FORMER Penola High School student Tom Price has been successful in taking on his dream role at the Australian Defence Force as a surveillance aircraft operator.
Having completed Year 12 in 2015, Mr Price always wanted to be in the army after listening to Defence Force officers speak at Penola High School.
“I’ve always had a keen interest in the army, so I began searching and came across a job which involved being an operator of flying drones and knew that is what I wanted to do,” he said.
Shortly after, Mr Price went to the Defence Institute in Adelaide to sit the aptitude test.
This process involved returning to the institute for an entire day program full of interviews and a medical test.
“I was very nervous in the morning and by the end of the day when I went into the psychological interview I wasn’t prepared for the pressure as I thought I would breeze through it,” Mr Price said.
“However, I failed to complete it and I was pretty devastated and on the drive home as I knew I had to wait another eight months to have another go.”
Still eager to pursue his career, Mr Price continued his research and kept up his fitness with a weekly running program and weights training.
With renewed confidence and a positive outlook, he once again headed to Adelaide and was successful in his second assessment, with the interviewing officer recommending him for the program.
Being assigned a case manager in November 2016, it was now a waiting game for Mr Price as to when a position may arise.
“As the job I was going for was very popular, the positions were snapped up pretty quickly and as the assessment only lasts for 12 months, I was really hoping a position would come up soon,” Mr Price said.
He then received a phone call from his case manager earlier this month, informing him of an available position.
“I remember holding the phone in my hand and shaking, thinking this wasn’t real,” Mr Price said.
Now with only a month to prepare, Mr Price will travel to Wagga Wagga for a 10-week program before continuing his learning at the Puckapunyal Australian Army training facility in Victoria.
“After the initial training in Australia, we then head over to America and Europe as this is where the drones come from and we will learn about weather conditions that may affect the ability of
the drones to fly and how to control the aircraft in flight,” Mr Price said.
“I know it will be a mentally and physically challenging role, but I know it’s going to be exciting and rewarding too.”
