It's the final week of training. But before any recruits can pass, they must survive two days of training in the desert, an eight-kilometre run in full combat gear and a 40km march to the sea.

Halfway through, three of the recruits have already left and the remaining volunteers are dropping like flies with the medics battling to keep them on their feet.

Three days into legionnaire life, the recruits are wishing they'd never been born. Bear is punished for a minor misdemeanour by being buried up to his neck in sand.

In the scalding heat of the desert it becomes apparent that many of the men fall short of the physical and psychological qualities they need to survive their training.