Able Seaman Musician Emma Storey turned a challenging injury into a remarkable academic achievement.
The Royal Australian Navy Band Sydney saxophonist was the winner of the 2023 Royal United Services Institute of Victoria (RUSIVIC) essay competition.
Commander Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Christopher Smith presented Able Seaman Storey with her award on June 13 and praised the versatility of the Navy Band personnel.
Able Seaman Storey's journey to victory was unexpected and inspiring.
It began in April 2023 after she developed an overuse injury from excessive saxophone practice.
"I really missed practising and rehearsing and was quite worried about to what extent it would heal and what my future would look like," she said.
A fellow saxophonist in the band suggested Able Seaman Storey participate in the essay competition to stay mentally engaged and divert focus from her injury.
"While being injured as a musician is always stressful, it became very clear that being in the military with career stability, free medical and empathetic colleagues is the best way to do it," Able Seaman Storey said.
"The trust and professional freedom from chain of command meant I could take on a project like this while I couldn't do my usual job."
Able Seaman Storey started the project driven by curiosity and boredom. However, as she explored deeper into her research of military ethics, her interest grew.
"The more I read about it, the more curious I became about the area," she said.
Despite never having written a thesis in university, she took on the challenge of writing a 10,000-word essay, the longest research project she had ever undertaken.
Throughout the research and writing process, Able Seaman Storey developed a newfound respect for the military and ethics theory.
"I got to read a bunch of really thoughtful and nuanced approaches to confronting and controversial topics," she said.
"It actually strengthened my respect for the ADF and the international legal system to see the rigour and care that is put into establishing practical ethics frameworks."
Easing back into band life after her injury, Able Seaman Storey said her career has exceeded all expectations.
"This is definitely a job that I can see myself in for years and hopefully decades to come," she said.
"Getting paid to spend all day playing music with fun people is a dream come true."
Winning the competition brought Able Seaman Storey a wave of interest and praise from the military community, and she encouraged others to participate.
"I would highly recommend entering for anyone looking for a writing project or to express their thoughts about ethics in our profession to both a public and internal audience. There's also a $2000 prize to sweeten the deal," she said.
The topic for the 2024 RUSIVIC essay competition is 'How will artificial intelligence affect the ethical conduct of the ADF in the future?' Entries are due by November 29.
