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Pegasus Company (also known as P Company or P Coy) is a training and selection organisation of the British Armed Forces based at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick, North Yorkshire. P Coy run the 'Pre-Parachute Selection' courses for Parachute Regiment recruits and regular and reserve personnel from across the UK armed forces who volunteer to serve in a parachute role within 16 Air Assault Brigade.

The current Officer Commanding (OC) Pegasus Company is Major Chris Braithwaite.^[1]

Background

Pre-Parachute Selection must be undertaken by all British Army candidates for parachute training who have not already undergone a strenuous form of training, such as UK Special Forces or the All Arms Commando Course.

Training at P Coy culminates in a series of eight tests undertaken over a 5-day period (starting on a Wednesday and finishing on a Tuesday, with the weekend off). For recruits directly joining the Parachute Regiment, the tests are attempted at week 21 of training, All-Arms candidates attempt the tests after two and a half weeks of build-up training.

Upon successful completion of the course, candidates participate in the Basic Parachute course which is conducted with assistance from the Parachute Training Support Unit (PTSU) on the base of RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.^[2]

Eight Tests

All events are scored, except the trainasium event which is a straight pass or fail.^[3]^[4] The total score required to pass is 45, with 10 points (maximum) being awarded for each test.^[5]

Army Reserve candidates must achieve the same standard as their regular counterparts.

10 Miler

A 10-mile (16 km) march conducted as a squad over undulating terrain. Each candidate carries a 35 lb (16 kg) 'bergen' backpack (not including water) and a rifle, which weighs 5 kg. The march is to be completed in under 1 hour 50 minutes.

The event takes place on the Wednesday morning.

Trainasium

A unique assault course set 60 feet (18 m) above the ground, designed to test a candidate's suitability for military parachuting, and their ability to overcome fear and follow simple orders at considerable height. This is the only event which is a straight pass or fail; all the other events are scored.

The event takes place on the Wednesday afternoon.

Log Race

A team event, in which eight people carry a log (a telegraph pole) weighing 60 kg over 1.9 miles (3.1 km) of undulating terrain. Candidates wear a helmet and webbing. This is supposed to be one of the hardest events. Points are awarded for determination, aggression and leadership.

The event takes place on the Thursday morning.

Steeplechase

A timed 2.2-mile (3.5 km) cross-country run, with water obstacles, followed by an assault course. The steeplechase is to be completed wearing a helmet and boots. The march must be completed in 19 minutes.

The event takes place on the Thursday afternoon.

2 Mile March

An individual effort over 2 miles (3.2 km) of undulating terrain, carrying a 35 lb (16 kg) bergen (not including water), rifle, combat jacket, and helmet. Regular candidates have 18 minutes to complete the run.

The event takes place on the Friday morning.

20 Mile Endurance March

A 20-mile (32 km) squadded march over the Catterick or Otterburn Training Areas. Candidates carry a 35 lb (16 kg) bergen (not including water) and a rifle, which weighs 5 kg. The march must be completed in under 4 hours and 30 minutes.

The event takes place on the Monday morning and afternoon.

Stretcher Race

Candidates are divided into teams of 12 people, and have to carry a 176 lb (80 kg) stretcher over a distance of 5 miles (8.0 km), each individual candidate wears a helmet, webbing and a slung rifle. No more than 4 candidates carry the stretcher at any given time, swapping round at regular intervals so that all candidates carry the stretcher for a certain distance.

The event takes place on the Tuesday morning.

Milling

In this event, each candidate is paired with another of 'similar weight and build', and is given 60 seconds to demonstrate 'controlled physical aggression' in a milling contest - similar to boxing, except neither winning, losing, nor skill are pre-requisites of passing. Candidates are instead scored on their determination and aggression, while blocking and dodging result in points deducted. Candidates wear head guards, gum shields and boxing gloves.

The event takes place on the Tuesday afternoon and is the final test of P Company before the beret parade where recruits, addressed as 'Joes' by training staff, find out whether they have passed and earned their Maroon Beret.^[6]

Women

In 2020, Capt Rosie Wild of 7 Para RHA became the first woman to pass All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection.^[7]

In 2022, Pte Addy Carter of 16 Medical Regiment became the first female enlisted soldier to pass All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection.^[8]

In 2023 Lieutenant Hannah Knapton of Parachute Regiment became the first woman to serve as a platoon commander in a regular battalion.^[9]

References

^ "First female soldier passes demanding Airborne Forces test | The Independent".
^ "Our Schools and Colleges". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
^ "The Parachute Regiment | British Army on Instagram: "Pegasus Company - All Arms Pre-PARA Selection (AAPPS) is undertaken by PARA Regt Officers and members of the wider 16 Air Assault Brigade…"".
^ "Army Jobs - P Company Course: All P Company courses are... | Facebook".
^ McGrath, Sam (20 July 2012). The Para Fitness Guide. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-177-5.
^ "The Parachute Regiment Trg Company on Instagram: "828 Arnhem Platoon, P Company Beret Parade."".
^ Beale, Jonathan (18 February 2020). "'Trailblazer' woman is first to pass Para course". BBC News. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
^ PA, Helen William; Pitts, Stephen (23 October 2022). "Hereford soldier first female to pass Airborne Forces test". GloucestershireLive.
^ Walters, Alex (31 March 2023). "Army lieutenant becomes first female officer to serve in Parachute Regiment". www.forcesnews.com. Retrieved 24 August 2024.

External links

"Pegasus Company: Test Week". British Army.

[1] "First female soldier passes demanding Airborne Forces test | The Independent".

[2] "Our Schools and Colleges". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2020.

[3] "The Parachute Regiment | British Army on Instagram: "Pegasus Company - All Arms Pre-PARA Selection (AAPPS) is undertaken by PARA Regt Officers and members of the wider 16 Air Assault Brigade…"".

[4] "Army Jobs - P Company Course: All P Company courses are... | Facebook".

[5] McGrath, Sam (20 July 2012). The Para Fitness Guide. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-177-5.

[6] "The Parachute Regiment Trg Company on Instagram: "828 Arnhem Platoon, P Company Beret Parade."".

[7] Beale, Jonathan (18 February 2020). "'Trailblazer' woman is first to pass Para course". BBC News. Retrieved 21 February 2020.

[8] PA, Helen William; Pitts, Stephen (23 October 2022). "Hereford soldier first female to pass Airborne Forces test". GloucestershireLive.

[9] Walters, Alex (31 March 2023). "Army lieutenant becomes first female officer to serve in Parachute Regiment". www.forcesnews.com. Retrieved 24 August 2024.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Training and selection organisation of the British Armed Forces}}
-{{Unreferenced|date=January 2008}}
+{{British Army}}{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
+{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
+'''Pegasus Company''' (also known as '''P Company''' or '''P Coy''') is a training and selection organisation of the [[British Armed Forces]] based at the [[Infantry Training Centre (British Army)|Infantry Training Centre]], [[Catterick Garrison|Catterick]], [[North Yorkshire]]. P Coy run the 'Pre-Parachute Selection' courses for [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] recruits and regular and reserve personnel from across the UK armed forces who volunteer to serve in a parachute role within [[16 Air Assault Brigade]].
+[[File:16AAB new.svg|alt=16th Air Assault Brigade Combat Team insignia.|thumb|[[16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team|16th Air Assault Brigade Combat Team]] insignia.|200x200px]]
+The current Officer Commanding (OC) Pegasus Company is Major Chris Braithwaite.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First female soldier passes demanding Airborne Forces test {{!}} The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/raf-brize-norton-hereford-mod-north-yorkshire-british-b2208589.html}}</ref>
+== Background ==
-'''Pegasus Company''' (also known as '''P Coy''') is the rigorous training and selection organisation based at the [[Infantry Training Centre]], [[Catterick Garrison|Catterick]], [[North Yorkshire]]. P Coy run the 'pre-parachute selection' courses for trainee [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] soldiers (Known as Baby Paras) and officers as well as an '''all-arms course''' for Regular and Territorial troops.  P Coy is also responsible for delivery of the TA Combat Infantryman's Course for candidates for the TA Parachute Battalion, [[4 PARA]].
+Pre-Parachute Selection must be undertaken by all British Army candidates for parachute training who have not already undergone a strenuous form of training, such as [[United Kingdom Special Forces|UK Special Forces]] or the [[All Arms Commando Course]].
+Training at P Coy culminates in a series of eight tests undertaken over a 5-day period (starting on a Wednesday and finishing on a Tuesday, with the weekend off). For recruits directly joining the Parachute Regiment, the tests are attempted at week 21 of training, All-Arms candidates attempt the tests after two and a half weeks of build-up training.
-Pre-parachute selection must be undertaken by all army candidates who wish to undertake parachute training who have not already undergone a strenuous form of selection, such as the vastly more challenging [[United Kingdom Special Forces|UK Special Forces]] Selection process or the significantly more challenging Commando Tests and RAF Regiment Pre Para.
+Upon successful completion of the course, candidates participate in the [[Basic Parachute Course|Basic Parachute course]] which is conducted with assistance from the Parachute Training Support Unit (PTSU) on the base of [[RAF Brize Norton]], [[Oxfordshire]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/our-schools-and-colleges/ |title=Our Schools and Colleges |website=www.army.mod.uk |language=en-GB |access-date=2020-02-21}}</ref>
-Training in P Coy culminates in a series of eight tests undertaken over one week. For recruits directly joining the [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]], the tests are attempted at week 20 of training, all-arms candidates attempt the tests after two and a half weeks of build-up training.
+== Eight Tests ==
-Upon successful completion of the course, candidates will participate in the [[Basic Parachute Course|Basic Parachute course]] at [[RAF Brize Norton]], [[Oxfordshire]].
+All events are scored, except the trainasium event which is a straight pass or fail.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Parachute Regiment {{!}} British Army on Instagram: "Pegasus Company - All Arms Pre-PARA Selection (AAPPS) is undertaken by PARA Regt Officers and members of the wider 16 Air Assault Brigade…" |url=https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZm1cvzgsbd/?hl=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Army Jobs - P Company Course: All P Company courses are... {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/armyjobs/posts/p-company-courseall-p-company-courses-are-attended-by-volunteers-from-across-the/412155035481907/}}</ref> The total score required to pass is 45, with 10 points (maximum) being awarded for each test.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McGrath |first=Sam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDfDCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT19 |title=The Para Fitness Guide |date=2012-07-20 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-78200-177-5 |language=en}}</ref>
+Army Reserve candidates must achieve the same standard as their regular counterparts.
-==The 8 Tests==
-===10 miler===
-A {{convert|10|mi|km|sing=on}} march conducted as a squad over undulating terrain. Each candidate carries a {{convert|35|lb|abbr=on}} bergen (not including water) and a rifle. The march is currently to be completed in under 1 hour 50 minutes (TA candidates have 2 hours).
-===Trainasium===
+=== 10 Miler ===
+A {{convert|10|mi|km|adj=on}} march conducted as a squad over undulating terrain. Each candidate carries a {{convert|35|lb|abbr=on}}&nbsp;'bergen' backpack (not including water) and a rifle, which weighs 5&nbsp;kg. The march is to be completed in under 1 hour 50 minutes.
-A unique assault course set {{convert|60|ft|m}} above the ground, designed to test a candidate's ability to both overcome fear and follow simple orders at considerable height. This is the only event which is a straight pass or fail; all the other events are scored. The total score required to pass is known only to the P Coy staff.
+The event takes place on the Wednesday morning.
-===Log Race===
-A team event, in which eight men carry a log (a [[telegraph pole]]) weighing 60&nbsp;kg over {{convert|1.9|mi|km}} of undulating terrain. Candidates wear a helmet and webbing. This is supposed to be one of the hardest events.
-===2 Mile March===
+=== Trainasium ===
+A unique assault course set {{convert|60|ft|m}} above the ground, designed to test a candidate's suitability for military parachuting, and their ability to overcome fear and follow simple orders at considerable height. This is the only event which is a straight pass or fail; all the other events are scored.
-An individual effort over {{convert|2|mi|km}} of undulating terrain, carrying a {{convert|35|lb|abbr=on}} bergen (not including water), rifle, combat jacket, and helmet. Regular candidates have 18 minutes, TA candidates have 19 minutes to complete the run.
+The event takes place on the Wednesday afternoon.
-===Steeplechase===
-A {{convert|1.8|mi|km|sing=on}} cross-country run, followed by an [[assault course]]. Candidates are under a time limit to complete the event.Time limit is 19 mins after that you lose a point every 30 seconds
-===Milling===
+=== Log Race ===
+A team event, in which eight people carry a log (a [[telegraph pole]]) weighing 60&nbsp;kg over {{convert|1.9|mi|km}} of undulating terrain. Candidates wear a helmet and webbing. This is supposed to be one of the hardest events. Points are awarded for determination, aggression and leadership.
-In this event, each candidate is paired with another of similar weight and build, and is given 60 seconds to demonstrate 'controlled physical aggression' in a milling contest - similar to boxing, except neither winning, losing, nor skill are pre-requisites of passing. Candidates are instead scored on their determination, while blocking and dodging result in points deducted. Candidates now wear head protection and gum shields as well as boxing gloves.
+The event takes place on the Thursday morning.
-===20 Mile Endurance March===
-A {{convert|20|mi|km|sing=on}} squadded march over diverse types of terrain. Candidates carry a {{convert|35|lb|abbr=on}} bergen (not including water) and a rifle. The march must be completed in under 4 hours and 30 minutes. TA candidates do not participate in this event, due to their reduced opportunity to prepare for the course.
-===Stretcher Race===
+=== Steeplechase ===
+A timed {{convert|2.2|mi|km|adj=on}} cross-country run, with water obstacles, followed by an [[assault course]]. The steeplechase is to be completed wearing a helmet and boots. The march must be completed in 19 minutes.
-Candidates are divided into teams of 16 men, and have to carry a {{convert|175|lb|abbr=on}} stretcher over a distance of {{convert|5|mi|km}}, each individual candidate wearing a helmet,  webbing and a slung rifle. No more than four candidates carry the stretcher at any given time, swapping round at regular intervals so that all candidates carry the stretcher for a certain distance.
+The event takes place on the Thursday afternoon.
-==External links==
-* [http://www2.army.mod.uk/para/pegasus_p_company.htm The Parachute Regiment Official Site - P Company]
+=== 2 Mile March ===
-* [http://www.channel4.com/fourdocs/archive/p_company_player.html Channel 4 documentary]
+An individual effort over {{convert|2|mi|km}} of undulating terrain, carrying a {{convert|35|lb|abbr=on}} bergen (not including water), rifle, combat jacket, and helmet. Regular candidates have 18 minutes to complete the run.
+The event takes place on the Friday morning.
+=== 20 Mile Endurance March ===
+A {{convert|20|mi|km|adj=on}} squadded march over the [[Catterick Garrison|Catterick]] or [[Otterburn Training Area]]s. Candidates carry a {{convert|35|lb|abbr=on}} bergen (not including water) and a rifle, which weighs 5&nbsp;kg. The march must be completed in under 4 hours and 30 minutes.
+The event takes place on the Monday morning and afternoon.
+=== Stretcher Race ===
+Candidates are divided into teams of 12 people, and have to carry a {{convert|176|lb|abbr=on}} stretcher over a distance of {{convert|5|mi|km}}, each individual candidate wears a helmet, webbing and a slung rifle. No more than 4 candidates carry the stretcher at any given time, swapping round at regular intervals so that all candidates carry the stretcher for a certain distance.
+The event takes place on the Tuesday morning.
+=== Milling ===
+{{Main|Milling (military training exercise)}}
+In this event, each candidate is paired with another of 'similar weight and build', and is given 60 seconds to demonstrate 'controlled physical aggression' in a milling contest - similar to boxing, except neither winning, losing, nor skill are pre-requisites of passing. Candidates are instead scored on their determination and aggression, while blocking and dodging result in points deducted. Candidates wear head guards, gum shields and boxing gloves.
+The event takes place on the Tuesday afternoon and is the final test of P Company before the beret parade where recruits, addressed as 'Joes' by training staff, find out whether they have passed and earned their [[Maroon beret|Maroon Beret]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Parachute Regiment Trg Company on Instagram: "828 Arnhem Platoon, P Company Beret Parade." |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cexa2n-jyV-/?ref=0cbvq6-z9vg}}</ref>
+== Women ==
+In 2020, Capt Rosie Wild of [[7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery|7 Para RHA]] became the first woman to pass All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Beale |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51553815 |title='Trailblazer' woman is first to pass Para course |date=2020-02-18 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=2020-02-21 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
+In 2022, Pte Addy Carter of [[Royal Army Medical Corps|16 Medical Regiment]] became the first female enlisted soldier to pass All Arms Pre-Parachute Selection.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/hereford-soldier-first-female-pass-7736602 |title=Hereford soldier first female to pass Airborne Forces test |first1=Helen William |last1=PA |first2=Stephen |last2=Pitts |date=23 October 2022 |website=GloucestershireLive}}</ref>
+In 2023 Lieutenant Hannah Knapton of Parachute Regiment became the first woman to serve as a platoon commander in a regular battalion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walters |first=Alex |date=2023-03-31 |title=Army lieutenant becomes first female officer to serve in Parachute Regiment |url=https://www.forcesnews.com/services/army/army-lieutenant-becomes-first-female-officer-serve-parachute-regiment |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=www.forcesnews.com |language=en}}</ref>
+== References ==
+{{reflist}}
+== External links ==
+* {{cite web |url=http://www.army.mod.uk/training_education/24658.aspx |title=Pegasus Company: Test Week |website=British Army}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:P Company}}
-[[Category:Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)]]
 [[Category:British Army training]]
+[[Category:Military parachuting training]]
+[[Category:Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)]]