Description

For the first time ever the Ministry of Defence has allowed the work of the specialist bomb disposal teams in Afghanistan to be shown.

After a missile strike kills an insurgent laying an IED, bomb disposal operator Rod and his team are dropped into the area by helicopter to investigate. Captured on helmet camera, we see what Rod sees as he is standing over the bomb, which could kill him if he makes one wrong move. Three months into their tour, Search Team 9 have already taken casualties. They have lost three team members but they’re still at the front searching for IEDs and they are about to search one of the most dangerous villages in Helmand.

The Bomb Squad is full of insights; from what it’s like to be a bomb disposal operator working in Afghanistan for the first time, to searching for IEDs after you’ve seen friends killed or injured by them.

Of the plethora of recent films about the Army’s role in Afghanistan, this excellent documentary stands out for two reasons; the extreme danger of the work involved … and the humour and resilience of the servicemen and their families.

The Standard, Jane Shilling’s TV Choice

It’s impossible not to think there’s going to be a big bang any second. I found it almost impossible to watch, for an hour. These guys live it, for six months.

The Guardian

This is precisely what the BBC should be doing, and it does it incredibly well – bringing the reality of what is happening thousands of miles away into our front rooms.

Broadcast, You the Jury