Inspired by the long history of Indigenous service in Australia's military both nationally and in his own family, Damien Seden wants to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors.
But the 30-year-old Indigenous man from far north Queensland did not meet the entry standards.
"Both my Indigenous side and my non-Indigenous side [family] have been serving for 226 years," he said.
A 17-week Army Indigenous Development Program – which develops recruits' literacy and numeracy skills, fitness and resilience – has given Private Recruit Seden his chance.
"You'll come here with low self-esteem or self-confidence and you might have a corporal … who might see something in you … and over the weeks you'll discover the type of person you are," he said.
Private Recruit Seden said the program also helped recruits improve their public speaking.
"Like most of the time people will be too shy or ashamed to talk out in public and the army actually develops you to have a bit more confidence in yourself.
"Fitness, too. There are a lot of people that go through that program that are slow to run, then ... 10 weeks down the track they'll be like leading the running," he said.
Private Recruit Seden said leaving country to train at the Blamey Barracks at Kapooka in southern NSW was daunting, but his culture has also been strengthened in the program.
"I've got two cultures now I got the ADF culture and my First Nations culture so, more than anything, both together makes it stronger."
Pathway helps 'close the gap'
Currently 3.7 per cent of Australian Defence Force members are Indigenous but there is a goal to increase that to 5 per cent by 2025.
Commanding officer of the recruit development company Major Richard Donohue said pathways like the Army Indigenous Development Program were helping reach that goal.
He said more than 80 per cent of the program's graduates joined the army.
"It's allowing people who previously haven't had the opportunity, to serve their country," he said.
"You see the changes in small increments. They get so much more confident in themselves, the way they carry themselves, the way they talk, the way they interact."
Every army soldier undertakes basic training at Kapooka and the commandant, Colonel Andrew Deacon, said efforts were being made to recognise Indigenous culture every day.
"Not only acknowledging army customs and traditions but also incorporating Indigenous history and Indigenous customs into what we do," Colonel Deacon said.
"This [Kapooka] is the start point for everyone's journey so it should start here."
Private Recruit Seden said he was looking forward to his march out.
"Once you are in the army, they don't care about your background, all that matters is being green and doing the right thing in the army and by your platoon mates," he said.
"They don't judge you by the colour of your skin but by your merits and your work ethic, so you pretty much truly are equal."
