‘Trailblazer’ Captain Rosie Wild becomes first woman to pass gruelling paratrooper challenge

A female soldier has made history by becoming the first woman to pass the Parachute Regiment’s gruelling selection test.

Captain Rosie Wild, 28, was hailed as a “trailblazer” by the British Army after completing the 21-week P Company course to earn a maroon beret.

Several women have attempted the notorious paratrooper course, which many men fail, since they were first allowed to apply in the 1990s.

Capt Wild is the first to pass all eight physical challenges across five days, including a 20-mile march and an aerial assault course.

She was awarded the regiment’s coveted maroon beret at Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire, on Tuesday and will serve in 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, which is attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade, the army’s rapid reaction force.

Brigadier John Clark, commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said he hoped Capt Wild’s success would encourage other women to attempt the test.

He added: “She is a trailblazer and we hope that her achievement will encourage other women to have a go. A more representative force will only make us stronger.”

To pass the test, Capt Wild had to complete a 10-mile march over rough terrain carrying a 35lbs bergen plus water and a weapon within 110 minutes.

Following that, she had to complete the “trainasium” aerial assault course which is designed to test a candidate’s ability to overcome fear and assess their suitability for military parachuting.

She then had to work as part of a team of eight to carry a 132lbs log over 1.9 miles of rough terrain, before running a 1.8-mile cross country steeplechase through water obstacles and completing an assault course in under 19 minutes.

The next trial was a two-mile march over rough terrain carrying a 35lbs bergen, plus water and weapon, while wearing a helmet and combat jacket, in under 18 minutes.

To pass the course, she then had to complete a 20-mile endurance march over severe terrain carrying a 35lbs bergen, plus water, food and weapon, in less than four and a half hours.

On the final day, Capt Wild took part in a stretcher race which involved 16-person teams carring a 175lbs stretcher over five miles, with no more than four candidates allowed to carry it at any given time.

Her final test to overcome was milling – a 60-second boxing contest to display “controlled physical aggression” during which soldiers were not allowed to defend themselves by dodging or blocking punches.

Last March, Capt Eva Howard of the Royal Army Medical Corps came within two miles of being the first woman to complete the gruelling course, but was pulled out of the log race after falling behind the pace.

Capt Wild was pictured with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 2016 after receiving the Sword of Honour, which is awarded to the best cadet in a cohort.

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