Who are The Paras, how difficult is the training course and where are paratroopers deployed?
As a new TV series The Paras: Men of War lifts the lid on their training, here’s what you need to know about the regiment.
Who are The Paras?
The Parachute Regiment is the airborne infantry regiment of the British Army.
It was formed during World War II after Winston Churchill was impressed by the success of German paratroopers.
The first parachute trained army units came into being in 1940 and The Parachute Regiment was formally constituted in 1942.
During the war there were 17 battalions which formed battalions formed part of the 1st Airborne Division, the 6th Airborne Division and the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group.
After the war, the regiment was reduced to three regular battalions, which remains to this day.
Currently, the 1st battalion is permanently under the command of the Director Special Forces in the Special Forces Support Group.
The other battalions are the parachute infantry component of the British Army's rapid response formation, 16 Air Assault Brigade.
How difficult is the training course?
The Parachute Regiment prides itself on having the toughest selection process in the British Army.
Soldiers must complete an initial 28 week period of training designed to transforms raw recruits into elite soldiers trained to kill.
It includes a 60ft aerial assault course, carrying a 180lb metal stretcher for five miles and the feared log race – a two mile trek carrying a 60kg telegraph pole.
There is also an event unique to the Paras known as ‘milling’ in which pairs of recruits are put in a ring wearing boxing gloves and head guards.
They are then told to punch each other as hard as they can in the face for a minute and it is forbidden to block or evade the blows.
If the recruits complete basic training they are then sent for parachute training during which they must complete five jumps from a Skyvan plane and two from a larger C-130 Hercules.
Where are paratroopers deployed?
Apart from 1968, The Parachute Regiment has been in constant action since the end of World War II and their motto is Utrinque Paratus – Ready for Anything.
The army says that paratroopers are trained to conduct a range of missions, from prevention and pre-emption tasks, to complex, high intensity war fighting.
These days the regiment rarely deploys by parachute and it was reported the first jump for more than 50 years took place in 2010 during the war in Afghanistan.
During World War II the regiment served in Italy and North Africa before part in D-Day, when they were deployed ahead of the main landings to secure key positions.
The regiment formed the core of the units deployed during the Battle Arnhem and despite the failure of the operation, the reputation of the Paras for their fighting spirit was sealed.
After the war the regiment saw service in a variety of conflicts including the Falklands War, when its assault on Goose Green propelled it into the spotlight.
Other deployments include in Kosovo, Sierra Leone and in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
The Parachute Regiment took part in the war in Afghanistan, after being sent to Helmand Province a component of the NATO International Security Assistance Force.
Despite initially not expecting to see combat, the Paras were engaged in bitter fighting with the Taliban and two of its soldiers received the Victoria Cross, the highest medal for bravery.
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