On Anzac Day this year, Able Seaman Rachel Brandt will have the perfect opportunity to pay respects to her great-great-uncle who fought and died in World War 1 - she will be parading at Gallipoli as part of Australia's Federation Guard catafalque party on the 110th anniversary of the landing.
"I had no words when initially I found out I was going," Able Seaman Brandt said.
"It is a great honour and privilege to be given the opportunity to attend Gallipoli."
Military service is in her DNA. Her great-great-uncle Jules Schuller fought and was wounded in Gallipoli, and was later killed and then buried in Bapaume, France, in 1917.
Both her grandfathers served, one in the Army in World War 2 (WW2), and the other in the Army Reserves.
Her great-grandfather on her mum's side served on HMAS Shropshire in WW2 and her great-uncle served in the Korean War.
Her dad also served more than 10 years in the Air Force, and this year, both her parents will travel to Gallipoli to attend the ceremony.
"For me, Anzac Day has been an integral part of my life growing up," Able Seaman Brandt said.
"Participating in the catafalque party this year will be an extraordinary moment in my career I will never forget."
Able Seaman Brandt said that if she could say something to her great-great-uncle, it would be thanking him for the service he gave and the sacrifice he made for his country.
'Participating in the catafalque party this year will be an extraordinary moment in my career I will never forget.'
Able Seaman Brandt is from Ipswich in Queensland, but also lived in Saudi Arabia for seven years. She returned to Australia and finished her schooling at Queensland's West Moreton Anglican College.
She completed a Bachelor of Nursing before joining the Navy as a Combat Systems, Mine Warfare Operator, in 2020.
"I joined the ADF seeking a career that is both challenging and rewarding, where I could travel, have experiences and make lifelong friendships," Able Seaman Brandt said.
Most importantly, she wanted a career that made her family proud and that gave her a strong sense of personal achievement.
Able Seaman Brandt aspires to become a recruit instructor and one day commission in the Air Force.
"To represent Australia is incredibly special and I feel honoured to be there to commemorate such a poignant moment in our history, whilst also keeping my family's legacy alive," she said.
