Women in armed forces

Women have played many roles in the military, from ancient warrior women like the Amazons to the women currently serving in conflicts in the Iraq War.

Despite various roles in the armies of past societies, the role of women in the military, particularly in combat, is controversial, and it is only recently that women have begun to be given a more prominent role in contemporary armed forces.

The integration of women into the Defence Force began in 1997, starting a huge period of culture change. Initially, the focus was on sexual harassment and other unacceptable behaviour that presented obstacles to women's full participation. The focus later shifted to traditional features of military life and how these blocked the integration and acceptance of women. For example, a flexible working policy was introduced in 2002 and part-time work has become much more prevalent and used at all levels. School holiday programmes and support for service personnel with families are also areas that have been instigated.

Today, the contribution of servicewomen to the effectiveness of the armed forces is essential. More women are serving in a greater variety of posts than ever before.

Name: Kasey Vissers
Royal New Zealand Navy
Rank: Sub-lieutenant, Achilles Divisional Officer
Age: 31
Kasey Vissers had preconceived ideas about the navy from the programme M.A.S.H. Although the popular 70s/80s television series was army based, Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan taught Kasey that there was a position for females in the military.

In her seventh-form year, Kasey, like most young adults, was pondering over what career path she would follow.

“An air-force recruiter came to school and there were three of us who were interested in joining the military. One was Nick Cree the air force pilot who was killed in January. The other went into the army and I went into the navy.”

Kasey joined as a medic in 1996, following which she completed five years of training in Burnham with the medical trade for tri-service training.
As one of a small group of females, Kasey was made to feel like ‘one of the team’; never feeling like her gender set her back in any way.

Upon completion of her training, Kasey went to sea on the HMNZS Endeavour and Te Kaha and was based at the Devonport Naval Base.

“The first thing I dealt with was a civilian who had hung himself outside the navy base and we were the closest medical facility,” she remembers. “We revived the person, which shows that we have top-notch skills to deal with any situation but being only 17 at the time, it is one thing I will never forget.”

Kasey then opted out of the navy for four years to complete a nursing degree at Porirua polytechnic but quickly decided the career was not for her.

“I saw nurses who were working in the same ward for 20 years and the whole thing looked pretty dull. The adventures I could have in the navy seemed the perfect option while I was still fit so I rejoined in 2005.”

Kasey spent the next two years on HMNZS Canterbury and travelled to Australia, Samoa, Cook Islands and Indonesia.

“When I was a medic on a ship, my day would start at 8am with sick bay then I’d move into training sessions. I’d train the medical emergency team, do refresher training and run casualty exercises as well as manage any medical conditions throughout the day.”

“When you’re out there, you’re it,” Kasey says. “At sea, I’ve had medical cases which required 24/7 care. You’re the only one there to look after that person and you’re in charge of bringing other ships’ companies to help you with monitoring. It can be tiring and stressful because you don’t have the backup of a doctor.”

Kasey previously held the title petty officer medic and was last year commissioned from the rank to take on a leadership role as a training officer. In this role Kasey works with recruits wanting to join the navy.

“The working day starts at 8am. I’ll teach classes, ensure my division is coping and provide welfare support for them.”

Kasey’s husband of five years is also in the navy.

“A lot of civilian partners find it very difficult to cope with the long months we are away – having the person come back and try to slot back into normality is a challenge,” she says. ”We have to do separate postings. We can’t go into the same environment in case something happens. You won’t be focused on your job if he gets hurt.”

Kasey plans to maintain her nursing registration so she can use her skills within the services both overseas and in New Zealand.

www.navyjobs.mil.nz

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Name: Roberta Wilkinson
New Zealand Army
Rank: Major
Age: 47
Roberta Wilkinson traded business for the army to reduce the stress in her life.

With 28 years experience in physiotherapy, Roberta knows the importance of an unperturbed profession.

Roberta graduated in 1983 from physiotherapy school in Auckland and worked in private practices and hospital wards before starting her own chain of clinics, Bank Street Physiotherapy in Whangarei, Dargaville and Tikipunga.

“I had been the boss for a long time which was quite lonely and tiring and I wanted to do something with a big gang of people outside,” Roberta says.

The army provided everything Roberta felt she needed and she joined in November 1990.

“I had had so much stress running the clinics, managing staff and a household so it was great to go to Waiouru and not know what you’re going to be doing the next day. The stress went away because all you’re worrying about is right there in that moment.”

At 27, Roberta was the oldest recruit in her intake, of which 20 percent of the 150 individuals were female.

“I’m only 5’2” so I’m never going to be as strong as most men. For my height I’m strong but I’ve realised I’m good at a lot of other things.”

In December 1991, Roberta had her first son and, three years later welcomed her second.

“To juggle family, business and the army you have to be motivated and disciplined.”

By 2001, Roberta wanted to do more army work and juggling the business as well as family was proving difficult.

With approximately 41,000 patients on its database, Roberta sold Bank Street Physiotherapy and went into the force fulltime.

“There’s always a course you can go on, some new ladder you can climb,” she says.

In her last role, Roberta travelled to Wellington once a month and to Waiouru for 2-3 weeks at a time. The job before that she was in Auckland twice a month for five years and before that she worked out of the Whangarei Army Hall for five years.

Roberta’s longest deployment was in Timor for six months in 2003.
“The kids would fly to Australia every 10 weeks and I’d fly over and meet them. We had really good holidays which made it somewhat bearable.”

“You do get sick of the commuting but it’s something you get to used to when you live in a provincial town.”

Nowadays, technology has reduced her need to travel, allowing her time to do other things.

Roberta lives in Whangarei with her husband of 26 years (an ex-army serviceman) with whom she has 18 and 15-year-old sons and a three-year-old ‘princess’.

“If you’re going away to do exercises, you should do more than the basic requirement in the army. At 47, if I stopped now it’d be jolly hard to start again. I go to the gym at least three times a week, ride horses twice a week and hunting is my love so we go on trips for weeks at a time.”

Roberta is proud that Kiwis are famous around the world for being hard working and getting the job done and because we don’t have a class system, New Zealanders have the ability to get on well with anyone, no matter what their background.

www.army.mil.nz

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Name: Karen Henrikson
New Zealand Police
Ranking: Inspector
Age: 39
Karen Henrikson has had a lot of memorable firsts in the police force.

Attending her first sudden death and car crash, the first time she advised a next of kin their loved one had passed and her first ‘catch’.

Karen has also been the first female inspector, sergeant and senior sergeant in the Waikato police division.

From a careers day in her seventh form at Matamata College, Karen was first introduced to the career she had believed was just for men.

At the time the keen 17-year-old was not old enough to join and was advised to go to university. She enrolled at Waikato University in a social sciences degree and as soon as she turned 19, applied.
“Doing my degree was purely a filler to join the police,” she admits.
But when her application was denied, Karen’s ‘whole world fell apart’.

“They didn’t give me a reason,” she remembers. “I would say it was because I wasn’t mature enough. I dropped out of university and got a job as a gardener for the Ministry of Works in Newstead for two years.”

At the age of 22, Karen, who had also occupied herself playing top level netball for Waikato, re-applied and was finally accepted. In her excitement, Karen remembers signing a form agreeing to serve anywhere in New Zealand – a big leap for a local Waikato girl.
“We were given three priority choices. Mine were Hamilton, Tauranga/Rotorua and Auckland. I got none.”

Karen was posted in Porirua in 1984 as a constable on section.
“I walked around with my mouth hanging open for the first 6-12 months with the domestic cases we attended. It was hard as a 22-year-old telling 40 to 50-year-olds how to sort out their marriages.”

Karen was able to continue playing netball for Wellington and was enlisted to the Silver Ferns from 1985-1986.

In the days of Murray Mexted being the only All Black policeman, Karen was the only serving police officer to be a Silver Fern.

Karen then took a year’s unpaid leave to travel overseas but when her allotted time lapsed, she resigned to see more of the world. Based in England, the 27-year-old did the old ‘Europe in the Kombi van’ thing.

“When I got back, I wasn’t sure if I would rejoin the police but because I didn’t have any other qualifications and it was good pay, I put my name back in the hat.”

Karen rejoined in July 1990 and spent five months completing physical competency tests and catching up on legislation changes. She was then given the choice of postings in Huntly or Tokoroa. She chose Tokoroa and was posted as a constable and then a sergeant in 1994 where she worked in the Sexual Abuse Unit.

Karen then applied for a position in Hamilton and, in 1996, joined community policing in North Hamilton as a sergeant.

“Following that, there was a restructure which gave me the chance to re-think what I wanted to do. I was then able to come into Hamilton Central as an acting inspector in March 2007.”

Karen served in that acting role for a year and was promoted in March 2008 to her present inspector role.

She is currently in charge of the General Duties Branch which includes law enforcement, break squad, team policing unit, liquor licensing and the strategic graphic unit.

“When opportunities come up, you sometimes get asked to put your name forward or you apply,” she explains. “I was asked to come into town as an acting inspector; something that I never aspired to do but once I was in the role I was happy to be doing it. Change is always good. It refreshes you and allows you to see other ways of policing.

Karen’s next step is area commander – another first in the cap of this woman in arms.

www.newcops.co.nz

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Name: Rachel James
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Ranking: Squadron leader
Age: 33
Not many serving military officers can say they’ve had their hens’ night in East Timor.

After 12 years and 86 days in the air force, Rachel James has truly lived a life less ordinary.

“My dad worked as an engineer at Air New Zealand for a number of years and he would take me and my sisters to air shows,” she says. “He wanted to be a pilot but his eyesight let him down. With four daughters, he was very excited that one got in to the air force.”

Rachel initially applied in 1993 but, at age 16, was rejected because she was too young. She went to work on a Bachelor of Science at Auckland University and applied later as a direct entry pilot in 1998.

After her initial officer training and wings course, Rachel was posted to the UH-1H Iroquois helicopter.

“When you first enter, you’re the lowest category – a D Cat, and you’re always aspiring to the next category. The ultimate is the B Cat captain or squadron which is what I got to.”

As a pilot, Rachel’s day would start at 8am with a morning brief. Here, she would receive details on the weather and the flying programme.

Rachel has been on three overseas deployments including a total of nine months in East Timor and three months in the Solomon Islands.

Today, Rachel is a squadron leader; the most junior of the senior officer ranks and is based in Whenuapai.

Her current position is what you’d call a ‘desk job’ although she is still deployable.

“Depending what role you’re in, you can be on call to serve at any time,” she says. “Solomon Islands was a classic,” she says. “When that blew up, I was on the first deployment that went over. I was on leave at the time and they called me back to go over but it is fantastic knowing that all your training is being put to use and that you’re helping people that need it.”

Rachel met her husband Harley, an engineering officer on a training course 12 years ago.

“When I was in East Timor I had my hens’ party and came back six days before my wedding. One of the crewmen did a strip tease. Not many people can say they’ve had their Hens’ Night in East Timor.”

Rachel and Harley now have two girls aged four and two.

“When I first fell pregnant at pilot training school working as an instructor, I was nervous about telling my flight commander but he was supportive. He didn’t single me out at all or make me feel like I was letting the team down.”

Rachel worked right through until she gave birth, took nine months off and when she returned, she took on a ground job. Two years later, she had her second child with whom she took six months off.
“There haven’t been a lot of air crew who have had children but it’s becoming more prevalent that those who do will take time off to have children and come back to work. There’s a lot more opportunities now with flexible working hours.”

Rachel works at 80 percent capacity, four days a week; an arrangement the air force didn’t have 10-15 years ago.
Rachel is also currently training for a RNZAF Women’s Cricket Tour to the UK in June and studies law part time.

www.stepup.mil.nz