A Career in Defence

There are a growing number of Australians of Indian origin in the Australian Defence Forces (ADF), serving in different capacities in the Australian Air Force, Navy and the Army. It isn’t just the glamour of the uniform or the perks that come with the job that makes it exciting for these dedicated officers. In a candid chat with Indian Link, they tell us what inspires them to serve the nation, what keeps them going and why they think more Indian Australians should be a part of one of the most prestigious of work forces.

Rigorous training, good mentoring
Flight Lieutenant Satish Ayyalasomayajula
26 years, Communications Engineer with No 1 Combat Communications Squadron at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base, Richmond

A strong sense of duty and burning desire to serve the nation was what inspired Flt Lt Satish Ayyalasomayajula to take up a career with the RAAF. Born in Visakhapatnam, India and brought up almost entirely in Australia, his family migrated to Australia in 1991 when Satish was barely six years old. After his schooling in Melbourne, he went on to do his Bachelors at the Overnewtown Anglican Community College. He then pursued a Communication Engineering Degree at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).

It was as a student in RMIT that Satish had his first insight into the Armed Forces, when advertisements on joining the Air Force in local gazettes caught his eye. He attended a career recruitment drive at RMIT, and Satish recalls, “We had a brief at the university on what working in the Air Force entailed. The work profile was in line with my studies as a communication engineer and the offer was lucrative, so I decided to take it up.”

Once he had made up his mind to work with the Air Force, Satish underwent a four stage interview which included an IQ Test, a psychological evaluation, an intensive interview with a senior psychologist and a medical test. The toughest part, Satish admits, was the initial training that all officers had to undergo after spending 17 weeks at the Officers Training School (OTS).

“The training was quite elaborate and rigorous, and initially, it felt quite hard. I guess it was also because of cultural differences and I was not used to the physical aspects of training. Even mentally it was quite exhausting and there were both, low and high times during training. However, I had had good mentoring by the staff at the OTS and spoke to them for assistance,” he says.

The training, however, prepared Satish to take on leadership roles, which is extremely crucial when working in the Air Force.  In his past six years of service, he has been on a lot of military exercises, pre-work ups and real time operations. “It gives us a good insight into management and leadership. It is a great opportunity,” he notes, adding that he is extremely keen to take up overseas assignments. “I look forward to going overseas.  The fact that we have the opportunity to lead people is extremely exciting. We are here to serve the nation and the people; this knowledge keeps me going and continues to motivate me. If a few guys are working for me, it is my duty to make sure they are happy,” says Flt Lt Ayyalasomayajula.

Being Indian by birth, Satish maintains strong cultural ties with the subcontinent by keeping in touch with his native language and of course, Bollywood.  “Obviously, my parents influence my Indian cultural values and we speak Telugu at home, in which I am fluent. I also understand Hindi and watch Bollywood films to keep in touch with my heritage,” he says. “Since my parents also brought me up with the view that I am Australian, I have also adopted the ways of Western society,” he adds, remarking that that they were fully supportive of his decision when he decided to join the Air Force.

This young officer says, “There is a lot of multiculturalism in the service. It is a diverse and equitable service. I encourage more people of Indian descent to join, but they have to be prepared for the Australian way of business. They should join because of their desire to support the country, and they should be prepared for that,” he cautions.

Positive change is good for ADF
Flight Lieutenant Hardik Mehta
30 years, Systems Engineer ALSPO Royal Australian Air Force Base (RAAF) RichmondAn engineer’s first love is always technology and specialised equipment. For Flt Lt Hardik Mehta, it was no different. An engineer, Hardik came to Australia from Gujarat as an international student to pursue his Masters in Engineering at the RMIT University. After obtaining his Permanent Residency, he decided to join the Australian Air Force because of the highly specialised technology and high-end equipment the service offers.

“As an Engineer, one would like to work on cutting edge technological equipment, and the RAAF obviously owns a lot of it. RAAF also offers an excellent career progression path and first rate training to be successful in your selected job. A strong desire to serve the country I live in combined with these factors made the decision to join the RAAF easy,” says the officer, who first joined the RAAF as an Electronics Engineering Officer in October in 2006.

After he saw a couple of recruitment advertisements on TV which referred him to the Defence website, Hardik found a wealth of information about joining the Australian Defence Force (ADF). He underwent four and a half months training at the Officers’ Training School, which was previously in Melbourne. Like other officers, he was also taught to operate basic weapons and carry out defensive activity in case the base is attacked.

After completing training, Hardik’s first posting was with Number 37 Squadron where he was in charge of various maintenance workshops and supervised about 70 technicians. He currently works as a System Safety Engineer within the Air Lift Systems Program Office (ASLPO), which provides logistical and engineering support and new capability acquisition for the Air Lift Group’s vitally important fleet of C-130H and C-130J Hercules weapon systems. He also overlooks the day-to-day maintenance of aircraft.

Flt Lt Mehta has been to Indonesia as part of the joint exercises between the Australian and Indonesian governments, where he spent time with other officers understanding how Indonesians operate their Air Force. He was also on stand-by for the tsunami in Asia last year, to provide humanitarian aid.

Hardik observes that the Services are starting to reflect Australia’s fast-changing society and already has people from different backgrounds including Vietnamese, Koreans and Indians. “I believe the ADF should reflect demographic changes in the broader Australian society to maintain vital public support. Changes to the Defence Force will impact wider public perception and open people’s minds to work in different areas of the Services,” claims Hardik.

“The ADF is trying to encourage diverse communities to join,” he says, observing that the Indian community fits the requirement of the Australian Forces because education is highly respected by Indians, and most students will not settle for anything less than a university degree.

Besides the salary remuneration and medical benefits, Hardik says, “I believe joining the ADF is an excellent career choice, and it is a way to serve the country you live in. I have the time of my life here, because I love working here. This country has provided me the opportunity to build my life. So why not provide your services to the country by serving it?” he asks.

Flt Lt Mehta and his wife recently invited his parents and in-laws to the Richmond base to show them where he works and the kind of work he does.

“They are all extremely proud that I work at the Australian Air Force,” he says.

A soldier and a medico
Captain Dr Nalini Rao
46 years, General Practitioner – Training Medics, medicals for soldiers

Being a full-time mom and juggling a medical profession is far from easy. But that is exactly what Dr Nalini Rao, currently a doctor ‘in reserve’ for the Australian Army, does. Hailing from a family deeply involved in social service – her grandfather Thakur Kundan Singh Kush was an Arya Samaji pioneer from Sahanpur, Uttar Pradesh and credited with starting the first Indian girls’ school in Fiji – Dr Rao’s inclination to service is therefore, not unusual. Her role models in life have been her mother Dr Uma Rao, who was one of the first three girls to graduate from the Fiji School of Medicine; and her aunt Mrs Usha Rai, who was Principal of the DAV Girls College and a member of the Women’s Army Cadets in Bangalore in the 1950s.

Born in Fiji, Nalini migrated to Australia in 1988 and she did her Masters in Molecular Biology at the Queensland University of Technology. After completing her MBBS, she worked in rural Queensland, from Mt Isa in the west to Thursday Island and Weipa in the north, to Bowen and many towns in between. Weipa was her first tryst with the Australian Army, where she joined as a Commissioned Officer with the Australian Defence Force Army Reserve with the Rank of a Captain in 2002.

“I later moved to Townsville and started doing medicals for soldiers, taking part in training exercises like going into the bush to do mock resuscitations, along with learning to put up a “hoochie” (sleeping tent), radio and weapons handling and navigation skills. I then moved to Western Australia for three years, where I was based at Irwin Barracks in Perth,” she says, adding that she worked as a part time soldier and also worked as a GP in an after-hours clinic. 

Nalini underwent her officer training at Duntroon in Canberra in 2005, after which she regularly underwent soldier training, which included roughing it out in the bush – something which she enjoys. As part of the Combat Service Support Battalion, Nalini performed medicals, looked after soldiers and also had training in weaponry and shooting.

Speaking about her inspiration to work in the Army, Nalini says, “I joined because I wanted to contribute to my country. Also, after September 11, I felt a deep need to assist during human crises. I was also influenced by a friend Major Kerry Ayres, who was a nurse in the Australian Army and whom I met working in Weipa. She spoke about the work involved and I was very keen to be a part of it, and learn new skills.”

When she declared her intention to join the Army, Nalini’s family was naturally surprised. “They were shocked about my decision, but at the same time proud. I was also one of the few women doctors of Indian descent to be a part of the Army. There were many Australian doctors and nurses but hardly any Indian women doctors,” she says.

However, she says that despite her origin, she has never felt non-white or non-Australian, because of the immense respect accorded to women in Defence. “I would love to see more girls of Indian descent work as doctors, nurses, medics or in any other capacity in the ADF as there are many opportunities and endless possibilities. Now would be a good time to join and also work overseas in conflict zones to gain experience in working in challenging environments,” says the medico, emphasising, “Women shouldn’t be worried about working in the Army as they are well-respected and accepted.”

Currently Nalini is inactive and has been placed on Army ‘reserve’, while she works as a GP in WA, because of her interest in working with rural Australians, while also devoting time to her two-and-a-half-year old daughter, whom she adores. “There are not many doctors here in rural areas and it is very challenging to work here. Also, my daughter is very young and is quite attached to me. I want to wait till she is older and I’ll resume my role in the Army once we move back to the city,” says the doctor, who works with Indigenous Australians.

Despite her Fijian ancestry and long years in Australia, Nalini says they have kept their Indian roots intact and celebrate a number of Indian festivals, including Diwali. “I love music and speak Hindi and Urdu, and I wear a sari at any opportunity. In fact, I am now teaching my daughter to speak Hindi, so she also knows the language,” says Dr Rao, whose mother is from Uttar Pradesh and her father is from Andhra Pradesh, while her husband is of Scottish heritage.

Nalini hopes to see more Indian women in the Australian Defence Force and also hopes to do an exchange programme in the future to India and Fiji, if the opportunity arises.

Learning leadership skills and dedication
Aircraftsman Kalyan Murthy Rachakatla
27 years, attached to 44 Wing Detachment at RAAF Amberley

Dedication, enthusiasm and youthfulness are traids that best describe Aircraftsman Rachakatla – an Electrical Engineer from Satyabama University in Chennai, who first came to Australia in 2006 to pursue his Masters at the Queensland University of Technology. After finishing his education, Kalyan opted to apply for his Permanent Residency as he had come to like Australia. “I was keen on finding a good job here. When I looked up opportunities in the Australian Forces, I liked what was offered. Though I had the opportunity to join the Army or the Navy, I wanted to join the Air Force as I like working with aircraft,” he says.

In the past two years, this young officer has been working on radars, Instrument Landing System (ILS), Air Defence and Air Traffic System (ADATS), Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) and coordinates with air traffic controllers to ensure the efficient functioning of electrical equipment that facilitates aircraft landing and take-off.

Kalyan underwent basic training for over 10 weeks in Wagga Wagga, before starting his work.

“The training, which included bushwalks, march-pasts, drills, weapon handling, shooting, using fire equipment and first aid courses, was quite tough. It also taught me leadership skills and dedication,” says this young man who originally hails from Hyderabad. The Air Force officer was trained in filling sandbags and leopard crawling as part of the bush training that all officers undergo.

“We have to be prepared for everything and be physically very fit. The 10-week training tests your abilities physically and psychologically,” he says.

Remembering his rigorous training Kalyan adds, “It was getting tougher with each day and towards the end, I told my corporal that I wanted to give up. However, he motivated and encouraged me, which helped me push myself to complete the training.” 

On his initial days at the Air Force he says he was worried about taking on leadership roles. “But after the training I was given, my fears disappeared and I am now very comfortable leading a team,” he says.

Kalyan says he enjoys it all – the hard work, team spirit and camaraderie among the officers. Though as an engineer his focus is on the well-oiled functioning of aircraft equipment, like a true Australian, he lives up to the Aussie motto – work hard, play harder and that is reflected in the team building exercises, the physical training and the different sports he plays every day. In fact, Kalyan is hoping to work in combat zones like Afghanistan or Iraq and has in fact put in the ‘Individual readiness’ application, which signals an officer’s willingness to be deployed in war zones.

“I want to work in challenging environments and gain experience,” he claims confidently.

The Australian Air Force, according to him, is extremely diverse with people from different backgrounds, besides Indians, working together to serve Australia. An example of diversity, he notes, is the cooking of different ethnic dishes in the officers’ mess.

“There may be curries and at least one Indian dish. This reflects the growing number of Indians in the Air Force,” he says.

Despite his love for his adopted nation, Kalyan maintains a strong connection with India, his country of origin, and the famous Hyderabadi Biryani.

 “I go home ever year to visit my family and love eating Indian dishes. My family will soon be visiting me here,” says the recently wedded officer.

In fact, when he decided to join the Australian Air Force, his family asked, why not the Indian Air Force?

And what was his response?

“I really like Australia and this is now my country. I feel at home here,” he smiles.

You’re a bloody Australian, mate!
Reginald Armstrong
47 years, Air Traffic Control Supervisor, defence civilian located at Oakey in Queensland

If it is possible to don many hats in a lifetime, one has to simply look at the long and illustrious career of Reginald Armstrong, or Reg as he is fondly called, since the last three decades. Armed with a sense of humour and an uncanny desire to serve the nation, Reg holds the distinction of having served both the Army and the Air Force since he joined the Australian Defence Forces in 1981. His family moved to Australia from Mumbai, which he still prefers to call ‘Bombay’.

“I was eleven when we moved here. When I go back to India, I realise it has definitely changed. We used to ride bikes in Colaba when I was a kid. Now, it would be risky to try that,” he jokes.

Reg was recruited in the Army as a cartographer, where he helped study and make maps for about six years. “Before you had Google Earth, we had to take aerial surveys and put up photos. We created three-dimensional images of the earth’s surface and drew contours,” he says. During this time, he was deployed on Operations on four occasions – three times to different parts of Indonesia and once to the Marshall Island South Pacific. His time as a Corporal in Kapooka as a Recruit Instructor were some of the best years of his life, reminisces Reg.

“I worked long hours, starting between 5 and 5:30am and finished after 10pm, seven days a week whilst training recruits, for approximately 12 weeks. The reward was seeing the recruits march out of Kapooka on their way to a long career within Defence,” he says proudly.

After resigning from the ADF after 22 years at the rank of Flight Lieutenant (Captain), he now works as an Air Traffic Controller with the RAAF. In his long years, he has never served in a combat zone, unlike his younger brother, who was a Major in the Army and served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“I just missed out on the combat zone. But, I have seen my brother serve there and it was quite difficult for him as he was married and had two children,” he says.

Thinking back on the days when he first joined the Army, Reg refers to himself as quite ‘unique’ because of the fact that not many non-white Australians were part of the Defence Forces.

“Despite the differences, you are accepted for who you are in the ADF as they are concerned about work ethics. I have never felt out of place and that is why I have been here this long. The level of professionalism is more important and people do not pick on you for being non-Australian,” he says.

Recalling the time when he felt stumped as he was asked to specify his nationality, he remembered approaching his Australian supervisor who told him amicably, “You are a bloody Australian, mate!” He asserts that he has never missed out on promotions or felt any racial vilification – a question that is often posed by Reg’s friends.

“I am now seeing a lot of diversity in the ADF because it has been more proactive and has always targetted people from different backgrounds,” says Reg, who is also a grandfather with two step children – a role which he loves dearly.

“I would always encourage more Indian Australians to join the Defence, if they are interested. I don’t think you should stop yourself because you are Indian. But it’s good to research the lifestyle and the travel that it entails. Joining the ADF is a very big change in life and lifestyle that does require some sacrifice, but in the end the reward of a challenging and exciting career outweighs these small sacrifices. The individual needs to join for the right reason and not as a means to an end. Being in the ADF is more than a job, it is vocation,” he maintains, adding “The ADF is like your extended family, and it is the people who make the Defence what it is.” 

Reg has thought about returning to India many times, but the Australian lifestyle has always held him back and he hopes to continue serving for the next 13 years, until his retirement.