No two days are the same in the Royal New Zealand Navy and sometimes you have to eat quickly to fit all the tasks in, says newly-minted sailor Tayla Taupaki from Whangamatā.

The 19-year-old, who went to Whangamatā Area School and worked in a café for a year before joining up, graduated from basic common training in late June, joining the Navy’s ranks as an Ordinary Seaman Combat Specialist.

She passed the 18-week course (normally 16 weeks but extended by Covid-19) with 64 other trainees (43 men and 22 women) and is now tackling her 14-week basic branch training.

Seaman Combat Specialists are experts in the control and conduct of all seamanship operations, including gunnery, boarding of other vessels, security, weapons and seaboat handling.

“I wanted to join the Royal New Zealand Navy because I wanted a career that involves travelling around the world, helping people and having lots of interesting opportunities,” she says.

“A highlight of the training was making so many new friends and getting to know them so well that I can call them family.”

She says the first month of training was hard but it did get easier.