Being a Mum is really important to Melissa. The Army provides the best of both worlds by having a family life and wonderful, challenging work.

'I missed the army and missed working full time and the army had the best offer.
I knew what I was getting, I didn't have to re-educate, I didn't need to retrain, the salary was always good and the army was doing lots of different and interesting things so there were more opportunities.'

Working in the Australian Army provides flexibility, which allows Melissa to pick her kids up from school and actually sit down and eat dinner with her family.

Click on the video to hear more of Melissa's story and her thoughts on the Army conditions, which have improved since she left in 2002.