1 August 2016

Air Force Technician ‘Living the Dream’ on Exercise in Hawaii

Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Shannon Pevreal, 23, from Otorohanga, is “living the dream” at the world’s largest maritime warfare exercise in Hawaii.

The former Otorohanga College student is an aircraft technician with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).

Her job, wherever it takes her, is to ensure that the Whenuapai-based 5 Squadron’s P3-K2 Orions are fit to fly and meet the flight times for their missions.

“This can involve before- and after-flight servicing, component changes, systems fault-finding and the general husbandry of the aircraft. Sometimes it can involve being required to fly with the aircraft at short notice for search and rescue missions as an observer.”

RIMPAC involves more than 27 nations, 45 ships, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel. This is the final week of the five-week exercise, which will finish on August 4.

RIMPAC helps participating nations foster and sustain the co-operative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.

“I am enjoying working alongside the other nations here,” says LAC Pevreal. “It is interesting to see how other militaries work and can help us improve our way of doing things.”

Exploring the historic Pearl Harbor Naval Base has also been interesting. She was able to tour one of its current residents, a 332-metre “supercarrier”.

“The USS John C. Stennis is 1092 feet long and has a flight deck that is 257 feet wide. I did not comprehend its size until being right up close and personal – it was impressive!”

RIMPAC is just one of the many highlights of her six-year career in the RNZAF.

“I have been lucky enough travel to many new places with the Air Force, some of them only because of my role within the NZDF.

“These have included the search for MH370 search in 2014, based in Perth; going to Guam on exercise in August 2015; and to Antarctica as a watchkeeper for the 2015-2016 summer season, at Scott Base.”

She joined at age 17, but her interest had been sparked two years’ earlier, while on a flight to Nepal. “During the flight I considered doing something that would keep an aircraft in the air. After some research I found that job existed as an aircraft technician.”

In her spare time, she keeps active with sports and enjoying the outdoors: hiking, snowboarding and surfing.

“I enjoy going to the gym and getting involved with sports teams within the Air Force. The sports, especially, have a great social vibe and are supported in the workplace,” she says.

ENDS

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