[Raellus]

... are two fairly recent reality shows airing on the National Geographic Channel (at least here in the States). For someone like me who's always been fascinated by combat but has never experienced it first-hand, they're both pretty interesting programs. The first is a half-hour show, each one dedicated to one or two combat encounters between various U.S. forces and enemy combatants in Afghanistan. Almost all of the film used in the show was shot by the troops in combat- it's not cheesy reenactments or b-roll. It can get pretty intense. Tonight's episode featured a Marine EOD team marksman who was hit in the arm by rifle fire. You can here the shots that hit him, the near panic in his voice, the blood tinting the water in the dirty canal where he dove for cover. The second of the two shows is a full hour, more or less serialized, dedicated to a particular Marine rifle company during part of its tour of duty. It's not quite as intense, but it may be more personal, since you get to know some of the Marines pretty well over the course of a few shows.