Disaster response shapes risk-ready soldier

“As a soldier, I had the opportunity to assist on the ground with weather disasters, and saw all the cool things the Army did with helping communities.”

It inspired her to complete a Masters degree in Disaster, Risk and Resilience at the University of Canterbury.

“When I was a soldier and studying at the University of Canterbury, I’d often ask if the Reserve Force Christchurch-based unit had any work available for me.  I loved the feeling of being helpful, and it was a great part-time job.”

She later achieved a commission to become a Royal New Zealand Army Logistics Officer in the Reserve Force, later accepting a short-term transfer into 3 Transport Company, Royal New Zealand Army Logistics Regiment.

“I really hit the ground running with that one!  It was a win-win situation, though, they needed an extra helping hand, and I needed a job as I’d just finished my master’s.”

As part of her time in the Regular Force, 2LT Millett, 24, worked as a Liaison Officer in the Civil Defence Centre for the West Coast and Nelson’s Civil Defence State of Emergency in 2022.

“This gave me a real appreciation of the work that goes on behind the scenes during an emergency.  You need to remain flexible. Things change on the ground constantly, and you deal with a wide variety of personalities. 

With my time as a soldier, I think it gave me tools to understand how and why the changes were occurring which definitely helped me to remain flexible and understanding of the requests coming in.

As part of her time in the Regular Force, 2LT Millett was offered a secondment to the Christchurch Civil Defence Group for four months.  She left her mark by writing up an Emergency Fuel Plan and Cordon Guideline for the entire Selwyn District, a population of over 60,000. 

“There’s always more to do to ensure communities are ready for an event but writing up an emergency fuel plan for the whole of Selwyn District as well as a Cordon Guideline was very cool,” she says.

Today, 2LT Millett is back in the Reserve Force, while working as a Risk Coordinator for the University of Auckland.

“The role involves a lot of administration around emergency and incident management in the University, as well as ensuring faculty members are trained and aware of the Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) structure,” she says.

She is a platoon commander with the Reserve Force’s 38 Combat Service Support Company (38 CSS Coy), based in Auckland.  She manages training for Reserve Force Combat Drivers, Logistic Specialists and other logistic trades within the platoon, as well as administration around courses and qualifications they may need.

e””The team I work with are awesome and come from such an array of backgrounds, so seeing them with a smile on their faces after a cool weekend of training is so special.”

 Second LT Millett is the first to admit she loves to help people, it’s her driving force. 

“As a platoon commander, I enjoy helping my soldiers gain the qualifications they need while at the same time, seeing them enjoy their training within the Reserve Force.  In my civilian capacity, it’s the bigger picture; concentrating on contingency plans to mitigate disaster for different communities.  I find that if I can help, I will do so to the best of my abilities and lean on the skills I have learnt previously, and my network of contacts, both military and civilian.”