Grandmother completes Army course

Padre Reynolds' first posting will be in Germany

A female chaplain has become the first grandmother to complete the British Army's officer training course.

Mandy Reynolds, 45, from Wembley, Middlesex, attended her final parade at The Royal Military Academy, in Sandhurst, Surrey, on Saturday.

Her first posting will be as a military chaplain with the Royal Logistics Corps in Gutersloh, Germany.

Padre Reynolds, who is from a military family, said her appointment had been ordered by her commanding officer, God.

"With all that is going on in the world today I really felt that there was a need to put a spiritual relevance on things," said the mother and grandmother-of-two.

"It's about sacrifice. It is about giving up time, leaving what is familiar to you and standing up for a cause, that is what the Army does."

The chaplain was one of 48 already-commissioned officers to complete the Professionally Qualified Officers course at The Royal Military Academy.

The four-week course, which involved basic leadership and military training, was for chaplains, doctors, dentists and vets.