A Life Less Ordinary
Published in the Air Force News | Issue 221
“I didn’t think about it at the time, I thought ‘God help anybody who thinks I can’t do it’.”
I deployed there for three years on my own, which now seems a little daunting,” Wing Commander (WGCDR) Shauna Graham said.
The Logistics Officer took on the challenge of coming to grips with being a new mother to Ollie and re-shaping how logistics support was provided from the unit in Singapore.
The task would have been impossible without her “Army of family” who travelled to Singapore nearly a dozen times to look after Ollie when she needed to deploy away or work on major activities, including coordinating the search for the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.
“Often I had short notice of a tasking to support an aircraft or a ship operating in the area, so I could be away from home for a few days or weeks and my family would literally get on a flight and be in Singapore the next day to look after Ollie so I could go and do my job.”
At the end of the deployment, WGCDR Graham was awarded a Chief of Navy Commendation for establishing a new framework to deliver maritime logistics in South East Asia — “so that was really encouraging”.
After a couple of years back in New Zealand, WGCDR Graham and Ollie packed their bags again and travelled to Brunei so she could study at the senior command staff course.
“Brunei was fantastic and a really great life experience for us both. Ollie was at a great international school and it was a unique development opportunity that I genuinely couldn’t get in any other organisation.”
The Islamic nation had implemented Sharia law a few years earlier, she said.
“It was interesting as a senior female officer to be able to share operational experience, be engaged in robust discussions and exchange ideas, and also to be a mother and settle us into the culture and community and to challenge a lot of opinions of what a woman should do.
“We’ve both built networks and developed friendships with people from all over the world, which have shaped our approach to taking on new challenges and enjoying the life experience along the way.”
Now back in New Zealand, the Grahams have settled at Base Ohakea.
“Ollie is going to a local school and I’m a Trustee on the school board and we’re invested in the development of Ohakea and the broader Manawatu community.
“Hopefully we’ll see the delivery of the P-8s to Ohakea during our time here and I’ll ensure the logistics support will be well organised and ready for their arrival. I predict we’ll get itchy feet again and perhaps there will be another opportunity. That’s what I love about the Air Force, just getting to live a life out of the ordinary.
