Society: New Roles for Defence Forces

Flight Lieutenant Leigh Molloy

A childhood interest in WWII fighter pilots motivated Leigh Molloy to join the Royal Australian Air Force. Inspired by stories of the Dambusters and Sir Douglas Bader, Leigh entered her nursing degree at James Cook University (JCU) with the sole intention of becoming an Officer in the Air Force.

Now aged 32, Flight Lieutenant Leigh Molloy is a Nursing Officer in the 1 Expeditionary Health Squadron at Amberley Medical Centre outside Brisbane, Australia.

Leigh briefly considered joining the Navy as a helicopter pilot but decided that nursing was a great way to get into the Air Force which was essentially a lifelong dream.

"Last year I deployed to Dubai for four months as a Senior Nursing Officer at the Air Force medical facility on base. It was extremely busy but a real highlight of a rewarding career," she said.

Leigh witnessed the devastation of the SEIV-36 boat explosion at Ashmore Reef first hand back in April 2009. Just hours after the explosion Leigh, an Army doctor and one other Army nurse were flown to Truscott Airfield to assist in the Aeromedical Evacuation (AME) of civilians.

Ashmore Reef and Christmas island is the area where many refugees from Afghanistan and Iran, particularly, arrive these days by boat, seeking asylum in Australia.

During the traumatic time Leigh helped coordinate AMEs from Truscott Island to Perth. "I acted as liaison between the Air Force and the civilian nurses and doctors; we were all working together to evacuate the patients during the crisis."