When Sergeant Deborah Harris joined the Royal Australian Air Force, she could never have imagined the legacy she had begun.
“When I enlisted I was 40, I had two children and was already a grandmother,” Sergeant Harris said.
“With both my children grown up, it allowed me time to dedicate to working full time.”
Sergeant Harris joined Air Force in 2002 at the age of 40, with the hopes of building a career after 24 years of working in retail. Twenty-three years later, three generations of women now embody her example and inspiration.
In 2014, Sergeant Harris’s daughter, Corporal Rebecca Harris, told her that she was going to start her own Air Force journey.
“I had not pushed my career choice onto her as an option, so her decision came as a surprise,” Sergeant Harris said.
“I supported her through the process and in January 2015, she enlisted.”
Corporal Harris, a single mum of three children herself, completed recruits and initial employment training with the help of her mum, as Sergeant Harris was posted to RAAF Base Wagga at the time.
Just like her mum, Corporal Harris completed her training and is still serving in the supply specialisation.
Determined to make this a full family affair, Corporal Georgia Campbell – Sergeant Harris’s granddaughter and Corporal Harris’s niece – decided to enlist as a Gap Year Supply in 2019 while staying with her grandmother during the last of her schooling.
‘She was always someone I aspired to be, whether it be work, family, career or relationships, she always goes above and beyond.’
After her Gap Year, Corporal Campbell transitioned to full-time Air Force in 2020, just like her aunt and nan.
Corporal Campbell is now a young mum to three young children herself and says her grandmother was her greatest inspiration from a young age.
“My grandmother joined when I was one, so I grew up knowing the benefits and hardships of service life,” she said.
“She was always someone I aspired to be, whether it be work, family, career or relationships, she always goes above and beyond.
“In 2017, I made the decision to move in with her to finish my school years. It was from this time, her devotion to service and the opportunities she was presented throughout her career were highlighted to me.”
All three are still serving today and have even got to experience working on the same base at RAAF Base Richmond in 2020.
Sergeant Harris described how she hoped to continue to be a role model for her family, just as she has been for her daughter and niece.
“I have eight great-grandkids, all aged six and under, so plenty of young minds to inspire and provide an example for, with them growing up used to seeing their nan wear boots and GPUs [general purpose uniform] to work each day,” she said.
Defence Image Now-Corporal Rebecca Harris, of 37 Squadron, Sergeant Deborah Harris, of 84 Wing, and Corporal Georgia Campbell, of 37 Squadron, with Flight Lieutenant Carrie Atkinson.
