Few recruits, surely, could have looked more impressive than Sydney Cole on the day of her passing out parade at The Army Foundation College in Harrogate, Yorkshire, in 2017.
Everything was just so, from the tilt of her black and red cap, to the creases in her crisply pressed khaki uniform, and her shiny shoes, buttons and belt buckle.
A promising career beckoned for Cole, daughter of a one-time bus driver from Hertfordshire.
She joined the Adjutant General's Corps, whose staff serve alongside and administer every unit in the Army. The motto of the Corps is 'Animo et Fide', which is Latin for courage and faith.
Sydney Cole (right) is accused of attacking fellow soldier Sarah Ann Garrity (left) in Magaluf
The ideals those words are supposed to signify extend beyond the battlefield; the Army expects 'very high standards of behaviour' at all times, both on — and off — duty. We now know that Sydney Cole failed to meet those standards.
In the early hours of Monday, Cole, 19, was arrested on suspicion of slashing her best friend's throat in Majorca. The victim was fellow soldier Sarah Ann Garrity, 22.
She was glassed, allegedly, after intervening in a row between Cole and a third servicewoman — Deborah Ferguson — outside the Bananas club on Magaluf's infamous Punta Ballena strip. Moments later, panic-stricken screams filled the Spanish night air and witnesses told of blood pouring from Miss Garrity's neck.
Miss Garrity underwent emergency surgery before being moved from intensive care to a general ward at Hospital Universitario Son Espases in the Majorcan capital Palma.
Investigations are continuing, but, so far, Miss Cole has not been charged with any offence and has been allowed to fly home after Sarah Ann Garrity decided not to press charges.
In the early hours of Monday, Cole, 19, was arrested on suspicion of slashing her best friend's throat in Majorca
Nevertheless, the circumstances surrounding the fracas, following a 14-hour drinking session, do not reflect well on any of the parties involved.
One image in particular encapsulates recent events on the riotous party island. It is Cole, in ripped denim shorts, with a tattoo on her thigh on display, being escorted into court this week between two officers from the Civil Guard.
What an unfortunate advert for women in the British Army. The Magaluf incident is troubling in itself. The wider, disturbing narrative, though, is that Sydney Cole represents a more widespread, largely unreported story.
The loutish behaviour associated with 'squaddies' in military towns such as, say, Colchester — and abroad, in places like Cyprus — is being mirrored by a growing number of women in the ranks. Sometimes, it is hard to tell who is downing the pints — or throwing the punches. This is one area, at least, where there is unwelcome equality. Some behaviour has resulted in criminal prosecutions.
These are a few of the headlines which have appeared in local papers, up and down the country, over recent years: 'Drunk female trooper in 3am sex assault on male Windsor Castle guard'... 'Soldier nicknamed GI Jane hit a man and a woman with ONE punch after she was ejected from a nightclub'... 'Soldier in court after Clitheroe party fracas'.
But what we are predominantly talking about is 'laddish', not criminal, conduct, fuelled by alcohol. So Sydney Cole is in good, or rather bad, company in this respect.
The attack happened at around 1am on Monday and police have launched a full investigation, with Cole (pictured) being arrested
The Army employs 13,000 women, just over 10 per cent of total personnel, who have performed selflessly and with distinction in a huge array of jobs which, for the past three years, has included 'ground close combat' posts on the frontline.
But to quote one retired commanding officer, some of our servicemen and women need a 'sharp reminder of the values that make our military the envy of the world'. Standards epitomised by the late Joanna Henderson.
During her time as director of the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) in the 1960s, Brigadier Dame Kelleher, as she later became, oversaw the massive expansion of roles for women who would in the future join other regiments when the WRAC was disbanded in 1992. On duty or off — when she favoured a black suit and pale pink blouse fastened with a brooch — the brigadier was always immaculately turned out.
One wonders what she would have made of tattooed Sydney Cole and her pals — that's a rhetorical question, by the way.
It is apparent from their social media profiles that their exploits in party town Magaluf, before the violent confrontation at the Bananas disco, was perhaps the norm, not the exception. In December, all three were pictured in London together at Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland, which is among the more respectable images of them — of Miss Garrity and Cole, anyway.
Ms Garrity (right) was rushed to the intensive care unit at Hospital Son Espases despite her life not being in danger and she has since made a good recovery. She was allegedly attacked by Cole (left)
Two weeks ago, Glasgow-born Miss Garrity, who now lives in Middlesbrough where she was engaged until recently to a female soldier, captioned her most recent photograph on Instagram: 'Completely ruined my life this weekend #neverdrinkagain #wedding #friends #shots #mess #ruinedmylife #bestimes #living #drunk'.
Indeed, 'drinking', 'gin', 'girls' nights out' and getting 'smashed' are words which
