Milling: What is the brutal military test seen in SAS: Who Dares Wins?
Former health secretary Matt Hancock took some big hits as he participated in the notoriously brutal military test known as milling in episode one of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Similar to boxing but with fewer rules, milling is 60 seconds of controlled physical aggression against an opponent of similar height and weight and is the last part of the selection process to test Parachute Regiment recruits' physical fitness, determination and mental robustness under conditions of stress.
Controlled aggression is a vital discipline for success on operations and as the Parachute Regiment says: "[Milling] tests a recruit's ability to raise their head to look for the enemy when under fire.
"Paratroopers are first in to secure lodgements for follow-on-forces so they must be prepared to fight and win whatever the odds."
The only rule in milling is that recruits must not avoid being punched – no ducking, weaving or fancy footwork.
In the first episode of series five of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, Mr Hancock is challenged to take on former footballer Jermaine Pennant in the milling challenge.
While Mr Pennant takes an early advantage in the challenge, Mr Hancock fights back to stay in the contest but ultimately fails to make the grade and doesn't pass the milling stage of the course.
In real life, the flagship part of Pegasus Company's pre-parachute selection tests the recruits' ability to defeat an enemy in close combat, an essential part of a paratrooper's role.
Before reaching the milling stage, Parachute Regiment recruits will have completed a 10-mile march, the trainasium, a log race, a steeplechase, a two-mile march, an endurance march and a stretcher race – challenges also seen undertaken by recruits in the celebrity and non-celebrity version of SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins airs on Channel 4 every Sunday from 21:00.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
