Psychologist wants to give back as Naval Reservist

On 13 April Sub Lieutenant Dev was among nine sailors and five officers graduating from their 10-month Naval Reserve Common Training (NRCT) course in a ceremony hosted at the Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy in Devonport.

SLT Dev, based in Auckland, will now post to reserve unit HMNZS Ngapona to undertake training and promotion courses.

NRCT provides almost identical training to regular force personnel but is delivered part-time, with graduates balancing their training with work, study and family commitments.

The graduates completed two nine-day-long training blocks at Devonport Naval Base and Tamaki Leadership Centre in Whangaparāoa, as well as four training weekends. Officers had two additional training blocks and two more training weekends for leadership training.

Fitting it all in was a challenge for SLT Dev, who is a psychologist and Health Improvement Practitioner at Auckland PHO and studying for his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Psychology.

“It was also challenging to miss important family events while being away for the training blocks of the NRCT,” he says.

“However, in overcoming these challenges, I have become more resilient, improved my time management skills, become more efficient at completing tasks at work, and have further strengthened my relationships with my family members, supervisors at university, and colleagues at work.”

The NZDF uses psychologists to apply psychological science to enhance personnel performance. They specialise in the human and psychological factors that contribute to people and teams reaching their full potential.

Military psychologists could find themselves involved in recruiting and selection activities, or supporting operational deployments, humanitarian relief and peacekeeping missions. Psychologists could be posted to a ship returning to New Zealand after a long deployment, to have one-on-one talks with crewmembers.

SLT Dev is the first psychologist to graduate as an officer from NRCT. He had previously worked as a civilian psychologist for the New Zealand Defence Force, which made him eligible for the NRCT pathway.

“In my time as a civilian with NZDF I experienced more personal and professional development than I had experienced during the rest of my career combined,” he says.

“I wanted to continue that growth as a uniformed psychologist, and I wanted to give something back for all that New Zealand has given me over the years.”

He considered becoming a Regular Force psychologist but thought being a reservist would fit with his study commitments.

Of the two Reserve Force options – Army or Navy – he felt Navy suited his ethos and values.

“I believe Navy embodies the spirit of New Zealand and reflects the seafaring traditions of both of its founding peoples - Māori and British.

“It’s based in Auckland, where I live, provides good opportunities for specialist officers, has a strong team culture and it’s a service likely to be at the forefront of upcoming geopolitical challenges.”

He would tell anyone to “just go for it”.

“You will get to learn more about yourself, while honing your leadership skills, resilience, fitness, empathy, listening skills and analytical ability among a family of dedicated and professional leaders. The transition from civilian to military is not easy, but as everyone in the NZDF will tell you, it’s definitely worth it.”