The famous Royal 22nd Regiment, more commonly known as the “Vandoos”, go through the rigours of urban warfare as the Regiment prepares for deployment to Afghanistan. Their house-to-house combat training is conducted at the renowned US Army Urban Warfare facility in Fort Drum, New York. This unique simulated urban area, which is the size of Metropolitan Toronto, is known within the army as “Sim City” and features all the typical challenges infantry would face preparing for their forthcoming Afghanistan deployment. The training and pressure is intense. See our young soldiers as they prepare for as many of the scenarios they can expect in a war zone.
Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) has become an integral part of the Canadian Navy’s deployment preparations. From the Adriatic Sea to the Persian Gulf, young sailors have been called upon to board, search and seize ships under United Nations mandates. Often the boarding teams deal with hostile opposition – they have prepared for any event. In this fascinating show, we join a group of young sailors from various Canadian warships, doing the basic Boarding Party Course in Esquimalt, British Columbia. From learning hand-to-hand combat to searching the depths of large container ships, we see and experience what these sailors must deal with at sea during dangerous and challenging boarding operations.
Every year One Canadian Mechanized Battle Group (1 CMBG), based in Edmonton Alberta, holds a military fitness competition known as the Mountain Man Challenge. Usually over 250 participants tackle the 32km trek through the Edmonton River Valley Trail system. Each soldier is required to shoulder a 15kg rucksack throughout the course and during one 3.2km section, carry two sandbags weighing 18kg. The Mountain Man Challenge involves members of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), 1 Field Ambulance, Service Battalion and Combat Engineers. This show features segments on Army physical fitness standards and Army occupations.
Every pilot’s worst nightmare is to be shot down behind enemy lines or over hostile territory. The Canadian Air Force, like those of other NATO nations, has developed a unique and intense training course to prepare its pilots for the worst. The air force SERE (Survive, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) training highlighted in this show is conducted in Springer Lake Manitoba. From learning how to survive off the land to evading tracking dogs and soldiers, we follow a group of young pilots are they learn all about survival behind the lines. Very, very intense!
The Royal Military College (RMC) is the academic school for training young officers for the Canadian military. We follow four young cadets at RMC as they go through their final week before being "badged" by their squadrons. The show includes daily routines, profiles officer occupations and highlights a rigorous obstacle course and the cadet’s final parade.
Most people don’t think of mountain training when they think of soldiers. However, recent Canadian deployments in areas such as Afghanistan and the Balkans confirmed the importance of infantry soldiers understanding the fundamentals of dealing with mountain operations. In Mountain Operations, we join a group of young soldiers from the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Canmore, Alberta as they go through the thrills and chills of dealing with heights, vertigo and operations at 8000 feet.
The two greatest dangers facing all naval personnel at sea are fire and flooding onboard a warship. Whether induced by combat or through accident, the smoke from fires and the icy water of a sinking ship are all deadly. Canadian Naval Officers who are going through the Naval Officer Training Centre in Esquimalt British Columbia are required to pass the two-week Damage Control school. After classroom instruction, these young officers are put into special simulators that have real fires and floods they must deal with. From the chilling cold of the sea water which never seems to stop entering the compartment, dealing with back-draft fire balls and claustrophobia – these future naval officers are ready for the challenge!
Each year the best tank crews in the Lord Strathconas, based in Edmonton Alberta, hold a tank competition with the US National Guard. The Canadian teams are using older Leopard I tanks while the American team is using M1A1 Abram tanks which have been proven on the battlefields of the Persian Gulf. In four of the last five years, the Canadian teams have won. Can they do it again? We join four tank team crews from both Canada and the USA as they go head-to-head in this explosive and visually stimulating battle competition in Boise, Idaho.
We follow a group of young Canadian sailors, who are already qualified as ship divers, as they try to pass the physically intense Clearance Diver Prelim course. This preliminary course is meant to weed out the volunteers and determine who is best suited for the challenges and dangers of being one of the Navy’s elite Clearance Divers. The short course is grueling and intense. Watch these young sailors as the all strive to be the best they can be!
Tactical Helicopters on the modern battlefield are incredibly important to success. From spotting armoured vehicles to doing vertical insertions of infantry, Griffon helicopters can do it all for the Canadian Army. In this episode we follow a group of new pilots who are going through TACHEL (Tactical Helicopter) training in Gagetown, New Brunswick. These pilots must learn about everything from flying at treetop level to doing landings at night in battlefield conditions. Come experience the exhilaration and chills these young Canadian pilots face in the final days of their training.
Snipers are one of the deadliest battlefield assets a commander can have. They can get behind enemy lines to do intelligence work, stall a convoy of vehicles and even take out selected individuals. Expert marksmen armed with incredible stamina, snipers are a special breed within the Army. In this episode, we go to Gagetown, New Brunswick, to follow the annual Sniper Concentration. Over twenty sniper teams from throughout NATO come to share their field craft, tactics, and weapon knowledge and compete. This episode also includes highlights of heroic work done by our very own Canadian snipers in Afghanistan.
As proven in World War Two, paratroopers are force-multipliers for the commander in the field. Paratroopers can be inserted behind enemy lines to take and hold important strategic links and positions before the enemy can destroy them. It takes a special breed of soldier to be willing to jump out of an aircraft with 100lbs of equipment on their backs and drop into possible battle. We go Trenton, Ontario, to follow a group of young soldiers from the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry who want to earn their paratrooper wings. The training is intense and the pressure acute – any mistakes could cost them their lives. This episode also features a segment about the Army’s elite parachutist known as the Sky Hawks who compete in a national skydiving competition and who made an appearance at the SARS/Rolling Stone concert in Toronto.
Truth, Duty, Valour travels to CFB Gagetown to join Army Combat Divers from across Canada during Exercise Roguish Buoy. This exercise is designed to help divers hone their skills, trade information and BLOW THINGS UP! From demolition to protecting landing troops, Army Combat Divers do it all.
We travel to Borden, Ontario for the first ever Medic Competition. This event takes place over a concentrated sixty hour window with 15 medic teams from across Canada competing to win the trophy. Two medic teams are followed throughout this competition. The scenarios are intense, bloody, and full of surprises for our young medics!
In military lingo it is known as “NEO” or Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations. The Army trains the NEO unit to be on the alert to travel overseas on a moment’s notice to help evacuate Canadian citizens in areas of conflict or disaster, such as their recent hurricane relief in Haiti. We join troops from the PPCLI based in Edmonton as they undergo this intense and stressful training.
The crew of the Navy’s MCDVs (Maritime Coastal Defence Vessels) is drawn from Reserve units throughout Canada. We join alongside the young crew of HMCS Nanaimo, based in Esquimalt BC, and experience their training first hand. From fires to casualties, they face it all in training as they learn to defend our Maritime Coast!
Every August, the Army Reserves from each major region of Canada hold large annual training exercises that force their soldiers to bring all their skill sets together. Truth, Duty, Valour joins soldiers from throughout Ontario at CFB Petawawa as they train for a week during Exercise Stalwart Guardian. From artillery fire to 24-hour urban house-to-house combat - their training is a rush to watch!
Fire is a constant threat for military personnel, especially for those that fly aircraft. From ships at sea to major land operations – the Canadian Forces depend on military fire fighters to protect & save lives. In this episode Truth, Duty, Valour goes to Borden, Ontario, to watch a class of journeymen learn what it takes to become a Canadian Forces Fire Fighter.
Search and Rescue Technicians, known as SAR Techs, annually hold a competition to see who the best teams are from across Canada. The event fosters great morale, learning and – COMPETITION! This year Truth, Duty, Valour follows two teams throughout the week long event in Comox, British Columbia.
Pathfinders are an elite group of Canadian soldiers who are trained to be parachuted behind enemy lines to conduct operations such as ambushes, reconnaissance and guide in major airborne assaults. In this two part series, we join 20 young men who attempt to pass the difficult 12 week long Pathfinders course – until only the best stay standing!
Continuation of episode one. We see the remaining group of Pathfinder candidates put through some tough assessments and training that challenges both their mental and physical capabilities. From fast-cast insertions to conducting landings off a warship to rescuing hostages, the Pathfinders are put to the ultimate tests. Who will ultimately finish this course and be Canada’s next elite Pathfinder team? Tune in and find out!
The soldiers, engineers and armoured personnel at CFB Petawawa train for their forthcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Truth, Duty, Valour learns everything from how soldiers get through an armed blockade to the difficulties of providing humanitarian assistance after a bomb goes off. This thrilling episode shows what the Canadian Army really goes through in order to deploy to dangerous missions overseas.
Ship borne helicopters are an integral and critical part of the weapons system of a modern warship. Though somewhat older, the Sea King helicopters of the Canadian Navy are still reliable and potent air platforms. From dropping torpedoes on enemy submarines to rescuing sailors in a sinking freighter, Sea Kings and their crews are still a force to be reckoned with. In this episode, Truth, Duty, Valour joins a Sea King detachment onboard HMCS Athabaskan as it conducts warfare training.
The officers and sailors of this Halifax based frigate are attached to the NATO navy squadron known as SNFL (Standing NATO Force Atlantic). Truth, Duty, Valour joins them in Norfolk, Virginia, as they go to sea and train for possible deployment to hotspots throughout the world. We also learn about the advanced weapons and sensor suites onboard the technological advanced City Class frigates that are the pride of the Canadian Navy.
Each year the Canadian Air Force conducts a preliminary screening test in Jarvis Lake, Alberta to determine who the next group of Search & Rescue Technicians will be. Truth, Duty, Valour follows SAR training as only the best make the cut!
Sea mines are one of the most dangerous legacies of past wars, silently floating beneath the surface… waiting for a victim. Canadian Navy clearance divers are specially trained to deal with unexploded ordnance, including sea mines. This is extremely dangerous work but these divers are up to the task. Follow Canada’s hottest divers as they learn how to search…and destroy!
On the modern battlefield artillery has been a key component to both offensive and defensive tactics. Recently, the Royal Canadian Artillery has gone through dramatic changes in both equipment and roles. From new M155 guns to unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles, gunners are at the forefront of the army’s new technology. Artillery is the King of Battle!
Canada and the other members of NATO have a permanent task group that is always on guard to meet any threat or need at sea. They’re on duty year-round, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This year, Canada commands the seven nation squadron as it sails throughout the Mediterranean and seas surrounding Europe. We join the crew of H.M.C.S. Iroquois on this multi-national force and learn how they train for counter-terrorism operations.
When there is a cry for help – one trade is always ready to help, ready to save lives…even if it means putting their own on the line. Medics. From deployed combat operations in Afghanistan to disaster relief around the world, medics make a difference. We join members of 2 Field Ambulance in Petawawa as they prepare for operations around the world -- training soldiers to help their comrades injured in war.
UN operations in East Timor and Somalia demonstrated Canada’s need for an amphibious capability to help support ground and air units ashore. An amphibious capability also helps the Canadian Forces during emergency evacuation operations such as during the fighting in Lebanon in 2006. TDV joins members of the Army, Navy and Air Force as they undertake a grand experiment – a fully joint maritime force that sails with USN assets to the beaches of North Carolina to conduct a full-scale landing operation. This is history in the making on Truth Duty Valour!
During the past century, citizen soldiers, or reservists, have been the backbone of the Army. Today, Army Reservists are critical to the success of Canada’s overseas deployments and missions. They have also played a pivotal role during emergencies at home, such as the flooding of the Red River in Manitoba and the Ice Storm in Ontario and Quebec. We join members of Army Reserve units in the Maritimes as they train during one of their biggest exercises of the year and learn what it takes to be a Canadian citizen soldier!
During World War II, Canadian soldiers distinguished themselves in Sicily and Holland, fighting the Nazis in tough house-to-house combat. Today, the Canadian Army continues to train and hone their skills in urban warfare for deployment overseas. Truth Duty Valour joins young soldiers from 3 Royal Canadian Regiment as they learn all the tricks to keep a low profile and overcome the enemy on the streets of Afghanistan!
Canada is blessed with some of the longest and most beautiful coastlines of the world. Protecting them is a big job. The Air Force rises to this challenge with their fleet of Aurora aircraft. The Aurora is the eyes and ears of the Canadian Forces. From patrols over the Arctic to searching for survivors at sea, the Aurora’s and their highly trained crews answer the call of duty. Truth Duty Valour joins members of 407 Maritime Patrol Squadron to see what they do day in and day out … in war and peace.
Combat…the most challenging and frightening place to be for anyone. For leaders, it’s a nightmare. Simple tasks become insurmountable, but you have to win in battle. Tough decisions are made under constant stress, in the cold and with little sleep. This is when true leaders show their abilities. At the Army Leadership Academy in Petawawa, instructors mould young soldiers into the leaders of tomorrow. Truth Duty Valour gets inside the program with a group of rookies as they are put to the test. Watch them slug it out, pay the price and fight to make the grade!
The Snowbirds are a Canadian icon. The Snowbirds acrobatic team has thrilled millions of people during the last 30 years with their death-defying flying and precision drills. They race through the sky, missing each other by inches every time. Danger hides behind every curve. It takes nerves of steel and a passion for perfection to fly in this unit. Truth Duty Valour is invited inside the Snowbird team to witness what it takes to be some of the best pilots in the world!
The CMTC is the pride of the Canadian Army. Set deep in the plains of Alberta, there is nothing like this in the world. The military has turned 640 square kilometers into a virtual Afghanistan. Using state of the art lasers, computers, actors and at least 8 simulated villages – the Army is training large numbers of soldiers combat drills for the real world. Join Truth Duty Valour with members of the Royal 22nd Regiment as they train for deployment. Next stop… Afghanistan.
Submarines are one of the most capable and cost-effective ways a nation can assert sovereignty over their waterways. Truth Duty Valour travels to the frigid waters off Norway to spend ten days underwater with the crew of H.M.C.S. Corner Brook as they train the commanders of tomorrow! From covert intelligence gathering to evasive operations, we learn what it takes to be a submariner. Submariners rule the waves!
The movement of logistics and troops is critical to success in battle and UN missions anywhere in the world. Canada has a special squadron, based in Trenton Ontario, whose sole focus is to support the Canadian Forces on every mission. From relief aid air drops in Africa to ammunition transfer in Afghanistan or personnel deployment overseas, the men and women of 8 Wing do it all!
Sailors on Canadian frigate HMCS Toronto set out on a historic NATO mission - the circumnavigation of Africa. As they sail toward the troubled waters around the horn of Africa they prepare for the possible dangers they could encounter. It turns out to be a trip of a lifetime, one no one will soon forget.
Twelve men and women from various backgrounds in the Navy come together to complete the grueling ship's team diver's course. They learn lessons that will save their lives when they are faced with dangers such as currents, explosives and night dives. TDV catches up with them for the last two weeks of the 6-week course as they strive to prove they are worthy of calling themselves military divers.
Part one of Boot Camp follows a 14 week ordeal that turns ordinary civilians into extraordinary soldiers. We follow five of the candidates at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School where the mud, sweat and tears turn out to be too much for some to handle and just the beginning for others.
Part two of Boot Camp continues to track new recruits who are attempting to finish the toughest training of their lives all the way to graduation day. Some make it through Canadian Forces Basic Training, and some don't. Find out who has the guts and who shares in the glory.
Canada's commitment to international maritime security is demonstrated by a history of deploying vessels and aircraft to the troubled waters of the Middle East. TDV joins the Halifax-based frigate HMCS Charlottetown and her Sea King helicopter, as she leaves the port of Dubai, UAE, transits the congested Strait of Hormuz and patrols the north Arabian Sea. Under the leadership of Commanding Officer Patrick St. Denis, the 250 men and women aboard the frigate candidly reveal their dedication to participating in the U.S.-led coalition campaign against terrorism in this turbulent region.
More than 500 Canadian Reservists travel to Fort Bliss, Texas for Desert Warfare training. As Reservists, they have volunteered for deployment to Afghanistan. We follow them as they train for the dangerous combat logistics patrols they will conduct overseas and get a sense of why they have chosen to leave behind work, studies and family to deploy with the Regular force.
Naval Boarding Parties are as old as navies themselves but never before has a television crew documented a Canadian Naval Boarding Party at work uncovering and seizing illicit contraband in the Arabian Sea. TDV features the 20-member Boarding Party of the frigate HMCS Charlottetown as the team boards a wooden fishing dhow, deemed a vessel of interest, and conducts a systematic search of its crew and their boat ultimately uncovering 4.3 tons of hashish, the largest drug bust in the region since 2005.
Three years in a row, an elite group of the finest cadets from the Royal Military College in Kingston have traveled to historic West Point Academy in New York for an international military skills competition and won against the best. We follow the team as they rebuild, train and hone their skills in an attempt to prove themselves for an unprecedented fourth time on the world stage.
From across the globe, fighter pilots come to fly, fight and train every year at Exercise Maple Flag where a giant war game is fought over the skies of Northern Canada. Meet the rookies and the top guns, explore the CF-18 inside and out and get in the game.
Over the vast unrestricted skies of Northern Alberta, an all-out war game kicks off bringing together international aircrews, every tactical air frame imaginable all with an eye towards training - training for the new era that is coalition warfare. From special forces to helo squadrons find out who’s new to these war games and who's back for more.
TDV catches up with this year's team of kamikaze parachutists, the Canadian Forces SkyHawks, as they prepare for their 2008 show season. We enter the world of the exhaustive training it takes to create and perfect their air show - both mentally and physically, and give you a behind-the-scenes look at life on the road during their six-month tour across North America.
Seven warships from around the world gather in Quebec City for it's 400th anniversary. War veterans remember those lost during the Battle of the Atlantic ceremony. Everywhere, Naval Reservists are there. More than just part-time Sailors, Naval Reservists are a key component of the Navy, safeguarding Canada's Maritime Security. Pitted against a backdrop rich in naval history and tradition, this episode takes a look at what it means to be a Naval Reservist.
From the rugged coast of Newfoundland to mountainous terrain in British Columbia, to the ice fields in the Rockies, this episode brings you an exclusive behind the scenes look at the world of military search and rescue. Focusing on Search and Rescue Technicians, we get to know the types of people interested in risking their lives every day to rescue people in the most precarious situations.
