Combat engineer Lieutenant Lara Hamblin's journey in the Army began with a snap choice to join the Army Gap Year program.
Just three weeks after finishing her employment training, she deployed to Fiji.
The 24-year-old hails from the small town of Nyngan, NSW. Life was quiet where she grew up, and the open spaces of her family's property instilled in her a love for the outdoors and a passion for competitive horse riding.
After completing Year 12 as a boarder at Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth, Lieutenant Hamblin joined Army as a Gap Year officer, eager to spend a year exploring an exciting career that kept her outdoors.
"I loved the Gap Year so much that after my 12 months as a RAEME (Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) officer was up, I wanted to go full-time right away; straight to Royal Military College - Duntroon (RMC-D)," she said.
"My OC [officer commanding] had other advice, though - he very much pushed me to attend the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) first, and I'm glad he did.
"I studied a BA in History and International and Political Studies, and on graduating from ADFA and RMC-D, I got my first preference to join the Royal Australian Engineers."
Just three weeks after completing her regimental officer's basic course, Lieutenant Hamblin deployed to Fiji in early September as officer in command of demolitions for Exercise Cartwheel.
'For those who know they're ready, just jump straight in. It's a great career, and out in the rural areas, not enough people know it's an option.'
The multilateral US Army Pacific-led exercise with the Republic of Fiji Military Forces focuses on building readiness, interoperability at the company level, and conflict response capacity with the US, Fiji, Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and Tonga.
While in Fiji, Lieutenant Hamblin embraced the challenge of an international deployment with confidence. Her exposure to international students, including Fijian cadets with whom she played rugby during her time at ADFA, helped her quickly establish rapport with local troops.
She enjoyed seeing the resourcefulness of the teams around her.
"We showed the Fijian Engineering Regiment how to set a detonation, and they were such an excited training audience, asking loads of questions," Lieutenant Hamblin said.
She was busy with training as soon as she arrived, but the camaraderie within the troop and the beauty of the highlands made the experience all the more rewarding.
Her advice to anyone considering a career in the ADF was to do the Gap Year.
"You're not locked in, and at worst, you'll meet a bunch of great friends," Lieutenant Hamblin said.
"For those who know they're ready, just jump straight in. It's a great career, and out in the rural areas, not enough people know it's an option."
For Lieutenant Hamblin, the Army has been more than just a career, it's a place where she's found lifelong friendships and challenges that push her to grow.
And while she may only get to ride horses when she's back home in Nyngan, her passion for adventure and leadership continues to gallop ahead.
