Leading Aircraftwoman Chloe Jackson-Brown has her sights set on flying fast jets.
Her interest in becoming a pilot was sparked by her grandfather's photos with his aircraft that were displayed around the house.
"Growing up, I heard many stories about my grandad and his time as a pilot in the RAAF," Leading Aircraftwoman Jackson-Brown said.
Her grandad served for 24 years as a pilot in Air Force from 1966 to 1990. He was primarily a fast-jet pilot, but also flew fixed-wing aircraft and the Iroquois helicopter during the Vietnam War. He clocked an impressive 13,500 flying hours.
"I would love to follow in my grandad's footsteps as a fast-jet pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force, but I am also very interested in the P-8A Poseidon and its capability in maritime domain awareness," Leading Aircraftwoman Jackson-Brown said.
Leading Aircraftwoman Jackson-Brown has deployed three times in support of RAAF P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which has taken her around the world.
Her current role is in aircraft security, with 1 Security Forces Squadron. The squadron recently deployed to the Philippines supporting a P-8A Poseidon aircraft and crew who conducted a multilateral maritime cooperative activity alongside Canada, the Philippines and the United States.
"Security Forces are responsible for the physical security of Australian assets and equipment by patrolling the flightline, working accommodation and providing incident response at any time of the day," Leading Aircraftwoman Jackson-Brown said.
Leading Aircraftwoman Jackson-Brown enlisted in Air Force in June 2020 under the ADF Gap Year program.
"Through my gap year, I have made many lifelong friends in a variety of roles who I still catch up with both inside and outside of Defence," she said.
"It's really comforting knowing that no matter where I am posted, there will be someone I know in every location."
The gap year gave her a greater insight into Defence life and the confidence to sign on full-time and ultimately pursue her dream to become a pilot in the Air Force.
"I was unsure whether RAAF or [being a] commercial pilot would be more suitable for me, so I decided to sign up for a gap year to see what Defence was like."
"At the end of the day, I will be happy with anything that can get me off the ground," Leading Aircraftwoman Jackson-Brown said.
