First Nations Air Force Surveillance Operator Chris started out as a personal trainer, but now flexes his skills mid-air, protecting our skies
Chris comes from a linguistically diverse background, identifies as a proud First Nations person and is passionate about shaking up stereotypes.
“Coming from a warrior race, every time I step into the operations room I feel like I’m doing my family and past generations proud,” he says. “I’m changing the narrative and I hope to lead other First Nations youth into Defence.”
After school, he channelled his love of sport and fitness into working as a personal trainer, before applying for a role as a trainee surveillance operator in the Air Force.
Secrets of the skies
On an average day, Chris works on secret missions using a network of radars and intelligence systems to direct, categorise and identify aircraft and service vessels in designated operational zones.
As with any future-proof gig, STEM skills are key.
“At first it was daunting going into a STEM role, as my skills weren’t as strong as they could be, but I’ve been able to strengthen them,” says Chris. “Maths in particular is necessary for tasks like calculating aircraft speeds and how much fuel an aircraft requires.
“In Defence, there are a lot of resources to support you and get you to where you want to be.”
Chris’ study and career path to becoming an air surveillance officer
- Certificate III and IV in Fitness
- Personal trainer
- Air surveillance operator, Air Force
This article was first published in Careers with STEM: Defence 2023. For more Defence role models, head to our STEM + Defence role model hub!
