Navy People: A family tradition of service

1 July 2011

Able Seaman Medic Jodie Turpin plays the Last Post at the ANZAC Day dawn service onboard USS Cleveland during Pacific Partnership.

Sunshine Coast girl and former Burnside State High School student, Jodie Turpin, is currently enjoying the sunshine of the Pacific Islands – part of the Royal Australian Navy’s involvement in an annual humanitarian assistance program.

Jodie, 24, became interested in joining the Defence Force after hearing stories of the Air Force from her Grandad and stories of the Navy from her now husband, William.

Jodie joined the Navy in May 2007 and trained to become a medic. She now holds the qualification of Advanced Medical Assistant and has worked at HMAS Cerberus, HMAS Watson and at St Vincent's hospital in patient care.

Jodie's job involves completing medicals to ensure sailors are ready to deploy, completing on-the-job training and assessing patients when they arrive at the medical centre.

Her current deployment, Pacific Partnership 2011, is an annual Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) program that aims to strengthen alliances and promote multilateral security cooperation.

Her deployment has seen Jodie working in remote villages in the countries of Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

"I love being able to help the kids in these countries, to see their smiles," she said.

Now in its seventh year, the partner nations of the Pacific Partnership program continue their mission to improve the lives of people in the Pacific region, as well as improve the capacities of nations and organisations to respond to disasters through recurring opportunities for cooperation and training.