Havelock North woman swaps career to become Defence Force military police

Aircraftman Jessica Kite is about to start her RNZAF career in military police after completing recruit training.

Jessica Kite was looking for opportunity and purpose when she joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

The 25-year-old former Havelock North High School student has now found exactly that as she begins military police trade training after graduating from the 14-week recruit training at RNZAF Base Woodbourne near Blenheim.

Aircraftman Kite gained a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in forensic analytical science and a minor in genetics from Otago University, but was not sure where that was going to take her.

"While studying I realised I didn't want to be just confined to working in a lab environment and doing paperwork all day, every day," she said.

She started looking at other career options that could still incorporate aspects of her degree subject area, and said: "What the air force could offer in terms of the military police role was really appealing and the opportunity to grow within the New Zealand Defence Force seems endless."

Military police protect Defence Force personnel and resources from crime and keep sailors, soldiers and aviators safe in New Zealand and overseas.

Aircraftman Kite said she was looking forward to continuing to learn and develop her skills in upcoming trade training at Trentham Military Camp, and of opportunities as they arise, gain experience that goes with it, and get a chance to travel, whether it's on exercise, operations or training with services.

She said one of the highlights of the recruit course was honing new skills at Marlborough's Dip Flat training area, and while there were challenges, there were always ways to manage them.

"It put all our theory from classroom into practice," she said. "It was an amazing learning experience, and was a great feeling to use some of the skills and knowledge we had learnt and to understand why we needed to learn them."

Aircraftman Kite said anyone wanting to join the air force should be open-minded and prepared to face challenges both physically and mentally.

"You will be pushed out of your comfort zone but not to your breaking point," she said. "If you take on all the challenges, give it 100 percent, support your fellow recruits and have a positive mindset, you'll have a great time on recruit course."