sands New Mexico.
Welcome Home!
"We landed several hours late..." Welcome to the military.
Sounds like how I go to school.
They probably were early too...hurry up and wait.
and miles off target
thats how i know its authentic
Yup, and in the box at JRTC if you’re not late then you’re doing it wrong. 😂😂
Former US Cavalry trooper here, I can unequivocally state that Ft Polk is one of the most miserable places on the North American continent, and I grew up in the South so the terrain wasn't terribly unfamiliar. That said, it was without a doubt some of the best training I ever had.
like miserable in the base or off it or both?
@@Austin_Sky both
@@Austin_Sky Both
@@Austin_Sky Both.
@Rejekelstrong Fair point, and I have to say that the Panamanian jungle sucked to operate in....but I expected it to. I grew up in Alabama so the weather/terrain/critters weren't much different than at Ft Polk, so I probably didn't expect it to be as bad as it was.
2-30 infantry battalion (wild boars) soldier here, these British troops did a phenomenal job out there with us in the box, hats off to them for going through one and the most miserable training center in America
Hey bud, what’s up with all your guys wearing FLC/Web gear and not plate carriers or IOTVs?
@@richnaper6666 They are playing Opfor during the rotation. It lets them run all around JRTC without all the mess the rest of us are carrying trying to catch them. Sometimes in the JRTC videos you will also see guys in the standard uniform not wearing kit, and there are always two or three times during the rotations where everything is stood down for half a day or so for various reasons.
30 year retired here. Ft Polk was never on my dream sheet.
It's the only thing my assignment officers got right.
sounds the same as what they're doing in the video, but instead of leaches, there's 6 different venomous snakes, and poison plants.
@@dustinpaul7183 There's leeches too, they only listed the most deadly and debilitating problems.
Leeches are the least of your worries in that area !
Great job to our UK brothers. My father always had remarkable things to say about his Brit buddies.
My old school friend was in the British parachute regiment for almost 20 years, he was a Sargent training up the next recruit's before he left, he had taken part in several training exercises in the US, possibly here, he always spoke very highly of his American counterparts, both infantry & Airborne.
In the US, Airborne is just a light infantry division or brigade with a fancy way of getting to the fight. They're still classified as Infantry - they just have an additional skill identifier that labels them as having been through Airborne school
@@deusvult6920 in the UK, Paras are equivalent of US Army Rangers.
@PLONG12345 No, they aren't. They aren't comparable on any level. The 75th is an elite light infantry unit and the Army's premier raid force. Your average Para is nowhere near that of the 75th.
@@DirtyMikeandTheBoys69In the UK the Paras and the Royal Marines are elite troops. Only the SAS/SBS rank above them.
@budte and? That doesn't mean either of them are comparable to the 75th Ranger Regiment, and there are several members of both the Paras and Royal Marines who will openly admit they are not comparable. I'm not saying they aren't good, they're great! But they are not comparable. It's like comparing an apple to a pineapple..
Hat's off to Sian for being with the troops whilst reporting on this gruelling exercise.
And the camera crew
@@torinjones3221 Defo mate!
Well said.
She's definitely got a level of fitness that the average journalist hasn't !
Can Sian and her crew be our new Government please?
"We landed hours later than planned". Classic military right there.
To be punctual is to be predictable, and to be predictable is a weakness. That's what I tell my shift manger anyway.
;D
Hey, it keeps the enemy on their toes.
Hurry up, and wait!
Wish I could do this more with the CAF. Don’t much chance to train with my old british family and my southern cousins
Come on down!
Matt so u think u are still tough enough after being softened up in the CAF???
@@marcs990 70% of being out in the field is you're mental ability to push through imo , seen many very fit and able young men start breaking on day 4 of an exercise because they gave up in they're mind long before they're body did. (Or im preaching to the choir and that was a stab at the book in not dig in crew XD )
Canada has no civilian leadership, sadly
@@enragedares5992 ..now but it doesn't make you think of yourself or
“We stretch you to the point where we can see all your holes”
Nahh m out 😂
straight up goatse new brigades
Royal Navy motto
🤣
yeah lmfao im just like "ok, sir".
Sus af
As a Welsh man I'm so proud of our boys and girls who put themselves in arms way to protect our freedoms like they always have throughout history awesome
My freedoms didn't feel threatened enough to bomb Iraq, Afghanistan.Lybia & Syrian civilians to oblivion.And they're adults not children, who volunteer & are paid by the state & go where politicians send them.
Retired US Navy here and I always enjoyed joint operations ... your friends make you stronger
The British and the USA are the best forces in the world together and always will be brother's for life God bless USA and UK.
Aye lad that's true but we canny forget the trio... Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
@@omclaren3467 British family?
@@KaoretheHalfDemon aye lad yes
Well said bro
US have some hard bastards. Happy we are a team
hell yeah gotta love our brothers from the UK
yes, but many love to hate us also =/
@killer1479 it’s called banter lol
God bless America from your Scottish brother's in arms take care and fight on troops
@@killer1479 it's banter, but also an American thing too
@@killer1479we don't love to hate you, we dislike your massive egos and ability to spread misinformation about your allies.
Do hope those lads brought some tea with them. I wouldn’t traverse through all of that without a cuppa in hand
Yeah the British will make a cup of tea in the middle of a firefight.
Plus milk and sugar.
No tea, only gatorade, the official drink of the south!
@@juliustheillustrious7727 i think you mean sweet tea bud
@@NatePrime also sweet tea lol
My old unit A Sqdn 1st QDGs. You've done more foot slogging the first day than I did in nine years.
Yeah, Here was me thinking QDGs were all mechanised. Fair play to them.
This is quite interesting and provides both armies with valuable experience of operating against technically advanced and equivalently trained militaries which they haven't actually had to encounter since WW2.
Indeed, it keeps both sides sharp and battle ready for pretty much anything.
Difference is today both armies can be combined into a single combat force under (if need be) a single chain of command along with other assets both domestic and from US allies. Training together is just the first piece of the puzzle.
That was excellent I look forward to your next installment!
Sian has done a tremendous job with this, incredible.
When the stuff really hits the fan, which is looking more likely with each passing day, the British and Americans will always stand shoulder to shoulder, and that's good enough for me and mine.
It would be nice to see NATO training.
The Brits infantry and SF are a tough bunch!
American Assessment of their Performance: "Masterful". It doesn't get much better than that. 🇺🇸🍻🇬🇧
I remember Ft Polk Louisanna 1974 .I just turned 17 and joined the Army . Basic training was pretty tough all of the drill instructors were Vietnam combat experienced .Today I turn 65 .And I thank God for directing me to the Army . If I didn't join back than I wouldn't have my lucrative retirement I got now .
Ah Louisiana….my home state is an American green hell.
Glad the brits think it is too..
Just like Georgia without the alligators, The sun is your main enemy here
Florida : Ever heard of florida man
I think youll find the Ross clan are from sutherland. 🏴
@@flexsealm1a2sepv3 Nah. Love it here. The terrain in Louisiana is horrible
@@xxtripleok what part you from?
I stay in central
The British have an excellent military, but the UK keeps cutting them.
As a British ex military well said Yank
British sas ww2 is insane, look the ability far away from troops on ww3
Liberal politics
@@Golgi-Gyges The Conservative party has been in power since 2010 so I'd hardly call the cuts to the UK armed forces "liberal politics".
@Blaze Temp Smooth brain take
The more we train together, the better it will be when we fight the bad guys. Both militarys need this.
Nice to know that some of the most deadly snakes enjoy chasing soldiers…that is crazy.
You should look up some videos of cottonmouths they are large, deadly, and made of pure rage.
@@Indeciferable Ugh, sounds dreadful. I salute all the soldiers who go through this rigorous training to protect the freedoms we enjoy in the West.
Wild hogs arnt a joke either. The can charge you and rip you open from ankle to groin on heart beat.
@@MrLmao37 All I can say is that facing not only the challenges of training but also that of Mother Nature, these men and women deserve our support, regardless of their nation. All this to protect our way of life.
AKA the Water Moccasin. They are mean mean snakes. Very hard to see and they give you no warning other than a swift charge. And yes the same for those Boar, they will destroy you, they have that Russian Razorback in their blood. They didn’t even say anything about the Gators, better choot em.
Invite the Americans to Brecon in October. Would be fun!
A Michigan National Guard friend went there. I don’t remember if it was October but he loved the experience.
@John Cliff In many parts of the US, like where I live, it gets much colder, windier, and snowier than Brecon. 100 degrees F and tornadoes in the summer with 0 degress and blizzards in the winters. I would actually prefer the Brecon winter. It's climate statistics look much more relaxing and mild
Good to see OUR cousins from across the pond finally in The Box! Hooah!
Much respect to my American brothers and sisters!
That terrain looked really challenging, not to mention snakes and gators that are not fearful of any human and will attack you.
Well Done to you all.
My Family and myself would like to Thank You All for Your Service.
ATB Reeco
It's hard to think that people are worried about them. I live in FL and when you go into the woods you never even think about them. You know they are out there but you don't really think about it, just another walk in the park type of thing.
I think the heat and humidity would be the hardest part for me
Now this is tax Dollars well spent. Should be doing more joint training with our British and Canadian brethren.
Yep totally agree with you we should be training together all the time American and British troops are the best of the best and God have mercy on the silly enemys of our amazing countries cause it never usually ends well for them lol big shout out to my ex regiment 23 pioneer god bless you all
As well as the Canadians get the Aussies and Kiwis involved as well. Proven warriors are the Anzac boys.
@@LookHereMars aye bring out the Anglosphere, best warriors for the past 500 years.
Correct me if I'm wrong, heard Canada military is training with China soldiers on Canada soil.
@@rossnaylor81 what about German, French, Saudi, Japanese, SK troops? Aren't they amazing too?
Shoutout to this lady, walking across the Box at night is anything but easy. Take it from a Gman, I know.
Hear hear! Came to say the same thing.
I kind of think its crazy she's wearing all black in a Lousiana summer.
Going through the “box” a few times was Brutal. Years later, got the opportunity to be an augmentee, that was the most fun I have ever had in an actual training environment. Gave me a whole new perspective on how much fun Geronimo has while their jacking you up.
Our British allies r awesome we appreciate everything ur country does to help us ur soldiers r always side by side with us in any hostel situation we've been in since our 2 countries have grown so close to each other thank u guys for wat u do and know we'll always be there for u guys whenever needed hope these British soldiers had a great time over here taking part in this with us 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇪🇺
Very nice and full hearted..
There isn't any other channel even close to this on UA-cam right? And I can't express enough regard towards the men and women in the armed forces around the world, protecting free speech, free press, religious freedom and democracy. You are the guardians of our societies and our way of life. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your service.
Love to hear my US infantry brothers have never lost in joint combat training. Huge respect. USAF veteran myself :P
Stationed at polk 3 and half years, 3x ntc, lived in the woods halfway to Alex, good memories
Thoroughly enjoyed that, can't wait for the next report , good to see the boys doing us Brits proud.
I did two rotations when JRTC was at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. Best training of my term of service.
🏴 hat’s off to our guys for the training they received. Good to know that America is on our side in any conflict. 🇺🇸👍👍👍👍👍
Look at that COL’s next Gen pistol belt, lol gotta love the cycling of army gear
Interesting watching, looks like a good det.
Plenty of varied conditions to learn to cope with.
Seethe cope and dilate.
The British are our most important ally in the world. Glad to see we can help them sharpen up. 🇺🇸 🇬🇧
Don't need any one to sharpen our lads up.
@@paulAnthony7236 lol. I guess you guys have a cutting edge that never dulls. Oh that British optimism! I see where we Americans get it from.
USA massive respect for the professionalism. We in the UK feel the same, US is our main ally and we always feel safer knowing the US has our backs if Russia attacked UK or mainland Europe. When I visited the British overseas territory of Gibraltar on the Southern tip of Spain I was astonished to see a massive joint UK and US nuclear capable naval base (the size of an entire town) with US warships lined up in the heart of the mediterranean alongside UK warships and nuclear subs...you can see how closely and well the US and UK work together around the world for global peace and security.
Speaking the same language really helps hahah
@@danielporter5102 it’s not always the same grammar though.🇬🇧
This another example of just how brilliant the US Army training is and integrated with the UK’s outstanding military abilities make the combined effort unmatchable.What a combo!🇬🇧🇺🇸👌
God bless to our British brothers across the pond!
I’ve done 2 JRTC rotations to the box, I’ve spent about 32 days total in there. Some of the best (and hardest) training I’ve ever done. But it did a great job preparing me for our deployment to Afghanistan. My second rotation we had some Brits with us, not sure which unit though.
Late reply but how were they? As a Scotsman I’m interested in seeing Americans working with brits
@@Dixon-d1c there were solid! Very fun guys too, they were great to work with. They were not fans of our food though 😂
This has to be every soldiers dream to do this kind of exercise! I would love to get the chance to be part of this
I hope there's a part 2. I would love to see more of this.
THANK'S BRITISH TROOP'S..THE WHOLE'S HAVE OPENED UP AGAIN
I spent a wonderful summer at Fort Polk in 1968. The nice people running the place had each day scheduled with different activities, from sun up, to sun down. Sometimes into the night. Plenty of fresh air, exercise, and three meals a day, what more could you want? Four months after leaving that paradise I arrived at another, know as the big green latrine, aka RVN
A long time ago, I served 21 years in the Marines (1968-1989) as an infantry officer with 3 years in combat.
I think the recruit and officer candidate training today is more demanding than when I entered OCS, but the Vietnam War demanded a lot of people ASAP and so OCS training was trimmed by several weeks and Officer training was cut by 3 months to 6 months. The training was hard and there were 9 months crammed into 6 months. I felt prepared to lead a platoon of Marines in Vietnam. It was a hard year and I was mentally and physically exhausted when I returned to the states. I had also lost 30 pounds and a number of medical issues dealing with parasites and infections.
My first 10 years in the Marines was leading platoons and companies with high training tempos, lots of exercises, and deployments aboard amphibious ships.
I was a company commander during the evacuation of Saigon in April 1975 aboard the LPD USS Denver (among other amphibious ship types). We were always being changed to different ships and to different training areas in the western Pacific.
From 1986-88 I was a LtCol who volunteered to serve two years in Latin America supporting counter-insurgency operations with the host nation's Army and Navy. It was not as dangerous as Vietnam, but still dangerous work.
In all, I guess I should have died at least a dozen times in those 21 years, but somehow managed to finish with permanent back pain and a broken hip.
The greatest honor in my life was leading Marines. I'd do it all again if I could. Semper Fi.
Respect to you from across the pond mate, Vietnam was way before i was alive but it looked a nasty conflict to be a part of. Hope you're doing well these days 👍🏻
So you lost every War you have ever been in
Who asked?
It sounds like a great life!👍
Respect to you from the UK pal.
When I was in the army, my unit took part in a training exercise for the Canadian Army as their OPFOR, us and the brit light infantry unit. I never did directly get to work with them, but got to speak with and hang out with them during the buildup to the exercise and it was just a cool experience getting to speak with fellow soldiers from a different country. Oh, and we (US and UK) kicked the Canadians’ asses, except when they called for fire and killed an entire company (US) and managed to “capture” a few brits.
Good Ol’ Ft. Polk. I Had the privilege to do a training exercise there with the 1st ID in 2014, 1st Armor DIV in 2015, and 1-157 CONG in 2018. 3 times in total, 2 trips to JRTC was smack in the dead of winter, and the last was in the rainy month of May. 😂 Don’t miss it at all. It’s the men I served with that I miss the most.
Please show one of the many training area’s in the UK where British, America and allies train like they do here. E.g Salisbury plain.
The problem is Salisbury plain pales in comparison to what the US can offer in terms of training real estate.
Not saying the wind swept hell that is salisbury plain isnt arduous, just that its limited by its size.
Catterick where I did my basic in winter was a NIGHTMARE
@@marcs990 Nightmare is to nice a description of Winter in Catterick
The Brecon beacons in wales.....especially in Winter.
The moors of Scotland 🏴 Freezing even in summer when the weather can change at a moments notice, just as bad in the Brecon’s in Wales toughen any Soldier up for mountain warfare .
Lol im from Louisiana and im in the army in Louisiana and we train at polk all the time. The jrtc rotation is literally hell. My unit stayed out in the box for 26 days straight
The Brits have beaten us in Louisiana twice before, so I hope we don’t get too cocky. 😉
As a history fan I approve of this comment...
For a small nation we are made of tough stuff over here and our troops are definitely some of the best in the world, aswell as our American friends also.
@@Parkerlee1000 thanks for your input.
History repeats itself
In 1814 we took a little trip🎶🎶
I love that song I remember hearing it as a small child and I’ve loved it ever since.
Get on lads
In the 1980’s I served in the US Army and trained extensively at the NTC Fort Irwin, CA (Desert), and Graffenwoehr, and other training areas in Germany, Netherlands, France, and Denmark with British troops like the Royal Green Jackets and other NATO forces, French, Dutch, Spanish and German, etc. It was usually really great training and there were a lot more differences back then than today, due mostly to the more operations that have been run together in the GWOT. That’s important for our troops and countries in defense of freedom. I never got to train at Fort Polk, thankfully, just desert or wooded areas or urban, but I’ve lived in swampy/jungle areas most of my life and mostly in South Florida where those danger signs are in most communities and alligators can sometimes be seen crossing streets in populated areas, and snakes and other animals as well. That Helo training was always fun and grueling too. To think that I started in Hueys UH-1’s and Chinooks, Kiowa’s, and ended with Blackhawks, and they’re still kicking butt. Awesome.
really enjoy the way Ms. Sian G. uses one word to announce the different segments of video. No posh.
0:30 "The British are coming", haven't we seen this happen before guys?
Paul revere type beat 🔥
And do we all remember how it ended?
i think there's a song about this....
Hell yes lads Wales is proud of you
“We stretch you to the point where we can see all your holes” I think he meant what I think he meant.
Navy: And then we fill them!
This is very interesting! I was privileged to help train a company of the Coldstream Guards in 2006 in Wisconsin, and it is always instructive to work with our allies. I worked in the J-3 (Joint Air/Army Operations) shop at Volk Field coordinating rotary (helicopter) air transport support by an Illinois Army National Guard Chinook company for the Guards. They were very professional!
Great report. Lovely videography and reporting and Di awn to the Welsh Cavalry!
Da iawn?
I was stationed and trained at Fort Polk in 1969-1970 before deployment
Learn to set personal boundaries. To develop. All of life is development towards how our skills allow us to adapt to change.
Terrific opener. Outstanding
The brits are very good ! I worked with them at fort Polk, they’re fast and move very efficiently
I served in the Navy in Vietnam, in the Mekong delta, 1970-1971, patrolling the river and its canals. Before shipping out we trained for a week on some island off of Seattle in the forest there. We had to live off the land for the week. But it was nowhere near as tough as Fort Polk. At least it was cool and dry.
This is just a school holiday caravan trip to North Queensland :) :)
Former 4/10 medic here, we spent months in the box while not deployed. We were probably the only unit that knew the box as well as OPFOR and it was still a challenge. Made us get work done on deployment though.
2:26 the guy on the left side of the screen I know. I was with him in NJROTC in High School ha ha!
Be safe out there people. Love to all
I served at Ft. Polk back when it was still the home of the 5th Inf. Mech. (The Red Devils). My unit there was C Co. 3rd Bn. 77th AR.
Huuah! That brings back some memories from two rotations in Polk with the 2/502nd and 1/187th back in the day....
Reminded me back when i was there
I do appreciate a good hard training center. The military training now isn't like the 90s era
i noticed the opposing force still use the woodland camouflage, not the multicam/OCP camouflage. it just shows that the woodland camouflage is still an effective pattern on certain terrains...
Looked like tiger stripe to me.
509th uses a mix of OD, Tiger Stripe, Woodland, DCUs, civilian clothing and police uniforms depending on the role required. They are specifically prohibited from using contemporary allied patterns like multicam and UCP to prevent being confused.
"mastery of the fundementals." It's funny, I've heard that commented on before. Just doing the basic stuff consistently really really well.
The Box looks an amazing environment to tighten-up field-craft.
“We stretch you to the point where we can see all your holes” my wife just said "sign me up for 12 days"
Clearly, you aren't getting the job done.
I dont get it
And a British soldier says hold me tea gis 5mins I'll show these American geezers how we lions do like I said mate hold me tea.
You should divorce your wife.
She's your keeper
Ahhh Fort Polk, them wild horses were beautiful.
I love the fact that the first two wars my nation fought we’re against the British, and yet now we are the closest of allies, having fought two world wars and a war on terror together. Says a lot about both countries I believe.
those wars were pretty much British against British, the majority of Americans came or had relatives in the British isles
@@markcrane9661 Well, I guess that is true. My most recent non-native American ancestor came here from Scotland in 1736.
I remember when survivor man survived out there for a week. He said it was one of the toughest places he did it in the world
Love to see the Brits and Yanks have some friendly rivalry! Who knew in 1776 that we would be so close 250 years later!
I was stationed there my entire enlistment. Such a pleasant climate with so many activities to do right off post.
The British army has always trained in similar terrain. A snake is a snake, whether it bites you on Rattlesnake pass in Canada, Kenya or the Far East. The wild "boars" check out out the woods in Berlin.
They go for Jungle Training in Brunei, Borneo, complete with saltwater crocodiles, king cobras, reticulated pythons, bears, and just about everything the natural world generously dispenses, including toxic trees and plant life. And as far as I have seen on YT, it seems all units sent for training in Brunei, loved it. This exercise at Fort Polk in Louisiana, almost mirrors those swampy conditions.
"We stretch you to the point where we can see all your holes" Well, I guess the military is really changing socially.
Did that plenty of times with the 10th mountain when I was stationed there at Ft Polk
Think I’d prefer this training area than Otterburn 😂
The box! I was awarded an award there, when me and members of my unit, got an emergency resupply to a division the ammo an ordance and fuel, my team, 2 woman 4 Men lit the box with all their supplies in record time, shattered the previous record By a number of hours. They had 2 ceremonies and a night on the town, All in a day's work when you're committed to the right people and committed to the excercise.
I detested Ft Puck, the wild pigs are even more aggressive then the ones in Germany.
I've heard how aggressive and dangerous wild pigs (boars?) can be. What an you do to defend yourselves if one decide to cut your leg open? (Assuming you only have blank ammo?)
@@GarrisonFall pray to the good Lord your buddies aren't mauled as well, and hope they can get out of the ruck before all the critters start sticking to your open wounds.
@@Wrestling4404 Hi and thanks Dan. I don't really understand your answer. My concern is with the soldier's safety if they are on exercise in areas where wild pigs (or boars) are found. I know they are dangerous but, without real bullets, how might the soldiers drive off or overcome the animals if they were to attack? It'd be like conducting training in Africa where lions might attack. I'd like to have something more than blanks to fire if a lion wanted me for lunch.
I'm from Polk. The video quality make the box feel like a dream
The Chinese are watching this like "you guys fought and died to be independent from the British", "and communist Vietnam is an American military ally, why?" HAHAHA
@LeMao ZeBron They realized the CCP were just using them as puppets. The reason the war was going on for so long was because of Chinese troops reinforcing them.
And Mongol used to control China.
Bruh Vietnam is the one place no Chinese dynasty could ever conquer, they are quite literally unconquerable through history. Their biggest threat is China, so they are trying to survive.
The bankers own all nations. The world is a stage, full of actors.
Also we the British have completely changed because of the United States and very much for the better. We fight for democracy around the world I’m proud of our alliance.
Welcome, brothers. Steel sharpens steel.
For me as a German it's a bit sad to see that one training facility in the USA seems to use more helicopters than the German Bundeswehr has in total...
Your time is coming!
Beautiful Welsh regiment and of course English officers.
To all the U.S. veterans and current service personnel that might happen upon this, let me just say - Thank you for your service! I would further add; there are probably way, way more Americans running around with an ongoing feeling of gratitude toward you than you may realize.
This sounds like it would be the funnest game of airsoft or paintball ever lol