Yahoo Finance Two Women Make Military History As the First To Tackle SAS Selection
Two women have made military history by enrolling for Special Air Service (SAS) selection.
Having stormed through the pre-selection fitness test, the unnamed pair have progressed to the full six-month course, which consists of unrelenting hill marches, jungle warfare and disorientating interrogation tactics.
Women have been able to serve with the SAS after transferring from covert surveillance units – such as the Special Reconnaissance Regiment – since 2018. A handful have even donned the regiment’s iconic badge: a winged dagger with the motto ‘Who Dares Wins’.
But none have attempted the entire selection process. Until now, that is. The women came through Project Artemis, a programme aimed at boosting representation across UK Special Forces (UKSF) and making full use of the defence talent pool. (continued below)
It trains women for specialist support roles over a period of nine months, provided they have two years’ experience. “We are proud there are no bars to women playing a full role across our Armed Forces,” the MoD told The Sun.
SAS selection starts with an endurance stage called The Hills, set in the Brecon Beacons: a gruelling four-week test of recruits’ map-reading and navigation skill that culminates in a 40-mile trek dubbed The Long Drag.
Then, they’re sent to Belize, Brunei or Malaysia for jungle training, reportedly using live ammo. The final stage subjects recruits to a manhunt kitted out in World War II gear. Once captured, they must withstand a tactical questioning phase that can last for days.
The notoriously gruelling course is considered one of the toughest globally, with a dropout rate upwards of 85 per cent – the highest of any military branch. “We need female operators,” said Special Forces commander General Sir Patrick Sanders.
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