Private Ibbs Essay
Attention, Private Ibbs!
Grenade throwing and rifle assembling are not typical requirements of the average student part-time job. However, for one of my former flatmates, her Wednesday nights and weekends consisted of such out-of-the-ordinary tasks, as part of her role in the New Zealand Defence Force Reserves.
Alana Ibbs – or Lanz, to those of us close to her – does not exactly come across as “the army type”. She is a makeup and activewear enthusiast, makes a wicked Pad Thai, practically lives in a bikini from December through Februay, loves a big night ‘on the grog’ and avidly uses Tinder. When I point this out, as we sit chatting over brunch, she rebuts in her perpetually high-pitched voice, ‘See, this is what fucks me off about society’s …show more content…
Rolling my eyes (in the flat, Lanz was infamous for having the table etiquette of a seagull), I nudge the plate in her direction.
It is true that stereotypes are prevalent in societal perceptions around females in the military. For Alana, the most frustrating aspect of this typecast is the common, but mistaken, idea that any femininity is relinquished the day basic training begins. Having said that, I do recall once talking to a friend about my flatmate who drives a manual, does surf lifesaving, eats all our leftovers and is in the army. His response: ‘So it’s you five girls and a guy named Lance?’ Upon telling Lanz this wee forgotten analogy, she howls with laughter.
Watching her cackle in teary-eyed hysterics, completely oblivious to the peeved glances other diners are throwing our way, I cannot imagine Lanz devoid of her characteristic glee. Hence my shock, when she proceeds to open up about how dark a time those three months of intensive base training were for her. Lack of sleep, homesickness, relentless barking criticism and insults from power-tripping corporals, absence of any “luxury” food or toiletries, sporadic midnight drills, unpredictable weather, the danger associated with weapon handling, the dread of tomorrow’s wake up call, the regret over signing away her summer in exchange for all of the above; Alana returned home for the week-long, enforced break dejected, defeated and downright
Grenade throwing and rifle assembling are not typical requirements of the average student part-time job. However, for one of my former flatmates, her Wednesday nights and weekends consisted of such out-of-the-ordinary tasks, as part of her role in the New Zealand Defence Force Reserves.
Alana Ibbs – or Lanz, to those of us close to her – does not exactly come across as “the army type”. She is a makeup and activewear enthusiast, makes a wicked Pad Thai, practically lives in a bikini from December through Februay, loves a big night ‘on the grog’ and avidly uses Tinder. When I point this out, as we sit chatting over brunch, she rebuts in her perpetually high-pitched voice, ‘See, this is what fucks me off about society’s …show more content…
Rolling my eyes (in the flat, Lanz was infamous for having the table etiquette of a seagull), I nudge the plate in her direction.
It is true that stereotypes are prevalent in societal perceptions around females in the military. For Alana, the most frustrating aspect of this typecast is the common, but mistaken, idea that any femininity is relinquished the day basic training begins. Having said that, I do recall once talking to a friend about my flatmate who drives a manual, does surf lifesaving, eats all our leftovers and is in the army. His response: ‘So it’s you five girls and a guy named Lance?’ Upon telling Lanz this wee forgotten analogy, she howls with laughter.
Watching her cackle in teary-eyed hysterics, completely oblivious to the peeved glances other diners are throwing our way, I cannot imagine Lanz devoid of her characteristic glee. Hence my shock, when she proceeds to open up about how dark a time those three months of intensive base training were for her. Lack of sleep, homesickness, relentless barking criticism and insults from power-tripping corporals, absence of any “luxury” food or toiletries, sporadic midnight drills, unpredictable weather, the danger associated with weapon handling, the dread of tomorrow’s wake up call, the regret over signing away her summer in exchange for all of the above; Alana returned home for the week-long, enforced break dejected, defeated and downright