Private Addy Carter, 21, has become the first female soldier to pass the gruelling Parachute Regiment entry test, known as P Company. The three-and-a-half-week course includes loaded marches, log and stretcher races, and an aerial confidence course, designed to test physical fitness, determination, and mental robustness.
Carter, from Hereford and part of 16 Medical Regiment, succeeded on her second attempt after a foot injury forced her to withdraw the first time. She was presented with the coveted maroon beret upon completion. “I never had a moment’s doubt that I wouldn’t try again,” she said. “Physically I found it very challenging, but it’s about showing that you can deliver when things get hard.”
Of 98 candidates who started the course, 59 were successful, according to Major Chris Braithwaite, commanding officer of Pegasus. “There is a set standard that anyone who attempts the course must achieve and these are rigidly enforced by my team,” he said. “I hope that Pte Carter’s success encourages others to attempt the course.”
In 2020, Captain Rosie Wild became the first female British Army officer to pass P Company, but no private had succeeded until Carter. She now moves on to the basic parachute course at RAF Brize Norton to earn her “wings” as a trained military parachutist. “As a woman, I wasn’t treated any differently by the instructors, nor did I expect or want to be,” Carter added. “I hope that I’ve shown to other female soldiers that it’s achievable.”
