A glimpse into the life of a loadmaster

25/09/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 376 Views 0 Comments C-27J Spartan, No. 35 Squadron

Three years ago, Corporal Deniele Oehm began her career in Defence. This is her story as told to Flight Lieutenant Imogen Lunny.

CAPTION: Air Force C-27J Spartan loadmaster Corporal Deniele Oehm enjoys the view on the ramp of a C-27J Spartan during a flight. Story by Flight Lieutenant Imogen Lunny.

How and when did your Air Force journey begin?

I have always had a passion for travel and I was working in civil aviation. During COVID, I unfortunately lost my job and a friend of mine mentioned a career in Defence. I did some research and became excited about the loadmaster role and submitted my application.

I ended up as a successful candidate and enlisted in July 2021.

Upon my completion of recruit training I commenced employment training to graduate as a qualified loadmaster. Some of the key highlights of my initial training were definitely the life-long friendships I made and the accomplishment of completing Air Combat Survive Evade Resist Escape (SERE-C) course. It was a demanding course, both physically and mentally, and I really had to push myself out of my comfort zone.

What does a typical day look like for a loadmaster?

There is not really a ‘typical day’ when it comes to being a loadmaster. I think that is what I love most about the job.

One minute you are pre-flighting the aircraft for a deploy of troops and the next minute you can be re-tasked to move humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR) supplies into a remote location in PNG that has been affected by an earthquake, or you are loading the aircraft with search-and-rescue equipment for a lost vessel at sea.

It isn’t always just about the flying, we can be tasked to do community engagement and work alongside other forces. On a recent Defence Pacific Aid Program rotation I was given the opportunity to participate in the ‘Luksave Long Gender’ course at Goldie Barracks. As a secondary duty, I am a Gender Focal Point and it was really rewarding to actually see the fundamentals of this course being taught to our close partners (such as PNG Defence Force).

At times, the loadmaster role can be fast-paced and physically demanding, but then you get to travel to amazing remote locations.

Overall, the job is challenging, but that is why I joined Defence. I wanted to challenge myself to see what I [could] achieve. There are a lot of moments when you need to problem solve and think about how you can achieve the mission successfully, but that is what we are trained for.

What motivates you?

I am motivated by the work we are accomplishing as a squadron and the lives we are positively affecting. Having done the Gender Focal Point course has given me a greater knowledge of how the work we can do can impact communities. It is important to understand the second and third-order affects.

All the hard work is worth it when you have just finished offloading a cargo compartment full of HADR supplies and the people in the community personally come over to thank you. They are always so grateful and you can really see the positive impact it will have on them.

Would you recommend a career as a loadmaster?

I would recommend a career as a loadmaster to anyone who loves to travel and wants to be challenged. It is a rewarding role and you are able to interact with an array of people.

The culture within 35 Squadron is connected and team-based. All the sections of the unit have their role and we all understand the mission would not be successful if we did not work together. We are close-knit and I think this is really important when we are away on operations for multiple weeks.

What’s on the horizon for you?

I am not due to post out of 35 Squadron until Jan 2028 and I am not certain on what I would like to do for a ground posting, but I would love to come back to the squadron in the future in a training role assisting in preparing future aviators that have chosen this career path.

Job satisfaction, completing the mission, contributing to air capability, building and strengthening relationships with partners, and high morale throughout the crew and squadron is something I would like to continue to improve.

The ‘Luksave Long Gender’ course is gender awareness training that has been developed specifically for PNG audiences. It is PNG’s name for ‘gender awareness’.