This week, Private Carter of the 16 Medical Regiment was awarded a coveted maroon beret for completing All Arms Pre Parachute Selection (AAPPS), also known as P Company.
A private made history when she became the first female soldier to pass the Army’s arduous training proving personnel’s toughness to serve in the Airborne Forces.
The rigorous three-and-a-half-week program is intended to assess physical and mental resilience.
After becoming the first female enlisted soldier to pass the arduous P Company training of the Parachute Regiment, Private Addy Carter, 21, from Hereford, stated, “It’s about proving you can deliver when the going gets tough.”
This week, Private Carter of the 16 Medical Regiment was awarded a coveted maroon beret for completing All Arms Pre Parachute Selection (AAPPS), also known as P Company.
She is a combat medical technician with the 16 Medical Regiment, which provides medical assistance to the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, the British Army’s global reaction force that is uniquely trained and equipped for deployment via parachute, helicopter, and air landing.
In her position, she would serve as a medic alongside Parachute Regiment soldiers.
She follows Captain Rosie Wild of the 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, who in 2020 was the first female officer to pass the AAPPS.
Pte. Carter’s next step is the Basic Parachute Course at RAF Brize Norton, where she may earn her “wings” as a trained military parachutist.
Major Chris Braithwaite, the officer in charge of the Pegasus Company, stated: “[The course] is designed to assess an individual’s physical fitness, resolve, and mental fortitude under stress, to ensure that they possess the self-discipline and motivation necessary for service in the Airborne Forces.
“Everyone who attempts the course must meet a certain standard, which is strictly enforced by my team; of the 98 candidates who began this course, 59 were successful.
“I hope that Private Carter’s success in the All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection course would motivate others to undertake it. I’d like to congratulate everyone who passed and wishes them well in their future service with Airborne Forces.”
Sarah Atherton, Minister for Defence People, Veterans, and Service Families, stated: “I am proud of Addy’s accomplishments in passing such a challenging course.
“She has set a high bar for all of our military members and is a role model for women, indicating that no position is unattainable.
“This is a vivid illustration of what can be achieved through hard effort and perseverance. I wish her the best of luck in her future Army endeavors.”
