Thames-raised accountant Kate Heynes turns lieutenant

Lieutenant Kate Heynes with her husband Lieutenant Seth Heynes and their daughter Theodora. Photo / NZDF

Lieutenant Kate Heynes never imagined that just three months after returning from maternity leave to her job as an accountant, she would embark on a new career as a learning development officer (LDO) in the New Zealand Army.

Thames-raised Lieutenant Heynes had been working as an accountant for her father, but when the family business was sold it created an opportunity for her to move in a new direction.

She was familiar with military life as her husband Lieutenant Seth Heynes serves as a psychologist based at Linton Military Camp, but she had never considered a career in the NZ Army.

“I didn’t think I was fit enough, or young enough, to become a soldier. But my husband explained there’s far more to the army and encouraged me to take a closer look,” Lieutenant Heynes said.

“I could see my skills and experience could translate well to the learning development officer position, so I decided to take the plunge.”

Lieutenant Heynes applied to enrol on the Specialist Officer Induction Course, a 12-week programme designed to introduce potential officers to the standards and discipline required to be an effective member of the NZ Army.

In January, she reported to Waiouru Military Camp to begin training, while Lieutenant Seth Heynes cared for their 18-month-old daughter Theodora.

She said switching from being a fulltime parent to an officer-in-training was a bit of a shock initially.

“Army life was a dramatically new environment for me. My husband talks about the ‘shock of capture’, a psychological term where when you go into an environment that’s vastly different to what you’re used to. Before you can adapt and adjust to this new way, you go into shock. That was definitely me.”

But once that initial jolt wore off, she soon adjusted.

“The support from my physical training instructor Corporal Codie Christensen was amazing.

“Seth’s one-up, Lieutenant Commander Matt Banks, and the directorate of psychology were amazing too. Supporting Seth to work flexibly meant I could attend the course.”

Corporal Christensen tailored bespoke physical exercises for Lieutenant Heynes to support her post-pregnancy transition to military physical fitness, proving that the NZ Army isn’t restricted to a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

“Now I’ve graduated, I’m really excited to get stuck into the role and make a difference using the skills I’ve been taught,” Lieutenant Heynes said.

Reflecting on their new life with two family members in the military, Lieutenant Seth Heynes said he’s incredibly proud of what his wife has accomplished.

“We laughed at the idea of us both working for the same organisation but I knew Kate would excel as a learning development officer,” he said. “I saw the impact that Kate’s pregnancy had on her physically so it was a proud moment to see her graduate, knowing how hard she worked to pass the fitness requirements.”

Lieutenant Heynes graduated in April and has been posted to the New Zealand Defence College’s Hokowhitu campus in Palmerston North, in a junior LDO position.

In her new role she will revise existing syllabuses and create new ones to enable the development of fit-for-purpose training courses, as well as interacting with staff at Linton and Waiouru to ensure training needs are being met.

Supplied copy