Students' dreams take flight at RAAF Base Wagga

Kooringal High School student Samantha Ritchie and Cootamundra year-12 student Claire Sellars were able to experience life in the Australian Defence Force first hand, on a four-day tech camp for young women. 

It comes amid a renewed push to attract more female recruits to the armed forces. 

From 5am to 6pm, students from across the region and state were shown what it would be like to train as airwomen in Wagga. 

Among lessons and lectures, they participated in physical training and confidence building exercises, learning to march, make their beds correctly and wear the uniform with pride. 

With a passion for maths and science subjects, the girls said they hoped to work in technical and engineering trades when they left school. 

Samantha – an air force cadet – said she was attracted to the job because it was a great way to challenge yourself and do something different. 

“We’ve been doing a variety of activities that show us the different careers we could have,” Samantha said.

“For me – I’ve been jumping between air force intelligence and avionics technician.”

To any other young woman considering a career with the RAAF, she said: “Don’t hold back”. 

For Claire, it was planes that drew her to the job. 

She said the week had been “amazing” and “action packed”. 

With renewed inspiration, she said she believed anything was possible. 

Camp coordinator Jacqueline Killian said the service wanted to attract the best people from a diverse talent pool. 

The Squadron Leader said 21 per cent of RAAF employees were female – a number the service wanted to increase over time. 

“The camps give the girls a broad understanding of life in the defence force,” Squadron Leader Killian said.