For former Stratford man and new Army medic Lance Corporal Phillip Vind, one of the best things about his new career will be deploying overseas to war and disaster zones.
Lance Corporal Vind, 22, was awarded two of the top prizes when he graduated from the two-and-a-half year New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) medic course recently.
He won the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps Manaia for top Army student, as well as the Peers' Choice award for the student who displays the highest standards of courage, commitment, comradeship and integrity during training.
Lance Corporal Vind says he joined the New Zealand Army after finishing Francis Douglas Memorial College aiming to become a medic because he wanted to learn a specialist skill.
"I also really liked the idea of being able to work in a close team with people who share a similar passion, as well as being trusted to perform on my own," he says.