First woman to join infantry regiment quits after two weeks

The first woman to join an infantry regiment since defence chiefs lifted a ban on females serving in combat units has quit after just two weeks of training, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The recruit dropped out of an 18-week course this month after falling behind her male counterparts on endurance marches and failing other physical tests at a training base in Suffolk.

It is understood that when the woman resigned, she admitted having underestimated the physical requirements of being an infantry recruit. She also told officers that living in female-only accommodation made her feel ‘like an outsider’ and weakened her resolve. Her resignation is a huge blow to officials who are determined to integrate women into fighting units in the Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force.

In 2016, then Prime Minister David Cameron said it was essential that the make-up of the Armed Forces reflected society and he lifted the ban on women serving in combat units.

His decision remains controversial because many commanders fear that women are incapable of withstanding the rigours of infantry training, in particular the requirement to carry heavy equipment and weapons over long distances.

Last night, the Ministry of Defence refused to name the recruit, but it is understood she was a steward in the RAF who wanted to transfer into the RAF Regiment, an infantry unit that fought with distinction in Afghanistan and Iraq. Its primary roles are to guard air bases and provide troops to support Special Forces operations.

The recruit dropped out of an 18-week course this month after falling behind her male counterparts on endurance marches and failing other physical tests at a training base in Suffolk

She is understood to have been one of just three women who applied to join the RAF Regiment and the only one considered fit enough to start the course at RAF Honington alongside 44 men.

A source at the base said: ‘Even though she was way off the pace of most of the men, she gained a lot of people’s respect. She tried her best and was honest enough to admit the course was too tough for her.

‘She was a bit isolated outside training hours because she lived apart from everyone else.

‘There was a lot of secrecy surrounding her participation. The guys were surprised to see her. There was pressure on her instructors to help her to pass the course. I think the RAF wanted good PR out of it.’