KURUMA MARTHUDUNERA WOMAN GRADUATES FROM INDIGENOUS MILITARY PROGRAM

BY TANGIORA HINAKI

Kuruma Marthudunera woman, Emily Bobby, graduated from the Indigenous Military Program for Indigenous Youth this year and you can now call her Private Emily Bobby.  

Ms Bobby says that she was inspired to join the Army to keep her family together.

“Mom and Dad were literally having troubles keeping us siblings together and we just ended up with Department of Child Protection,” she said.

“I just felt lost without my siblings.  It got pretty hectic when they were split apart. I’m just trying to make it better.  I’m the one that raised my siblings.” 

Emily Bobby enjoyed the Indigenous Military Program and says it was challenging. 

“You have to get up with the sheets on your back, march down the hallway, put your back up against the wall and literally stand up straight,” she said.

“They were teaching us how to do communication systems over radios. I got a little bit confused with that because there are, like different words and I couldn't pronounce it.” 

Ms Bobby told Ngaarda Media that her favourite activity was military marching and she would like to see more Aboriginal people join the Army. 

“Don't be scared even if it sounds scary and all that stuff, but most people and families will probably, like try to not let you go,  because my Dad tried to do that,” she said.

“I was like ‘I don’t care Dad, I’m going because I want to test it out, I want to see what it is all about and see if I like it or not.’”