Combat medic becomes first female to pass Parachute Regiment's course

Britain’s own GI Jane: Combat medic becomes first female soldier to pass Parachute Regiment’s gruelling selection course

Addy Carter, 21, was one of 59 out of 98 candidates to battle through the course
The combat medic made it through three-and-a-half weeks of intense training
She marched 20 miles with backpack and rifle in under four-and-a-half hours
She also hiked ten miles wearing backpack and completed a 55ft aerial assault

Combat medic Addy Carter has become the first female soldier to pass the Parachute Regiment’s gruelling selection course.

The 21-year-old was one of only 59 out of 98 candidates to battle through three-and-a-half weeks of intense training and earn the famous maroon beret. The All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection is the toughest military selection course outside Special Forces.

Pte Carter showed she was a match for male soldiers during the final five-day test at Catterick in North Yorkshire.

She had to march 20 miles with a backpack and rifle in under four-and- a-half hours, hike ten miles wearing a 35 lb backpack, complete a 55ft aerial assault course and then tackle a 1.8-mile steeplechase featuring water obstacles.

She also carried a 140 lb log in a team of eight for over two miles, ran two miles with a backpack in under 18 minutes, and carried a 175 lb metal stretcher with comrades for five miles.

Pte Carter showed she was a match for male soldiers during the final five-day test at Catterick in North Yorkshire

Finally, she had to overcome her exhaustion to win a hand- to-hand boxing bout – in a contest known as ‘milling’.

Pte Carter, from Hereford, passed on her second attempt, having dropped out of her first course with an injury. She is the first female soldier to make the grade – Captain Rosie Wild, 30, was the first female officer to pass in 2020.

Pte Carter, of Hereford, said it was all ‘about showing that you can deliver when things get hard’ after she became the first female enlisted soldier to pass the gruelling Parachute Regiment’s P Company course.

The three-and-a-half-week course at Catterick, North Yorkshire, is designed to examine physical and mental robustness, and culminates in a series of challenging tests including loaded marches, log and stretcher races, plus an aerial confidence course.

Pte Carter, of 16 Medical Regiment, was presented with a coveted maroon beret this week after completing All Arms Pre Parachute Selection (AAPPS) – known as P Company.

It means she now follows in the footsteps of Captain Rosie Wild, of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, who was the first female officer to pass the AAPPS in 2020.

Pte Carter is a combat medical technician with 16 Medical Regiment, which provides medical support to 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, the British Army’s global response force that is specially trained and equipped to deploy by parachute, helicopter and airlanding.

Pte Addy Carter being presented with her maroon beret by Major Chris Braithwaithe

In her role, she would deploy as a medic working alongside soldiers from the Parachute Regiment.

The next stage for Pte Carter is the Basic Parachute Course at RAF Brize Norton, where she could earn her ‘wings’ as a trained military parachutist.

Major Chris Braithwaite, Officer Commanding Pegasus Company, said: ‘Pegasus Company is designed to test an individual’s physical fitness, determination and mental robustness under stress, to ensure they have the self-discipline and motivation for service in Airborne Forces.

‘There is a set standard that anyone who attempts the course must achieve and these are rigidly enforced by my team – of 98 candidates who started this course, 59 were successful.

‘I hope that Private Carter’s success on All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection encourages others to attempt the course. I would like to congratulate all who passed and wish them the best for their future service within Airborne Forces.’

Ms Atherton said of Pte Carter: ‘She has set a high standard for all our serving personnel and is a role model for women to aspire to, proving that no job is beyond reach.

‘This is a clear example of what can be accomplished through hard work and determination. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours with the Army.’

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