Army's Lieutenant James Darvall and Navy's Seaman Xavier Martin are taking part in the ADF Gap Year program, which provides all the benefits of a standard ADF career, including a competitive salary and the opportunity to travel, without having to make a long-term commitment.
Lieutenant Darvall, who grew up on a property near Rockmount in regional Queensland, not far from Toowoomba, said his father was the main reason he decided to join the Army.
"He and my uncles had all served prior, so they understood what it meant to be in Defence and they recommended it," Lieutenant Davall said.
For Seaman Martin, who grew up in Yarrawonga, working at sea on a Navy vessel was a far cry from regional Victoria.
"I really had no inkling of joining Defence at all really, but I saw the ADF Careers campaign going around and I thought, 'It might be a bit different from university'," Seaman Martin said.
"And it has been a great experience - you're getting paid to travel around. There were plenty of parts of Australia I hadn't seen, but I've seen a lot of them now, and that's just the nature of the program."
The Navy Gap Year program enabled Seaman Martin to experience a number of opportunities.
"The Navy Gap Year supervisor works with you and local coordinators to understand what you want to get out of the year. They then collaborate with relevant teams to make it happen - you really have the opportunity to shape your experience," he said.
'Having the opportunity to go in for a year and see what it's like to be in the Defence Force, without the extra commitment - I found that really useful.'
For Lieutenant Darvall, it enabled him to participate in multinational activities and training scenarios.
"We went on Exercise Talisman Sabre about a week after we were posted to Townsville, so we quickly had to get all our kits together, go out in the field and quickly had to apply our training in the field," he said.
For one activity, Lieutenant Darvall was tasked with leading 30 soldiers through a series of tasks, including reconnaissance and harbour development.
"Coming into that with the expectation to lead them is quite daunting, but at the same time it's really exciting because I've been given this amazing opportunity that I wasn't expecting to have and I'm able to work with some really capable guys," he said.
Seaman Martin got to see some of the ADF's most advanced aviation capabilities.
"One of my favourite experiences was on HMAS Adelaide when a couple of Army Chinook helicopters came aboard for training. We got up close and that was very cool," he said.
Lieutenant Darvall plans to remain in Army following his gap year, either in a full-time role or as a reservist.
"Having the opportunity to go in for a year and see what it's like to be in the Defence Force, without the extra commitment - I found that really useful," he said.
Seaman Martin intends to apply to the Navy full-time following the end of his gap year, with a view to follow a career path in naval aviation.
If you're 17 to 24 and curious about life in the Navy, Army or Air Force, visit www.adfcareers.gov.au/careers/gap-year or call 13 19 01.
