A Darwin soldier is paving the way for Australian Defence Force women to serve on the front line.
Captain Angela Stokes is one of four women in Australia to pass the physical examination including trekking over 15 kilometres while weighed down with gear and lifting extremely heavy equipment.
Women could not serve in the front line infantry or special forces until 2013, when the restriction was overturned by the Defence Force in a huge shift in equality.
Stokes said, “[She’s] happy that people are able to do whatever job they are physically and mentally capable of doing, regardless of any background - not just gender [but] their race or anything”.