An MoD civil servant has taken part in a pass off parade in front of Prince Michael of Kent after successfully completing a rigorous two-week training course as an Army reservist.

Trooper Sarah Woodward, 31, was among 95 London Army Reserve Recruits and their regular Army counterparts who took part in the pass off parade in Pirbright, Surrey which marked the successful completion of Phase One Training for new Army recruits from the regular and reserve force.

It included 42 reserve recruits, the majority of which came from the City of London’s Honourable Artillery Company and 151 (London) Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps.

Sarah, who is from Upton Park, spent an intensive two weeks learning everything about the Army’s values and standards, Regimental and Corps history, first aid, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear drills as well as undergoing rigorous physical training. She also endured a 48-hour field exercise in dreadful weather conditions.

Sarah has joined the Honourable Artillery Company. She said: “I wanted to do something before I got too old and I wanted to put something back. I wanted to see if I was up to it and this experience is completely different to anything else I have ever done.

“The past two weeks have been challenging, especially on the physical side, but you get a real sense of achievement when you do get through.”

In her civilian life she is a Ministry of Defence Civil Servant, working in the claim department for clinical negligence. She now feels that she done the training and joined the Reserves, she has a much better understanding of her job and feels that she can relate better to the people she deals with.