Navy People: It's a Navy life for Ashleigh
6 October 2010
On the 24th of August 2009 Appin’s Ashleigh Duncan said goodbye to her Mum Nicole and step-dad Simon Collard, and headed to Melbourne to start her Navy Gap Year.
It’s a chance for school-leavers like Ashleigh to ‘try the defence force before they buy’.
One year on and Ashleigh enjoyed herself so much she’s decided to go Navy full-time.
“After leaving Ambarvale High I was unsure what to do,” said Ashleigh. “Even with the Navy, I was unsure about signing on for six years. At my age that’s a really long time.
“But my uncle Andrew is a Lieutenant in the Navy — an aeronautical engineer — and he was giving me positive input so I decided the Gap Year program was worth checking out.
“To start with I was just looking for the experience and travel. The money was just a bonus.”
“Now I’ve been all over Australia from Hobart to Cairns, and been part of an international exercise called Croix du Sud, run by the French. That took me to New Caledonia — it’s still a French colony. Then I went to the main Fleet Air Arm base at Nowra, just south of Wollongong.
“My 12 months was up on 23rd August 2010 and I’m definitely going to re-enlist,” said Ashleigh. “At the moment I like the idea of becoming a Supply Officer — managing the ship’s stores — but it’s early days yet.
“The Gap Year option has sorted out what I’ll be doing for the next few years and I would recommend it to anyone as it is a once-in-a-life time opportunity.”
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