Army woman adapts to life at sea

With a passion for the outdoors and having gained two years' experience as a cadet, joining the New Zealand Army straight after school was the logical choice for Bay of Plenty Private Marie-Claire Van Rouveroy Brown.

'I enjoy everything outdoors: hunting, fishing, riding motorbikes, tramping and swimming,” says the Rotorua woman.


Private Marie-Claire Van Rouveroy Brown is an NZ Army soldier currently serving on-board HMNZS Canterbury, deployed to New Caledonia for Exercise Croix du Sud.

'The Army is the perfect match as it promotes physical fitness and being in the field. You are paid to be fit and healthy.”

The 21-year-old is one of seven NZ Army personnel who make up the ship's Amphibious Load Team – called SALT – on-board HMNZS Canterbury, the Royal New Zealand Navy's amphibious support ship.

The movements team is responsible for the transportation of all vehicles and cargo embarking and disembarking the ship.

Exercise Croix Du Sud, a two-week biennial exercise based in New Caledonia, has seen Marie-Claire involved in the transportation of more than 200 personnel and 50 military vehicles from ship to shore via landing craft.

The multilateral exercise fosters and sustains cooperative defence relationships, providing an opportunity for realistic multinational training in Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief, as well as non-combatant evacuation operations.

Exercise Croix Du Sud is not Marie-Claire's first time overseas. She's been to Antarctica twice with the Aerial Delivery team and spent time in Hawaii and Australia on-board HMNZS CANTERBURY before arriving in New Caledonia.

'Getting to see the world is one of the many benefits of being in the Army and the NZ Army paying for upskilling and further education is another.”

Marie-Claire holds many heavy vehicle licences, including class 1 and 2 forklift, dangerous goods and wheels and tracks and rollers – all gained during her time in the Army.

She will begin an intermediate vehicle course and sit her heavy truck licence when the ship returns to Auckland.

Marie-Claire says she's enjoyed her change of environment and time at sea, and is keen to remain posted to HMNZS Canterbury.

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