I joined the Army Reserve when I was working on the Ghan and Indian Pacific trains as well as for a community pharmacy. For me, joining the Army was about the challenge, mateship and doing something different.

Becoming an Army Medic confirmed for me that I also wanted to be a civilian nurse, as the jobs complement each other incredibly well.

I work with a medical team to support both military and civilian operations in conjunction with other services and government efforts. My job is to keep people healthy, prevent them from getting ill or injured, and be there when I’m needed. This could be on weekend exercises, a rifle range or supporting an exercise.

I don’t always know the people I’m working with but in the Army it really doesn’t matter. Everyone has a role, a face and a story.

A moment that sticks out is when we were deployed to help people impacted by bushfires. I was walking down the street getting some supplies from a local store when I had a local approach me asking how we were doing. Turns out he was a veteran.

He shared stories of his service with me and talked about men who’d toured for years overseas, only to then reveal that Cyclone Tracy was what almost broke them. It’s one thing seeing a devastated township. It’s another when that city is your own. His compassion and empathy for us as Reservists was something I’ll never forget.

I love the many different skillsets this role gives me and the variety of people that come together. I love meeting people who are interested in being involved in something bigger than themselves and wanting to contribute. And I love that I learn skills that my normal job and life wouldn’t offer.

I’m able to shoot weapons, run a training course or work alongside extremely intelligent people who are doing some amazing stuff both in and outside of the service. My training and work with the Army have transferred into my civilian life, opening opportunities for new networks.