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Arrowtown's Selma Roberts is going places with the New Zealand Army Reserve Force.
A medic in the Royal NZ Army Medical Corps, she is based in a sub-unit of the NZ Army in Cromwell.
There are "amazing" opportunities with the Army Reserves in Central Otago, Roberts says.
In civvy life, she is a mum, a first-aid tutor for Hato Hone St John and a library contractor for Queenstown’s council.
With the Army Reserves, she supports exercises in the region, provides an emergency response during disasters, and travels abroad for military exercises and humanitarian assistance.
Raised in Germany, she moved to NZ to do medical research.
When a colleague’s friend — an Army Reserve medic — invited her to a training session, she enjoyed it so much she enlisted immediately.
"I love belonging to something bigger than myself, and I really love the camaraderie.
"You become part of a big family."
She takes part in army exercises and runs medical training in Cromwell during parade nights.
Roberts was part of a team that helped Balclutha residents after the township was battered by severe winds and power cuts last October.
She has also been to the Cook Islands as part of an exercise that combined humanitarian assistance and disaster relief with development projects.
Although they are part-time soldiers, Army Reserve members can do first-aid courses, gain heavy vehicle licences, take part in leadership courses and take part in sporting events as well as go on exercises and deployments, she says.
