EXPECTATIONS OF FEMALE SOLDIERS IN THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE

AS a female ADF applicant, you should strive to be as fit as you possibly can be before you get into the Defence Force.

I hear it all the time ‘yeah but I’m a girl so I won’t have to do that’. As an Australian Soldier, you'll be expected to do EVERYTHING your male colleagues do. 

Do you know that when you get to Kapooka you’re all taught the exact same syllabus regardless of who you are. You know why? Because regardless of the job you’re going to be doing in the Army you’re taught to be a ‘soldier first’.

So you could be a medic, an admin clerk, a psychologist, a carpenter, a bugle player and it doesn’t matter. You’re all required to be a soldier first which means that you need to master the basics of soldiering so you can be called upon at any time, any where to conduct this role.

(The same is probably true for the Navy and Airforce. My background is Army so I’m just rolling with what I know for this particular post).

The same goes for fitness. Regardless of the job or service you’re going for, you MUST master the basics. There is NO point trying to conduct any other form of training until you can master the basics like push-ups, sit-ups and running.


As a female in the Defence Force you’re expected to still be a ‘soldier first’. You’re still expected to use a weapon safely and efficiently, you’re still expected to carry a pack, use a radio, carry your mate on a stretcher, help your mates over an obstacle, conduct water crossings, sleep under a hootchie and most importantly your mates need to know they can rely on you if they are injured.

I was the first female to enlist into a Combat Corp (Artillery) in the Australian military and I was expected to do all the same training as my peers. I was expected to be at the same academic standard as everyone else and I was expected to be at the same fitness level as everyone else.

So I trained. I trained my butt off so that I could come as close as possible to meeting the same fitness standards as my peer group. I wasn’t ever the fittest in my troop but I got damn close. I NEVER failed a BFA and I always participated in unit PT at 100%. Then I conducted my own gym training outside of work hours. I made sure that I was as fit and strong as possible so that my peers could rely on me.

Don’t think that just because you’re a female and that your fitness standards are slightly less that this means you don’t have to try as hard. In fact you should use it as a reason to strive to be even better. Who doesn’t want a chance to beat the boys?

At the end of the day you are applying for a job that allows you to serve your country. You should WANT to be at the same standard as your male peers and you should have enough PRIDE in yourself that you just want to provide effective service to your country.

I’m relying on YOU to keep me and my family safe at night.

Doesn’t matter if you’re a girl. You’re a soldier first. So work hard and make sure you CAN be a soldier.

If you would like more advice on improving your fitness as a female for the ADF then please feel free to get in touch with The Barracks Gym.