Army inspires more women to join navy

The PNG Defence Force has encouraged more females to join the sea element.
Chief-of-staff Philip Polewara said this yesterday following the launch of the new navy boat Ted Diro in Australia.
It will be gifted to the country in December by the Australian Defence Force.
“Currently we have two female soldiers, one in the deck department and the other in the engineering department, who are undergoing further training to be qualified to go on board,” Polewara said.
Delilah Bande, from East Sepik, in the deck department, is currently undergoing training in Australia.
Polewara said it was not easy to become a naval officer as it required four years of training apart from the basic army recruitment training.
He said there were several female officers in the land and air elements of the PNGDF, except for sea.
The PNGDF maritime element consists of four Australian-gifted Pacific-class patrol boats and two Balikpapan-class landing craft.
The four Pacific-class patrol boats will be replaced by the new Guardian-class patrol boats.
The Ted Diro, named after a former PNGDF commander, replaces the HMPNGS Rabaul. The other three arrive from 2019 to 2021.